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
My WingmanLiving with cancer. We talk about how to manage it, how to work around it, and how to be happy in spite of it. Recently a friend of mine did... By Maria Valente2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments19 comments
Just RelaxI was talking to a cancer agency social worker when she said, “So, what do you do to relax?” I ran through the list of the things I do to... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments18 comments
Cancer Courage and When It FailsThere's a certain type of courage to facing cancer. It's a very individual experience. Leya Elijah’s article, The Pressure to be Brave, really got me thinking. What is Cancer Courage?... By Maria Valente2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments13 comments
Basic, Easy On The Tummy Chicken StewChemotherapy can wreak havoc on the appetite. The best recipes for me are the ones that are versatile with ingredient changes that match what my stomach can tolerate at the... By Maria ValenteBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments12 comments
Rash Decisions: CML and the Skin I'm InHave you had skin issues with your chemo? In 2012, I started oral chemotherapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). As my body slowly began to accept the treatment something was brewing underneath... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments24 comments
Steak and Capicola WrapsChemotherapy can wreak havoc on the appetite. The best recipes for me are the ones that are versatile with ingredient changes that match what my stomach can tolerate at the... By Maria ValenteBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments5 comments
Cue Vampire (Part 2)Read Part 1 of Paula's story: Cue Vampire. The immunologist was speaking. I could hear the words, but I couldn’t process them. I felt numb. Cold and numb like, well... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments9 comments
Cue VampireWithin three years of daily oral chemotherapy, I was wearing wide-brimmed hats, long sleeves, and large-rimmed sunglasses. I was losing pigmentation, or so it seemed to me. I was turning... By Maria Valente2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments14 comments
My Furry Companion: The Support of AnimalsI’ve never been without a pet. Until recently. It’s a lonely feeling. Something is missing and I search for it in little creaks and noises when my mind is wandering... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments22 comments
Infections and Informed ConsentRecently a friend of mine and I were talking about how to navigate relationships. It’s a conversation that more and more people are having, but to cancer patients, it’s a... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments21 comments
From Emotional Regulation to Emotional AcceptanceI’ve been a cancer patient for eight years so far. That’s eight years of balancing symptoms, appointments, tests, treatments, and side effects. Being a cancer patient is a part of... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments12 comments
Surfing the Crimson WaveAunt Flo, Bloody Mary, and The Blob. If you are of the female persuasion you know what I am talking about. I am specifically writing for you, my soul sisters!... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
A Crick In Me BonesI thought I was losing it. Going absolutely bonkers. There was this pain and it was sometimes sharp, sometimes dull and achy. Sometimes it disappeared altogether. Other times it had... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments11 comments
Vida Maude Single BelbinMy earliest memory is of my grandmother, Vida, whom we all called Nan. When I was just a toddler she would whisper hymns while rocking me to sleep. It is...Reactions 0 reactions Comments4 repliesMemory Wall
Project Spew AwayThere was no taste to food anymore. I chewed slowly trying to find it. The texture was revolting without taste. I had already lost 4 dress sizes in three months... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments9 comments
How do you deal with sensitive, itchy, rashy skin?I’ve been on daily oral chemotherapy for 8 years. My skin seems to be getting more and more sensitive. It itches, it rashes, it hates synthetic fibers and burns so...Reactions 0 reactions Comments5 repliesSide Effects
The ‘C’ WordI started by turning the chemo bottles this way and that before storing them in the highest shelf of the cabinet. Now they looked like any other medication with the... By Maria Valente3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments7 comments