Cancer Hope Network

 

Yellow is not really my color. Or at least it wasn't. Now that I've discovered Sarcoma Research Foundations exist to find a cure and that it is designated by the ribbon color of yellow I'll probably be accepting it into my color wheel.

I've also discovered the Cancer Hope Network.

This lovely network of cancer survivors was designed to provide partnership and support to those still struggling with cancer (vs being in remission or cured). I've been matched with someone who is going to be there to say 'I get it' and be able to offer ideas and a listening ear with the perspective of what it feels like to have hopeless days, loss, fear, and unknowns because of cancer.

If you or someone you know has gone through cancer and they want to help someone going through it now, please recommend this organization to them as a volunteer opportunity. And if you or someone you know is a cancer patient, please reach out to this network and they will connect you with someone.

But look how many people are out there to walk alongside you.

Never Give Up

 

I learned just how true this is recently when I reached out, with the help of my parents, to a group of people who we thought might be interested in joining us in hope.

During my initial consultation with my Sarcoma Oncology Specialist at University of Pennsylvania I learned about their Sarcoma Research Foundation that is raising awareness and funds to help finance clinical trials and work towards efforts to eventually find cures for this rare type of cancer. 

I am overwhelmed beyond words at how generous you all have been and how impactful your donations will be to the work being done. 

When I was first diagnosed I truthfully didn't have hope. I couldn't see past the diagnosis and statistical prognosis. If I'm being raw in my honesty, I didn't see the point of my treatment.

But with time, tremendous support, many (many) hours of therapy, and excellent Palliative care teams I now hold hope carefully in the palm of my hands - like a rare gift.

Just ten years ago, I guess eleven now, my treatment - that's working beautifully - didn't even exist.

Today, I get to say I'm in metabolic remission because of the medical advances of the medication I'm on. And while I've shared the average efficacy is just nineteen months long, I feel it's possible (as do my doctors) that I could experience years of success with it. 

And now, when it does fail, I feel exceptionally hopeful there will be more options. 

Thank you to everyone who has contributed. There are not enough words to express how much it means and if you have not yet had a chance to donate and still want to here is the link.

Together, we have raised over $5,000 and I'm so proud of and grateful for it.

Don't let the hard days win

 

So I promised more blogs, and I'm thinking I might as well keep blogging about the real stuff - which I think I have to-date mostly (just admittedly infrequently) - than talk about anything else, even if it's easier.

The sun is shining more (it's not today as I write this but I appreciate the cooler temperatures), the trees and bushes are blooming, and I think we can safely say goodbye to winter weather. Normally that would be more than enough to lift my mood. But lately I battle that every single day. And I lost my normal awhile ago, so it makes sense that good weather doesn't cut it anymore.

It's true that almost all of us wake up 'on the wrong side of the bed' some days. Not every day is easy for anyone. And yet lately I find myself truly talking through how to have a 'good' day. A day without quite as much fear, boredom, anxiety, or sadness. 

I work with a therapist (missing V💜 a great deal, but grateful for my new behavioral therapy specialist) and we've been talking about depression vs. grief. It's been an interesting learning opportunity for me as I work through both.

Depression is a dark cloud that follows someone...essentially everywhere. You get good news, you hear something delightful, you learn something, someone shares their time with you - and yet there's a quiet, lingering feeling that the experience could feel lighter. That once upon a time it did feel lighter.

In its deepest state, untreated, it could pull someone under the covers or prevent them from daily tasks and self care. My particular version of depression doesn't do that. It does however come with a feeling that doing the things, whatever those may be, takes extra effort and thoughtfulness.

Then there's grief. I remember when I went through my divorce feeling deep grief. You lose something you so intentionally chose, that was woven into the fabric of your very being, and suddenly you're questioning if you are worthy of what it offered. Or what you thought it offered. 

Somehow, you begin to realize only that part of your life has dramatically shifted but there's a great deal that can or does remain stable. Not always, of course.

Get divorced and see how fast certain people disappear. Or perhaps you find yourself in a new home as well as relationship status. 

This time - older, wiser perhaps - feels like a different level of grief. And my therapist has truly helped me see that there's a great deal of loss accompanying my life circumstances at the moment. I intellectually understood that but her labeling it as such has opened my eyes.

So what does one do with that heavy emotion.

When the world feels like it has lost its' color you keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

Work really, really fing hard to smile anyway.

Make a gratitude list at the end of each day. Or the beginning.

