Connie Connely

I recently enjoyed hearing about the 2023 National Teacher of the Year. Her name is Rebecca Petterson, and she lives in my hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. We retired teachers are...

I was at a Bunco fundraiser when a lady at my table said her husband had been recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma. I replied that I had something similar called...

"She's difficult!" I overheard the phlebotomist say while looking at my arm. WHAT?! I thought. I just said, "Good morning," when I sat down. That's all I said. "She doesn't...

Do you remember how "The Tonight Show" host Jay Leno would preface a funny story by saying, "I am not making this up!"? Although it isn't funny, that's how I...

October 25 is MDS World Awareness Day, an opportunity to commemorate and show support for those living with myelodysplastic syndromes. Bo Derek and Dudley Moore starred in the 1979 romantic...

I have read that some oncologists compare a cancer diagnosis to post-traumatic disorder (PTSD). When you get the news, it is common to feel grief. In my case, I had...

I like to plan and set goals because I feel better when looking forward to things. For example, it motivates me to clean my house when expecting a visitor. In...

Do you remember the Friends television show when Chandler's job transferred him to Tulsa, Oklahoma? The characters acted like their friend was going to Siberia. I am a Tulsa native...

I recently read Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness by Ilana Jacqueline. The author is a young woman who has suffered from several illnesses. I was diagnosed with myelodysplastic...

What would I, a retired teacher from Oklahoma, possibly have in common with well-known authors and screenplay writers Nora and Delia Ephron? Blood cancer? Left on Tenth, A Second Chance...

Did you know that November is National Family Caregiver Awareness Month? Are you fortunate enough to have a family member or friend who helps with transportation to your blood cancer...

"Oh, you look so tired!" Hee hee hee! Bless your heart!" My coworker often said to me on Fridays. At times, I felt like saying, "SHUT UP!" Now, my coworker...

The hotel clock clicked midnight, and I was alone. I felt lost thinking about what life would be like with blood cancer. My friend had offered to accompany me to...

Did you ever open an envelope, read its contents, and felt devastated? I was a college junior in 1976 when I received notice that I had not been accepted into...

"OK, boomer!" is a dismissive retort, often disregarding or mocking baby boomers. Fellow baby boomers, do you remember how we would roll our eyes when our parents talked about how...

What do I have in common with musician and songwriter Leon Russell? We share the same hometown, graduated from the same high school (Will Rogers, Class of 1959 for Leon...

"I don't understand what is wrong with you," my friend said. Although I didn't particularly appreciate how she worded her statement, I laughed. I understood what she meant. Myelodysplastic syndromes...

In October 2011, I received two letters from my grandmother, Mary. What is unusual about that? I never knew Grandmother Mary because she passed away in 1944, twelve years before...

I tried to hide the tears streaming down my face, but it was too late. I thought my parents would scold me. After all, I was five years old, about...

I love children's literature. Book Week was one of my favorite weeks when I was teaching. Students would dress in costume as their favorite book character or make posters about...