Author Archives: thesmallc
A dialogue with a nurse
While the nurse was preparing my IV to get me ready for my breast MRI, she also asked questions about my well being – a great way to distract me. She already knew my dislike for needles. “So how are … Continue reading
My stages of awareness
Awareness comes with a level of burden. That’s why I once avoided it. But sometimes avoiding awareness can delay progress, especially when it comes to cancer. I’ve thought of my different stages of awareness — from not having gone through the … Continue reading
I’ve been diagnosed with life and so have you
We cancer patients get a lot of pressure from society about surviving cancer – we must fight until the end, even if it means we fight against ourselves. We’re often considered “winners” if we survive, but if we die from … Continue reading
Do not judge my choice of treatment (Warning: this is a ranting post)
It is a fact: we live in a society where everyone feels they need to have an opinion; but in many situations people don’t know what they are talking about. They repeat what they hear without questioning the information or … Continue reading
Checking in and checking off
More often than not, when we see a doctor for the first time, we’re handed a questionnaire about our current health condition(s). Sometimes even our existing doctor surprises us with such a list. I’ve been thinking about this recently and … Continue reading
Why I don’t celebrate “Pinktober”
I admit, before going through cancer, and right after finishing treatments, I did a few cancer walks. I believed I was helping a great cause. As I did more and more walks, I felt sadder inside. I survived cancer, so … Continue reading
Sweet things that happened to me during my cancer treatments
Today I thought of my chemo days. It’s the kind of event you can’t completely forget about. As I reflected I realized it was not all bad during my cancer mess. I received great support, and those were the memories … Continue reading
Who should you tell about your cancer diagnosis?
I believe it is the patients’ choice to decide who should know about their cancer diagnosis, but many times we patients don’t have full control over that. Bad news travel fast. I felt pressured to tell people about my cancer … Continue reading
The small c 