Listen.

Feel the hard.

Let people carry you. And don't worry, for the time being, about paying them back.

Celebrate the smallest moments of joy when you feel them.

I will probably write a little more about this soon, as I am imminently approaching even more grief and loss. 

My position is ending in a couple weeks. My career may or may not be over. 

That in and of itself is tremendous heartbreak to carry. But approaching that date has been just as hard.

My promise to myself and those who love me is I will keep working diligently not to let the hard days win.

Taking a chance on a dog is like dating

 

As a single person who has used the dating apps, and of course dated people I've met in real life, I feel I am completely qualified to compare dating people to getting to know a dog. 

Even the way we sometimes find a dog to adopt is swiping on a website or application. And sometimes the descriptions are robust - thoughtful, helpful, interesting, and a way to truly imagine what that person might be like in life. Some dogs have amazing descriptions. And they are true!

If you know you know - some profiles on dating websites and dog adoption websites leave much to be desired. Perhaps, at best, a recycled version of someone else's profile or generic enough just to pull you in. 

I got really lucky with Chance because he was appropriately described as snuggly, a dog that would love to find his person, and one with soulful eyes. And he had an incredible foster mom who took exceptionally good care of him the week before I met him and brought him home. So I was able to get a lot of information from her about him, despite it being a fairly short amount of time.

The first few weeks were close to brutal. Kissing the edge of maddening. 

He was confused as any dog would be, but more so because he had come from a very hard (probably harder than we can imagine) environment and had not been treated like a loveable, friendly companion.

At best he was given the very basics, and at times not even that.

So walks were brand new to him, not fighting for a meal or worrying no one would pay him any attention.

I'd like to think he learned quickly that this was a safe home and space, and he was never going to experience that hardship ever again.

The reason we date people is to figure out if they work for us, and we work for them. Being single doesn't mean that's been an epic failure for me...but admittedly I'm still single so clearly I have yet to hit the bullseye.

And if you've had a soul dog you know they are bonded to you for eternity and hard to stop wanting back in your life with they leave. In that department, I was successful. As most of you know, Oliver and I were meant to be.

Chance is not my soul dog. His needs for activity, attention, and constant companionship (he would LOVE to have another dog in his life) just don't align with my capabilities at this time in life. Much as it hurts to write that.

But he's someone's forever soul dog.

And so with a heavy, but hopeful, heart I am letting everyone know that Chance is available for re-homing.

We've been hanging out together for over four months, so I can assure you his profile is accurate and true :)

For Adoption: Chance

Age: approximately 1.5 years (estimated because of the circumstances of his rescue)

Weight: 14.5 lbs

Color: Black with gray marks (his puppy antics will quickly erase you thinking he's a distinguished older gentleman with his gray hairs)

Character and qualities: part snoozy bean, part playful pup, this young terrier (probably a mix of Boston and Scottish) will grab your heart and your fingers. He has had some training and will need more to curb the mouthy-ness that comes with play and preparation for walks.

Activity level: Chance loves 20-30 minute walks, and he's currently getting three of those a day, he has a basket a toys he'll happily chase and return to you for a solid 15-20 minutes and then he probably has plans for more snoozing or snuggling.

Routine: Chance goes to bed, in his crate - which he happily and willingly goes into - at about 8:00 p.m. and sleeps through the night. Typically waking at 7:30 a.m. or so to go outside, he is thrilled to get back into his pet parents bed for some morning snuggle time after that. 

He grazes on dry food throughout the day and gets a serving of fresh food from Ollie in the evening for dinner. And of course happily accepts a snack or two throughout the day.

What he needs: a home where someone is home throughout a good portion of the day, or daycare (he is currently enrolled at Oscar's Pet Resort), and a family that will play with him and give him praise for being the good dog he is. 

Chance is a client at Neffsville Veterinary Clinic, is up to date on his shots, takes a daily probiotic, and is on monthly flea, tick, heartworm care.

If you are interested or know someone who might be, please reach out to either myself or my mom. You are welcome to share my contact information with someone who is interested, or I'm happy to reach out to them if you'll give me theirs.

p.s. Chance does not love car rides - full disclosure. That and his oral fixation are his two least appealing qualities. But he has learned to ride in his carrier.

All items that belong to Chance will go with him when he is adopted by a new family.

Steps to Cure Sarcoma

 

With spring in our steps and winter slowly (but certainly!) finding its way away from our area, I'm excited to form Chance for a Cure - my team for the upcoming event Steps to Cure Sarcoma.

