Spleen ThereI was diagnosed with leukemia in 2011. There were a few symptoms that my doctor had followed up on. Many of the symptoms were pretty vague and persistent. The one... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments2 comments
Bottoms Up: A Peri Care StoryI was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in 2011. Having an autoimmune disease means trying to avoid infections wherever we can. My fellow blood cancer patients can relate. When I... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Running To Verses Running FromEver feel like you are running from blood cancer and it keeps catching up? Since being diagnosed with leukemia in 2011 I have found myself outmaneuvering, outthinking (if that’s a... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments7 comments
Fighting the FatigueFor us blood-cancer patients fatigue can hit pretty hard. It’s like a weight that gets heavier and heavier. I was diagnosed with leukemia in 2011. I’ve been fighting fatigue ever... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments33 comments
To Tell the Truth?How are you? It’s a polite question to ask. It's a friendly way to start a conversation. It can be a complicated question for a cancer patient though. It’s the... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments13 comments
Chemo-Savvy: A CML Patient's Top 5 Caregiver TipsI’ve been a leukemia patient since 2011 and it isn’t always easy to navigate this disease. It can be painful, disturbing, and confusing even on my best days. I think... By Maria Valente2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
The Gift of Self CareIt’s a conundrum. When it comes to a chronic blood cancer diagnosis we try to strike a balance between the symptoms of the disease and the side effects of the... By Maria Valente2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments18 comments
Cutting out the MiddlemanI’m not a big follower of The National Basketball Association, but when Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, told Forbes last year that the pricing for generic drugs was... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments6 comments
My Health vs My BillsHow many of us have considered our health as we balance our expenses? This situation is mired in difficulties, but for many of us it’s an everyday occurrence. My groceries... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments10 comments
There's More To Me Than CancerCancer is a heavy word and for most people. It has a very negative connotation and I don’t think I’ve met anyone who hasn’t been touched by it. Maybe not... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments29 comments
Life In-BetweenMy only experiences with cancer before I was diagnosed were either: 1. People who beat it and 2. People who didn’t beat it. From what I saw, beating it meant... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments28 comments
Tone Deaf to the PainI’ve been living with leukemia for a little over a decade now. To see me, you’d probably think I’m doing ok. I mean, I’m not one who likes to complain... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments29 comments
Gallows Humor: Poking Fun at CancerI admit to being a little dark. Not my skin or my hair, but my humor. Ten years of chemotherapy and sometimes all I need is a laugh. It’s this... By Maria Valente2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments41 comments
Told to AtoneI never know how people will respond to information about us having blood cancer. When we talk about it and share our experiences, I’d like to say that most responses... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments19 comments
You got problems too?There are times when I feel comfortable enough to share my diagnosis and my symptoms with someone. I’ve been treating this chronic myeloid leukemia for ten years now and often... By Maria Valente2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
No One Stares When You Got Some Hair“You don’t look sick!” I’ve been told over and over again. Most of my pain is not readily visible. My oncologist had told me that I had won the “cancer... By Maria Valente2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments9 comments
Lowered ExpectationsI got the most marvelous advice from a friend recently in just three simple words: lower your expectations. We were talking about time and how we spend it. Ten years... By Maria Valente4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments23 comments
Chemo Failure (Part 2)In case you missed it, check out Part 1 of this series! It had been five years of chronic myeloid leukemia. I started one TKI oral chemotherapy, then a chemo... By Maria Valente2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments16 comments
Chemo FailureI’m a chemo failure. It was 2012 when I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. I soon found out that fighting leukemia is complicated. For me, this disease is always... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments16 comments
We've Come a Long WayI look at my calendar and I see a day to celebrate just about anything! I do have some favorites. January 1st is National Hangover Day for us Canadians -... By Maria Valente2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments