Don't know if you've seen the news, but in Panama City, Florida at a school board meeting, a man pulls a gun.  He ends up firing it at the Superintendent, and eventually dies on scene. He lets people leave.  It's all on video. My question is ..WHERE ARE THE MEN ?  Oh yeah, they're sitting RIGHT THERE letting a pitiful old woman defend them !!!!  In this video you see a big black man is one of the first to leave.  Women are the last to leave, and the ...

If you’re old enough to remember playing Dungeons and Dragons, you probably have stories to tell.  A very talented friend from college, David Nett , is writing/directing/producing a web series based on such a tale. He’s not alone of course, there are many people involved in creating a web series*.  If D & D was once your thing, is still your thing, or you just want to see what the heck a web series looks like…check it out, the (pilot) first episode is ba...

Today I went for the first big Chemo treatment of 6.  This regime involves a cocktail of three chemotherapies:  Taxotere, Carboplatin, and Herceptin (TCH) every three weeks, and I go in once a week for the Herceptin between the big cocktail.  After 18 weeks (barring problems) I go to Herceptin every 3 weeks up to 52 weeks, and start radiation, 7 weeks.  Then Tamoxifen for five years.  Most civilian cancer centers are a little fancier than the one at Wright Patters...

***Photos of Skin-Sparing Mastectomy Below Post-Surgery*** It is true.  I bruise easy, and they tend to last a long time.  In fact, it is fairly normal to keep a bruise for 4-5 weeks.  Remember the bruising from the gross 5-day post-op pictures?  (Visual reminder below…) When my plastic surgeon saw the bruising he told me about this wonderful herb called Arnica Montana (AM).  He encouraged me to take it.  Skeptical, I trudged to GNC, plopped down...

I went to get my boob filled today. Seriously. I bought a Venti Starbucks Skinny Vanilla Latte to fill my belly, then reclined on a table while the good doctor inserted a needle and pumped 100 ml of saline into the expander.  I made him stop at 100 because my pectoral muscle was tweaking.  But now I think he could have gone at least 50 more.  I have 200 ml to go yet, but several months to get there.  Can’t swap expander for gummy bear until I’m done wit...

Five years ago, on JoeUser, I “met” UDig, aka Chris.  I loved his sense of humor, his writing, the way he loved InBloom. Online acquaintance grew into friendship. Yesterday this vibrant, funny, talented young man passed away from health complications. God bless him.  God bless Inbloom. May he rest in peace.     His blog.

***********************************GRAPHIC PHOTOS OF A  POST-MASTECTOMY BREAST BELOW******************************************       I won’t lie. I struggled with whether or not to post these pictures. After all, you can see the ravages of breast cancer simply by googling it. But those pictures aren’t my genuine experience. Those pictures aren’t me . Certain my pride would keep its secrets, breast cancer force...

October 27th. The day started with anti-nausea medications and four needles of radioactive material injected into my nipple. I didn’t have to wait for surgery. While I was in the pre-op room, the hospital chaplain came to visit me. Strange. There were many other people in the room getting ready for surgery, but he came to my bed like I called him. And left when we were done. (We said a prayer together.) Last thing I remember is my anesthesiologist telling me I was a light w...

<<<<<My FAMILY>>>>>   Tomorrow I go in for a mastectomy, port placement, and immediate reconstruction (if possible, if NOT then an “expander” is placed).  They tell me, odds are less than 5% I could actually die from complications.  I’m “young,” healthy, whatever. Odds are pretty small I could have breast cancer too. These days, I don’t play the odds. That’s...

I was asked to say a few words at my Aunt Shelby’s funeral in September.  She planned the entire event, from the Elvis gospel playing in the background, the suit she wore, the flowers she wanted, the casket, everything.  So I was surprised and happy when my cousin (her only child) asked me to say a few words, read a poem, something.  He knew she was a mother to me in so many ways.  And he never resented the time she spent with me, the home she made for me. In the ...

Here’s a novel idea. You don’t like reading people debate religion? Don’t click on that topic! It always amazes me when people who label themselves fairly “open-minded” get all bent out of shape over a religious debate. Never mind the endless political, technical, social, and entertainment debates that occur here without a peep of protest; nay actual participation , from the offended. Let a group start discussing God, faith, and (oh no!) their opini...

“I had the WEIRDEST dream last night.” Don’t you hate when a friend or family member utters those words? It is usually followed by twenty minutes of "and then(s)" rambling which seems to make perfect sense to them, but not a bit to anyone else. So. I had the weirdest dream last night.  Try to keep up… A friend’s house, (maybe Aunt Jamie’s?), a demon, or demons, haunting the place. I walked from room to room with a cross ...

Just a question, FYI type thing.  Several people told me when they google my articles Tova7 Remind Me)..or try a link with the forum addy in it they get this: Remind Me . » Forum Post by Tova7 This site may harm your computer. Suspicious results and strange behavior: Results labeled 'This site may harm your computer' Print We want our users to feel safe when they search the web, and we're continuously working to identify dangerous sites and increase protection fo...

SERIOUS WOE-IS-ME SNARKINESS AHEAD………..also references to the female anatomy, um, and some cussing….so if that offends, you might wanna skip this……   -------------------------------- For someone who is all about rabid quality of life and not quantity, a woman doesn’t “survive” breast cancer. She may get a reprieve, but eventually, one way or another it gets her; in whole, or in bite size pieces. Today I took Ga...

This is a text to movie program that is SO MUCH FUN!! You pick the characters.  Write the script.  Choose every motion, ambient noise, and any musical score. So fun and so addicting!! Here is my first try....