I'm very excited this event is taking place for the 12th time, and that all proceeds go directly toward research for this specific kind of cancer.

The event takes place May 17, 2026. I'd love to be at the event itself, but in order to have more support around me that morning, I've elected to create a virtual walk team that anyone can join and by doing so - whether you walk with us in Bent Creek on that morning beginning at 10:30 a.m. (if inclement weather is intolerable you can always walk around your house instead) :) or you take a walk in your own neighborhood wherever you may be, you're joining forces with others to help make a difference. 

Every dollar raised counts and every step taken toward finding more chances to beat this matters.

Register Here!

As a reminder - 

Sarcomas are rare cancers of the bones and soft tissues including muscles, blood vessels, fat, nerves, tendons and other connective tissues. They affect approximately 12,000 people each year in the United States. Bone sarcomas are more common among children, and soft tissue sarcomas are more common in adults. Advanced imaging techniques are used to evaluate the tumor characteristics and accurately pinpoint their location. Image-guided biopsies are performed by musculoskeletal radiologists and the diagnoses determined by experienced musculoskeletal pathologists. Pet dogs develop spontaneous sarcomas that are similar to human sarcomas. The Veterinary and Medical schools work together to incorporate canine models into the Penn Sarcoma Program to accelerate understanding sarcoma pathogenesis and to bring effective therapies into the human and veterinary clinics.

 In advance, thank you for considering being part of the team and for always being patient with me as I ebb and flow with blogging. I will commit to you a new blog or two in the coming days!

Oh yeah. If you like being merchandised properly (and shopping) click here to purchase something to wear that day (and in all the years to come!) I did a google search and found some other great pieces for sale on various sites, such as Etsy too!

If you have any questions - text or email me, or my parents!

Happiness vs Joy

 

Most of us know this but recently I heard it in a way that stuck....

Happiness, which comes from the root word Happenstance, is a current state of being. Something you're doing in a moment, sunshine when you wake up, the first sip of hot tea or your beverage of choice.

Joy is a bit deeper. It's perhaps knowing there will be sunshine soon even if it's not abundantly shining now. It's deeply connecting to what makes you tick, even if you can't be doing it right now. It's knowing you're grateful to have little things that make you feel good and smile.

That's harder to do lately. The area of the map where I live is cold. Bitter cold. Hurts your face and hands no matter how much you cover up. 

So I think it makes us - humans (and dogs to be honest) colder. We want to pick up the phone and call you back but we're cranky.

We want to meet you for coffee & tea but staying bed feels better.

So how do you do it. How do you not wish away months. Since I'm told this lingers through at least March.

My mom stopped by this morning with tea from our favorite spot. She does this about once a week and it means a lot to me. One because I admittedly love tea and it does taste better when someone else makes it for me. But also because I know she'd probably rather stay in bed snuggled under covers wishing away the weather too.

What brings me the most joy every day is movement - particularly getting outside with Chance for a walk. One might suspect doing so in single digit temperatures with more than 12" of snow and ice on the ground could prove challenging.

That's one word for it.

(all my parents friends who fly south for the winter are officially the smartest people I know)

So I bought warmer snow boots. I bought Chance some too.

We toss on our hoodies, coats, snow shoes, and other accessories and make it happen.

Is it happiness? Not every time. It drags in salt and ice, makes for more rounds of laundry, causes me stress because he's a little dude and I don't want to over do it.

But it brings me the most immense joy to breath in the fresh air and know I'm getting us out to stretch our legs and our souls.

This is a sun drawn in sand. You won't catch me drawing in the snow. I couldn't anyway. 

There's a significant layer of ice on top of it.

Find the joy. When I do my heart sparkles brighter.

p.s. I tried to put a video in of Chance in his boots. It'll make you smile. That is if it works eventually. Happiness is when technology works. Joy would be seeing a 14.5 dog clomp around in booties :)

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow...somewhere else

 

So in a few short weeks the following has happened:

1. I have purchased the biggest, least attractive, warmest coat I could find on short notice that allows me to layer more clothes than I have worn in years.

2. In my closet I now have three times the pairs of socks I've owned in decades.

3. It doesn't matter how good a hair day I'm having (and that's a big deal these days - more on that to come) I'm wearing the ear cover, the hat, and the hood on whatever vest and coat I'm wearing.

