The need for heroes, an introduction

"Behaviour that's admired is the path to power among people everywhere" ~Beowulf, Seamus Heaney Every one loves a great hero story.  We line up in droves to see the latest superhero movie.  We cheer on the protagonist in an action feature as he annihilates bad guys left and right.  We find ourselves tearing up as …

Finding the miracle in the little things

Wow. It has been one crazy ride these last few days.  A few weeks ago our HVAC unit stopped working at peak performance just in time for a record breaking heat wave.  Our tankless water heater, not to be out done, has been experiencing a nervous breakdown and we have had surprise hot water shortages. …

Just what does entropy have to do with NET cancer anyway?

This concept seems a rather odd inspiration in which to write about neuroendocrine cancer, yet it has been on my mind for a while now.  It was first introduced to me in a short story by Thomas Pynchon in my American Literature Survey class and the story just stuck with me.  This story seems especially …

It’s a purple butterfly zebra kind of life

Here I sit, at quarter to eleven in the morning, in my pajamas with absolutely no intention of getting a shower.  To be quite honest, I'm actually afraid of the shower and how I am going to feel afterward.  Anyone who has experienced chronic pain and the accompanying fatigue will understand...the shower is just a …

If walls could talk…

This past week has been nothing short of a whirlwind.  After being TDY for two weeks, my husband took some time off to tear the house apart and repaint.  It has been seven long years since we last painted the walls and, believe me, this venture has been desperately needed.  Now, here I sit, amid …

Out of weakness comes incredible strength

There is nothing so humbling in this world than receiving the news that the body harbors a potentially deadly disease. The range of emotions is intense as the mind desperately tries to process this new reality.  I can remember sitting in that dark room in the emergency department, trying to maintain a grasp on reality …

A sabbath rest

Rest.  What a wonderful word.  It brings with it feelings of relaxation and refreshment; a chance to renew the spirit and bring a freshness back to the old routines of life.  Many of us look forward to periods of rest so we can separate ourselves from the everyday mundane pace of work and enjoy some …

Social media to the rescue?

Social media is a wonderful thing.  It allows us to keep in touch with friends and family that, in today's mobile society, are spread out across the country.  It allows us to make new friends with people in different countries that we would not have otherwise had the privilege of meeting.  It also allows us …

If purees be the food of life, eat on!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it is impossible to have a hobbit-sized appetite after having extensive abdominal surgery.  It seems like any time I allow my eyes to overpower my stomach, I find myself on the couch, curled up in agony, wishing that I had exercised a bit more self control. …

All other ground is sinking sand

I have to admit that these last few weeks have been very difficult.  Since being diagnosed with cancer I have become almost a literal shut-in.  I have very little contact with the outside world anymore and it is beginning to wear heavily on my soul.  Today, as I sit before the computer, the tears are …