I have received a great deal of advice from well-meaning friends and colleagues regarding what one must do when speaking to doctors and specialists. Take a friend for support. Have your friend take notes, because you won’t remember everything said later on. Even if the doctor seems ready to move on to the next patient […]
People have been asking me this a lot. I’d like to say something selfless like “to share all the information I’ve learned and hope to help someone else.” But that wouldn’t be really true, if I’m honest. I first started this blog as a bit of a professional experiment, because I wanted to play with […]
Our household is nearing a grade twelve graduation, which got me reflecting on my own high school days. I realized that the people and dramas I remember aren’t really all that different than the stuff of life after high school. In fact, the pressures I recall are all the same situations and archetypal personalities I’ve […]
I’m one of those people who have a few very dear close friends and family, and outside of that circle, I am actually quite private about personal details with acquaintances and professional colleagues. I have boundaries that I don’t often cross, and am rarely completely open or introspective with anyone else. Actually, I could make […]
When something is niggling at me, such as a problem at work or a decision to be made, I’ve always been pretty good at thinking about it when I want to, and also not thinking about it when necessary. I’ve always considered this some form of mental compartmentalization. Like “putting away” thoughts or problems, for later. Choose […]
On February 24, 2013, I weighed in for the beginning of a little experiment. About four months after learning I have a grade two brain tumour, I’d finally marshalled my mental resources and done some reading. I also made use of the expertise of a few valued coworkers and friends who are cancer and metabolic […]
I have observed a disturbing trend in my social circles, among my coworkers, and dominating my social media feeds. Business. That is: busy-ness. The glorification of busy. Constant bombarding messages framed to highlight how much any one person has accomplished today. Self-satisfied and self-congratulatory messages. What disturbs me is the insidious creeping subconscious idea that […]
When I was diagnosed with brain cancer, the number one thing I realized no one ever said was that I had cancer. That floored me when it sunk in. I had seen five doctors, including a GP, a neurologist, a neurosurgeon, and two oncologists (radiation and chemical), and not one of them had actually said “CANCER”. […]
I have a friend that I enjoy meeting for lunch or coffee, who has a unique and inspiring world view that always helps me take a new perspective. About a year ago, over a lunchtime beer (for him, not me), we were talking over the effects on my life of my brain cancer diagnosis, which […]
Today I heard the term “food bullying” in reference to incidents where, for example, a kid tauntingly eats a cupcake in front of someone who has Celiac disease, with hurtful intent. First, I’m thinking, “What is wrong with parents?”, because in general I’m one of those people who believe you shouldn’t curse the world with offspring […]
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