Do I have a writing style? HAWMC #15

  Writing  with  Style. What is your style ? Do your words flow from your mind to  your  fingertips?  Do  you  like  handwriting  first?  Do  you  plan  your  posts?  Title  first   or  last?  Where  do  you  write  best? 

Writing style ? I don't know I've not really thought about it. Do I need a writing style? I am not a professional writer. I am more of a scientific writer rather than  one who writes flowery creative pieces. When I took English Comp in college the professor would hand back my assignments and say "Add words, make it more descriptive". That is not me though. I guess I try to look for the most concise way to say what I want to say. 

I do think for some time about what I will write about. Sometimes I write about my experiences , sometimes I write about how I feel, sometimes I write a commentary on something I have read, seen or done  and sometimes I just read research articles and then try to relay them to my readers in easy to understand terms. 

Then I start writing. I don't usually have a title before I write. Probably 99% of the time I write the post and then come up with the title. I don't think I write catchy titles like some of my blogger friends. Wish I could do that sometimes. 

I now love writing posts on my computer while sitting in my new mission style chair in the sun room of my home. I can pause , look at the ducks in the pond, birds in the trees and flowers in bloom.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

Dream Day HAWMC 14

My  Dream  Day.  Describe  your  ideal  day.  How  would  you  spend  your  time?  Who   would  you  spend  it  with?  Have  you  had  this  day?  If  not  ␣  how  could  you  make  it   happen? 


This is a tougher prompt to respond to then I thought it would be. I can't seem to make up my mind. The only thing I was certain about was that all these dream days would be with Nick . Why? Because when I experience things without him it just does not have the same feelings. 


So far my dream day could be spent in


Alaska- Trip to Denali - did this 
Alaska- Horseback riding - did this
Rome - Vatican - did this
Hawaii - Big Island Kilauea volcano- did this
Hawaii - Perfect evening sunset on the beach and the star filled night- did this 
California- San Francisco , golden gate and seals - did this


Wyoming - Yellowstone National Park - tour just looking at the mountains- on my bucket list 
Australia - Sydney a city tour and evening beach -on my bucket list
England - London and Stonehenge - on my bucket list


Kansas - Manhattan Visiting Theresa , Andy and John - have done this but would love to do it over and over 


See how hard it is to narrow it down? I would love to redo some things I've experienced already and would love to have some new experiences. 


So how about I just decide that my Dream Day would be any day where I can be outside in the sun preferably the mountains by a lake would be great. I love nature and the wonderful colors  you find in the great outdoors. Of course Nick, Terry ,Andy, Matt and John would be there too.  No computers allowed!


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

10 Things I Can't Live Without - HAWMC# 13

10 Things I  Couldn't Live Without- Write  a  list  of  the  10  things  you  need  (or  love)   most.

This will be a short post. 
I can't live without:

1. My family - love them all !
2. My friends- wouldn't have made it this far without their support
3. My gyn-onc - (actually wouldn't be here making up this list without her)
4. Amber, my dog - She just makes me laugh and that is good for the soul
5. My Iphone - How else would I keep in touch with family who live far away
6. My Macbook - Those Google video chats are the best 
7. Cannoli  - or maybe just the filling MMM Good 
8. new mission style recliner - Best place to relax in my house 
9. Family photos - Love remembering good times 
10.  Trips to Disney - To me it is Magical

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing! Happy Friday the 13th. 

This morning.. and hair..HAWMC 12

Stream  of  Consciousness  Day Start with the sentence “This morning I looked in the mirror...” just write, don’t stop, don’t edit. Post!


This morning I looked in the mirror and saw how long my hair has gotten. I have not had hair this long since Theresa and Andy got married in 2008. The difference is that this time it is grey. I have been thinking about getting it dyed but that is so much trouble . Every month not just a hair cut but a touch up or hours getting it dyed in addition to the hair cut. Plus my hair dresser - who I have gone to for years says she loves my color and that people pay to have my type of salt and pepper look. Sometimes I think it makes me look old some times I think it makes me look younger. Oh I just don't know. 


I am thinking maybe I don't want to dye it cause after I did that my cancer came back and I lost it any way. Why bother spending all that money to look younger. I am actually pretty happy being the age I am .I am aware of more things , and put things in priority differently than I did say 15 or 20 years ago. I am ok with me so why shouldn't I be ok with my grey hair.  Plus I want it to grow longer. 




If I have to loose it again then I will definitely have to get a wig that is grey like this. No more light brown/ golden brown look for me. Later this year I have to renew my drivers license. The last time I renewed it was 4 months after I finished chemo so in the photo I have no hair.  Well not no hair but very little. Might actually make it to August this year with hair- wouldn't that be nice.  Then I can have a photo with grey hair. 


