Celebration, Contemplation and Calm :)

Hi everyone,

For those of you who make it to read this, I must first start off by apologizing for being remiss in my upkeep of this blog and the transfer of information to you all. There came a point around the time of my Marathon (which I finished and did relatively well with) that I began to feel as though I had to keep quiet and the first casualty of that was this blog.

Let me explain in the most appropriate way I can.

Mom’s breast cancer and the consequent battle was hard for me to transcribe. I am not sure if I can explain it accurately, but the meaning of cancer gets lost when it feels like it’s really about appointments and the drugs that enter the system. The overall intensity of “cancer” is lessened by the enormity of the side effects. At least that was my experience of it 4oo miles away from mom.
At any rate, as many of you know, some other life circumstances began to take shape and my own sense of reality had become less ………real. Kevin and I ended our 10 year relationship, I got very sick with digestive problems, shingles, and just this month had pretty intensive knee surgery. Things, and life, seem to be stabilizing and I have felt like it was time to update this.

I am happy to report that mom has completed the biggest part of her chemo. She will have chemo for another 6 months for a total of one year of treatment, but this last part is a drug called Herceptin and it’s side effects are minimal as compared to the one’s she has weathered to this point. She will also start her radiation treatment everyday for 6 weeks. The very good news is that she was approved for Social Security Disability. It won’t start for another month or two, but those of you who know what the application process is for this and the difficulty in getting it, you know that this is an enormous feat in and of itself.

All of which is to say, that she could not have made it thru with such ease without all of the support and donation you all provided. I can’t tell you what a difference it made for mom and for me. She has been begging me to update this and to thank everyone, and I feel like if she could call each of you everyday she would.


Without question the past 7 months have been filled with some of the toughest days mom or I have ever lived. I can’t tell you that I’ve garnered the meaning behind it all just yet, I suspect someday I will.

What I can say without certainty is that I am grateful for all I have.

I am grateful for mom being ok and having gotten amazing treatment.
I am grateful for all the love, care and emotion that was relayed to me in my journey.
I am grateful for all the love mom was given, from those of you who know her and for those of you who have never laid eyes on her.

Below is from Nanette. Enjoy and thank you so much for all you’ve done.

http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d6a4d7a4d6a55304d6a4e384d5463794e5459334d6a633d0d0a&sb=1

xoxoxoxox
Nate and Nanette :)