top of page

A Breast Cancer Year

In February 2016 I was diagnosed with locally advanced stage II breast cancer. As we gathered ourselves to meet that challenge, my wife fell on an icy driveway, shattering her shoulder. She required major surgery on the same day as I began chemotherapy. Together - two abreast - we navigated a year of treatment and recovery. This blog collects my writing through our experience. As of June 2024, we are both recovered and thriving - grateful for each new day and the people and resources in our lives.  

Over the months of treatment, I have been writing regular emails to our extended community of friends, family and colleagues. These are collected in The Letters. All of us who receive a (breast) cancer diagnosis are confronted with some 'big questions' and choices. I've talked about some of these in a section On Cancer  (When Cancer Comes). I have also been writing about meeting and managing various breast cancer treatments. These reflections on treatment and my tactics/tips are gathered in On Treatment. In the Sustenance section, I share ideas for care of the self and soul, and give examples of how our community of friends, family and colleagues surrounded us in their care. The Index page lists all of the blog postings and makes it possible to read from beginning to end instead of the default 'most recent to least recent. To learn more about who we are, go to About Us.

"What a staggering tangle of self and mutual care the two of you have been through and come through."

"What a wonderful writer you are - sassy, funny, pragmatic, indomitable, ‎and wise."

"You are a most faithful and a most informative correspondent."

Gathering

First breast cancer. Then, serious shoulder surgery. Would we be open about the news or not? In the end, it was a clear choice for us: to...

At Home: Making Space(s)

I found the new illness challenge overwhelming. It came as a long-term association with an organization related to my work was also...

The Cancer Circle - Wisdom and Love

When I was first diagnosed, I received letters from a wide range of friends and colleagues – sharing their own experience. One said “do...

Poem: How to Get There

Go to the end of the path until you get to the gate. Go through the gate and head straight out towards the horizon. Keep going towards...

bottom of page