#TheSundayPost A Little This, A Little That

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday

This past week has been a busy week! Lots of driving youngest child and oldest child to their summer jobs. Youngest child is getting her license on Tuesday, if she passes the driving test.  Fingers crossed. I will say it has been nice to spend one on one time with her in the car, albeit very stressful for me as the passenger! 

I've finished week one of my Marathon Training and today I learned that I need to figure out a better  pre-run light breakfast because today my energy was sapped too early. Also it was H*O*T. I was really happy to enjoy a post run swim in my little pool. Should you have any interest you can check my fundraising page for Imerman Angels here. 

My garden is growing well (knock on wood) I am implementing less watering than I did last year because in The Beginner's Guide to Growing Great Vegetables the author talks about if you water your plants too much they can grow shallow roots, but if you water a little sparingly, then they will grow deep roots. So that's the plan!

I have also been doing a good job with working on my cozy mystery by participating in Jami Attenberg's #1000wordsofsummer each day and I am participating in a virtual writing group via Gilda's Club so I do not have my book reviews planned out very well at all for the upcoming week. 

I will be sharing my thoughts on this book that I picked up from Net Galley:

What have you been up to? How was your week? 

One Year Chemoversary! -Don't Call Me A Warrior

I was busy writing holiday cards and baking holiday cookies and neglected to post on the occasion of passing the one year mark of my last chemo treatment. 

December 5th was the last day I got Taxol.  Since then my body has rebuilt itself and hopefully, no random cancer cells are rummaging around. I still have some occasional numbness in my fingers.  I think I am still working on getting to full strength after all treatments. I know my memory is not as great as it was before chemo, I don't think that ever comes back, but I could be wrong. I hope my heart continues to do well and most of all that cancer doesn't return. 

This week I was able to virtually attend an amazing conference, The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.  There are so many doctors and scientists all over the world working to find new safer treatments for all stages of breast cancer.  The best thing to do however is to avoid getting cancer in the first place, so to that end, I say get genetically tested around age 30.  If you carry a known inherited mutation, then you have time to decide if you want to do any preventative surgery or additional monitoring to avoid having cancer in your 40s, 50s, etc.  Once the cancer cat is out of the bag, then you are always at higher risk of it coming back or a new cancer showing up, and don't forget all impacts of side effects from treatments leading to new and not exciting, medical conditions. 

And so ends my PSA.  Here are some cookies--a feast for your eyes!   Now the warrior thing, personally I, and many other cancer people I talk to, aren't fans of the war/battle framing of disease.  We are all just people trying to live our best lives, if we could get in the ring and actually battle cancer and defeat it we would, but that's not how it works. 

I was thinking about better descriptive words for people who had/have cancer and I've come up with an idea for those of us who are out of treatment and hoping it never comes back.  

            * Call me a NEDder.  That's no evidence of disease. This is where I'd like to be for the next four decades! 

I hope you and yours stay cancer-free for all your days because cancer is extremely inconvenient, annoying, and not fun!  If you or anyone you know is looking for support check out:

A website for those with hereditary cancer risk

            

For Breast Cancer People, Caregivers and those who are worried about Breast Cancer

One on One Support from Imerman Angels

The #BCSM hashtag on Twitter

Who's Almost Hit Their Fundraising Goal? This Girl!

Tomorrow I am participating in the Imerman Angels Brunch Run - Virtual 5K!  This is a real bummer because I was looking forward to participating in this in person- Bruch Food! Mimosas! Supporting a great organization!  And I would have met my Angel Mentor Margot IRL!   super sad face emoji. 

However as anyone who has ever had a cancer diagnosis knows, sometimes you just have to roll with the changes.   I've run fewer miles this week and plan to have nice fresh legs for my run tomorrow so I can give the virtual race my all.  I'll be posting on my Instagram account @Victoria7401 if you want to see how it goes.  

Thanks to everyone who has donated to my fundraising! Because of all of you, I am only $90!  Away from my goal!  Please pat yourself on the back if you have already given and have a mimosa on me tomorrow! If you can please share my fundraising on your social media- every share helps!  Link to my page!

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Clear Blue Skies All Day Today 

Today is a Weird Day

Hello! Happy May.  I really enjoy the month of May, it's one of my top 3 favorite months. :-) However, last year the universe decided to play a little trick on me and now this time of year is not just the glorious May flower fest and sunny days of old. 

Yes, you guessed it, on this day, May 6th,  last year  I got one of the crummiest phone calls a person can get- ie your biopsy results have come back and you have cancer. Not what anyone wants to hear, ever.  Another reason I'm glad to have an Imerman Angel (Margot) who I can contact anytime to talk is on a not great anniversary day like today.   Everyone who gets a crummy cancer diagnosis should have someone in their corner they can talk to who gets it--especially now!

May 6, 2019, what a crap day, but I can imagine how much more anxiety-producing it would be if I was being diagnosed now during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are able to donate any $ toward my marathon run this month you are helping those people out there right now who just found out they have cancer. 

Here is the good news for today!  During May a big foundation is double matching all the funds us runners raise.  So if you are able to donate $20 to me this month,  you are actually making a $60 donation to Imerman Angels. How cool is that!

The sun is shining today and the cancer that I had with me last year is gone.  I get to go for a nice run today, How wonderful to have that going for me!  During the stay at home order I have been out there running, my only issue right now is a persistent blister on my toe that is healing- but also annoying.  

Each day I run because I can. Thank you for giving what you can to help raise money for Imerman Angels!

If you are on Instagram, I post a run picture each day- @Victoria7401

Here is my link if you would like to know more about Imerman Angels or donate to my run!