4. Weather.com has become my most frequented app on my phone.

5. I've learned not to believe what it says regarding the temperature. It doesn't matter what it is. It matters what the "Feels Like" is.

6. Nothing and I do mean nothing is worse than ice.

I hate mosquitos. I hate humidity. I'm not a fan of anything over 75 degrees. 

So we'll see which season wins the award for most challenging. 

Yes. Yes, indeed. Okay. Let's see.

In a few short weeks, the following has happened:

1. I have come to appreciate the sun in a whole new way.

2. 30 degrees feels pretty damn good.

3. The people who shovel snow are amazing. 

4. Shoveling ice makes you an actual hero.

5. An automatic car wash is like getting fresh flowers - delightful.

6. Most days I still am brave enough and happy to walk Chance, and it's one of my favorite things to do no matter the weather.

auld lang syne

 

I like even numbers and I like fives. It sounds odd, I know.

With that said, I thought 2025 was going to be a great year. I probably started it as I have many, many years - asleep. But if popping champagne and watching the clock strike twelve is required I will forever be at a loss. 

As you know, and I'm not alone I realize, for me and for several people close to me, 2025 was NOT a great year. It arguably could go down as the worst to date.

If I've learned anything this year, it is to let people be there for me. I wasn't great at it each of the 365 days, admittedly. But I was a lot better than any other of the ones that passed prior to 2025. So that's something.

I'm not really into resolutions. But if I'm making one, a promise for myself, it is to offer more grace to my body and mind on my bad days. When I'm tired, feeling sick, losing my hair, or just off, I will lean into the rest I need and the people who are here to offer comfort.

I'm sending wishes to everyone, especially several friends who are also living with cancer, for a gentle, memory-filled, more-good-days-than-bad year.

Cheers to whatever comes next...

Second Chances

 

Oliver was my whole world. My soul dog. The greatest love I've ever known.

So he was always going to be hard to replace. His are big shoes paws to fill.

Meet Chance, the littlest gentleman to bounce into my heart.

Chance deserved a second chance at life and my heart deserves a second chance at true love. So in all the ways, we both rescued one another - just as it should be.

It's hard to welcome a new dog into your life. Or at least it is for me. But I thought what better time when I'm developing a brand new routine, when I'm surrounded by community and still fighting a feeling of loneliness from time to time, and when I've had some space to grieve. 

Chance is just under 13 lbs and will get to indulge in lots of yummy food and treats as he works his way up to a more healthy weight of 15 or 16 lbs. 

Chance bounces around all the time and he's likely a Boston Terrier, so my mom has nicknamed him Bean. 

He needs a little extra time and love as he learns grass is WAY preferred to rugs and hardwood. And we're keeping him nice and warm with doggie hoodie's while his hair grows back, having needed a total shave due to mistreatment and neglect.

But he sleeps through the night, tucked safely into his crate (inside the most quiet apartment I've ever lived in which has nothing to do with this pawsome introduction but I needed to mention it because it's bringing me insane joy) and he makes me happy every time I get to scoop him into my arms.

He has the sweetest eyes and his disposition will melt your heart.

We are each other's second chance in every sense of the word.

Thankful

 

I have an exceptional amount to be thankful for on this day of Thanksgiving.

Most people who know me well know I've spent the majority of the last eight of these holidays alone. 

I don't say that to create feelings of pity. I'm not asking for anyone to feel badly for me.

But life just went that way and it is my truth. 

So first and foremost, I am overflowing with gratitude that this year I will be at a table surrounded by immediate family and friends. 

It, for many, is the status quo of a major national holiday but it has not been for me for a very, very long time. 

Thanks to my brother, his future wife, my very best friend, my nephew, and my parents, I have a beautiful, warm, inviting home to welcome me back each time I open the door or open my eyes in the morning. And to welcome all those in my community - my village. 

If you know me well, you know I'm an introvert. If you believe me to be anything else you either do not know me well or you are well-fooled. I am not a social bug, have JOMO, and will happily stay tucked into my home vs going out every chance I get.

And yet, fascinatingly, I am surrounded by social bugs. And because of them all having more friends than people I even know I am surrounded by love and kindness, even if only via a text message.

So for that I am exceptionally thankful.

So today, I am very appreciative of the people, the safety I feel, the gift of love (big and small - I have someone to introduce you to next time), and for the stability of my health right now.

I hope you have many things and people to be grateful for as well and I wish you, and yours, a very Happy Thanksgiving.