Category: the other pillow
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Should I Eat These Crackers (nuts, cookies, olives, etc)? Are they unopened? —-then probably not. Are they a brand you don’t recognize or usually see in the cupboard? —-probably definitely not. Are they fancy? —-oooh, probably really shouldn’t. Is it December? —-Danger danger danger Did you answer yes to two or more of these…
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I use my work calendar as my personal calendar too, for tracking appointments and school events, things like that. And doctors appointments, lots of doctors appointments. I copy or “invite” Paulie to them so we can arrange pick ups, etc. Very handy for the usual family logistics. Today I was double checking my schedule when…
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LAudubon Center 2020 St Joe 2021 Another October. Last year, during the diagnosis, I wasn’t sure there would be more Octobers. You can see it on my face, I thought I was possibly leaving my kids. In the days following the diagnosis, we walked the soggy beach, my camera thumping against my hip, tears in…
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Marking time can be a delicate and dangerous thing for me; as another season passes and annual events return, my emotions range from contentment to despair. Felix once asked me, at about the age of five, the meaning of “bittersweet”. After I explained it, he said “Oh, I know that feeling.” And I know that he…
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People, including friends and family, will become afraid of you. Afraid of the mortality you represent, afraid of what to say, afraid to acknowledge your tragedy. Other people, sometimes surprising ones, will step forward into the uncomfortable space and be there for you. Paper gowns fit no one. There’s a secret code…
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Paulie is serving us pretzels and ginger ale in bed tonight because Charlie’s class is pretending to go to Israel this week and Charlie first freaked out about going on a plane without his family, and then once we explained, was totally bummed about not getting to experience flight. Paulie brought them to us on…
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This is the first three week cycle where I didn’t get the cytotoxic chemo drug in my infusion. I had no idea. I don’t think I really grasped how sick I was even on my “good days”. There was a predictable rhythm the fourth, fifth and sixth cycles—I was “fine” for three days after infusion…
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Tomorrow is chemo round three and I’m sleepless on steroids and dreading it so here is a picture of how my husband arranges the kids’ treasures after a pandemic Autumn walk. At least when he leaves a mess on my desk he does it correctly.
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Halloween 2020 is testing the creative powers of parents across the country. Tonight I’m thinking about my greatest parenting triumph when at seven o’clock on a work night we made a Batman costume from household items (including a tarp, duct tape, construction paper and shoelaces) in ten minutes so Viv could go to the elementary…
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So the best fix for mouth sores from chemo and the pain of thrush, also caused by chemo, is a prescription mixture called Magic Mouthwash. It wasn’t provided in advance, or even mentioned by my chemo nurses. Typically around 50% of chemo patients experience canker sores, mouth sores, mouth pain and/or a thrush infection. Many…
girl at large 