Thinking now about a neighbor who lost her battle with cancer yesterday. I didn't know her very well  since she was in treatment since we moved here two years ago. When we moved here I was not really sharing with very many people that I was a cancer survivor. I wanted to make friends without that hanging over my head. Anyway the day I met her by the pool I knew she was wearing a wig and someone then told me she was  in treatment. I don't know what kind - just it was not breast cancer- that was from another neighbor who is a breast cancer survivor. Rest in Peace Lynn. Will go over and sit shiva later. 




Dee
Every Day is a Blessing.

CA-125 and Tigger ?

So lucky readers you get two posts today. This one a personal update.

Over the past few months my CA-125 has been bouncing around like Tigger. It was 13 then 16 then 11 now 17. Yes, those numbers are all in the normal range( < 35)  for that test.  But since I recurred in 2008 on my liver and spleen and my Ca-125 was 16 these results have a tendency of making me think that I should ready myself for another round of chemo.

I have been waiting since I went for my CT for the other shoe to drop. I've been super sensitive and pretty impatient. Sorry Nick and Matt for having to deal with me the past few days.

I e-mailed my gyn-onc on Monday (she has been on vacation since I had my scan done)  and told her that I really couldn't wait until I see her on the 24th to hear my results. So last night at 7 pm as my Gynecologic Support Group gathered at CINJ she came into the meeting room and asked to speak to me. I think my heart stopped beating for a few seconds as I walked into the hallway.

She held out the report and said that the bottom line was that everything - chest, abdomen, pelvic was  unremarkable. Oh boy do I like being unremarkable. She gave me a big hug and said see you at the end of the month. I can't describe how much I respect that woman and how blessed I am to have her as my doctor . She did not have to stick around to see me about my results she could have had one of the nurses call but she goes beyond treating her patient's disease she is aware of all the needs of her patients.

This morning Nick said " Got my wife back for 6 more months." and smiled.  Yup all that anxiety goes back into the box until September when the testing begins again.


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing! Blessed to be treated by Dr G.

Theme song HAWMC #11

Theme  song.  Imagine  your  health  focus  or  blog  is  getting  its  own  theme  song.   What  would  the  lyrics  be?  What  type  of  music  would  it  be  played  to?   

I am no song writer so instead I will pick a song that I began listening to when I was first diagnosed . Love this song. 
Tim McGraw's Live Like You Were Dying:


He said: "I was in my early forties,
"With a lot of life before me,
"An' a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
"I spent most of the next days,
"Looking at the x-rays,
"An' talking 'bout the options an' talkin’ ‘bout sweet time."
I asked him when it sank in,
That this might really be the real end?
How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?
Man whatcha do?

An' he said: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."

He said "I was finally the husband,
"That most the time I wasn’t.
"An' I became a friend a friend would like to have.
"And all of a sudden goin' fishin’,
"Wasn’t such an imposition,
"And I went three times that year I lost my Dad.
"Well, I finally read the Good Book,
"And I took a good long hard look,
"At what I'd do if I could do it all again,
"And then:

"I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."

Like tomorrow was a gift,
And you got eternity,
To think about what you’d do with it.
An' what did you do with it?
An' what can I do with it?
An' what would I do with it? ...


I have never gone sky diving , nor climbed a mountain , nor ridden a bull but I have seen the Alps , visited Denali National park in Alaska and been here to celebrate some incredible family milestones.  Tomorrow is indeed a gift!


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Dear Me... HAWMC 10

Dear  16-­‐year-­‐old-­‐me.  Write  a  letter  to  yourself  at  age  16.  What  would  you  tell   yourself?  What  would  you  make  your  younger  self  aware  of? 

Dear  Teen Me,

I know you love science and want to be an engineer. That is great. In the past year you thought you wanted to be a nurse but really don't like being a candy stripper. There is more to medical careers than cleaning bedpans, delivering flowers, cards, food trays and feeding people . BTW, the man you feed lunch to every Saturday,the one who had the stroke, really appreciates the company.

So go ahead and apply to engineering school. Stick with that even when people say you won't be successful. But "Warning - Will Robinson" you and electrical engineering courses do not get along- stick with the biology,chemistry and thermodynamics courses.  You will learn about distillation and fermentation. Go more toward the fermentation. Let your senior project ( it will be about enzymes) guide you to pursue a more medical related research career. What you work on might impact your life and the life of Roberta and so many others.

Oh, make sure you take that first job with Colgate. There is a great guy who works there and you will have a really terrific life together - kids and all.

Enjoy !

Love,
Middle Age Me




Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!