Category Archives: Treatment

It’s not cool to patent our genes

Posted in Bumpboobs, Treatment by

Tying into the news circulating about Angelina Jolie’s decision to have a preventative double mastectomy, I thought I might share this video that was sent to me by Robyn Shepard from the American Civil Liberties Union. Now normally I don’t go into this stuff – but the video is light and easy and kinda fun to watch. Also, it is on a subject that needs to be noticed: creating patents on our genes.

Angelina urged women today in her article, “My Medical Choice” to get tested for a BRCA mutation if possible – except many women won’t get tested because it is NOT possible. Why? Because it’s really damn expensive. One company has the patent, and so the research cannot extend beyond and it will remain damn expensive to test. Unless . . . unless that patent gets kicked out, and we’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.

But why go on explaining when You Tube can do it so much better? Here’s the video!

Asking for Help & Feeling Ashamed

Posted in After treatment, Bumpboobs, Chemotherapy, Life, Treatment by

I saw this video after Neil Gaimon tweeted it out to his followers. It’s a TED Talk featuring Amanda Palmer. Okay, maybe like you, I’d never heard of her before. But Neil Gaimon is a very cool author and I trust his suggestions, so I clicked through.

At first I wasn’t sure what to make of her talk, but by the end I was thinking to myself, “I’ve got to share this with the awesome people who read my blog.”  (Skip to bottom of this post if you’re really excited to view it!)

Her message is just SO powerful. The idea that “it’s okay to ask.” Sure, she’s speaking from the point-of-view of an entertainer trying to make a living . . . but going beyond that, to the concept of asking, to the concept of supporting. It’s amazing. It’s powerful.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again right now. It was damn hard to ask for help during chemotherapy – hard to the point of shaming. And yes, when I finally did break down far enough to say I wasn’t okay, people were incredible in giving their support. I think of my family, I think of my friends, I think of my cousins, my aunts, my boss, my colleagues, my husband. They were all incredible.

So why – WHY – so much shame in asking?

There is power in asking for help. Maybe Amanda is right. Maybe this is the future – and not just for music, but for dreams and lives and ambitions. I know of one women in the US who is struggling to pay her medical bills (Okay, I know of several women in the US who are struggling – universal healthcare is a GOOD thing, not a communist thing) and her friends are crowd-sourcing to help her buy a new car (replacing her ancient clunker) to get between treatments. I know of another young woman who has started an amazing charity called A Fresh Chapter, and she’s been raising funds to help twelve other people discover life after cancer.

Whether it’s thinking big or just thinking about the next meal – what is wrong with asking for help?

So here is the video. Don’t get weirded out by the ‘live statue’ intro. It’s worth watching through – this may well be the future of creative work. And asking for help, that’s something we should all be able to do without shame.

A great storyteller: Kate Matthews

Posted in After treatment, Bumpboobs, Fun, Novels and Stories, Treatment, Writing by

I’ve been a big fan of author and cartoonist Kate Matthews for some time now, following her hilarious posts on facebook and sharing them with the online Bumpyboobs and Facing Cancer Together communities – so when I saw she was offering up a free ebook for whoever could guess what was in this picture, I jumped on the opportunity.

Like, I literally jumped. I was all, “OH! OH!” and somersaulted to my personal Bumpyboobs facebook account to give my response. And, high-five everyone, it was totally correct.

That’s how I connected with Kate beyond just the Facebook fandom. She sent me a copy of her ebook, the Little Pink Book of (mostly) Cancer Cartoons and I had a hoot flipping through the e-pages and enjoying her witty take on breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, coping, relationships, LIFE, etc.

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She gets it, you know? She really gets it. From booby heaven, hair loss replacement options (i.e. silly string), things people say, mastectomy, lymphedema, pink suffocation, and trying to feel normal. She gets it, and she made me laugh. What a beautiful combination. 🙂

But then Kate wrote me and offered to send along (in hardcopy – woohoo!) her other book, the Little Green Book of (Mostly) Happy Household Cartoons, with an ebook version to wet my appetite  – and I realized she doesn’t just get it, she really gets it.

It’s a pleasure to flip through the normal-day-and-life cartoons Kate has created alongside and after the breast cancer diagnosis. Life goes on, and yes we can be haunted by the circumstances, by NED wire walking, by the worry . . . but life goes on, and the little things are so wonderful. My life with Zsolt has me laughing daily, and Kate’s life reflected in her cartoons reminds me of those family moments, those lazy moments, those ridiculous moments (I’m thinking cockroaches here, though she just has spiders), that make each day so lovely.

And you know what the incredible thing is? Kate admits that before she started the cartoons, she couldn’t draw. Okay, so the women and men of the Little Books aren’t Disney-animation perfect, but they’re almost better for that lack of perfection. Life isn’t perfect, we are not perfect . . . but expressing your story despite all that is pretty darn awesome.

Anyhow, I just read her “Adam/Even and the apple full of antioxidants” comic and it got a burst of laughter. So, because I really believe in creativity and quality, and I love to support a fellow writer – if you are looking for a charming book this Christmas, whether you’re stocking a reader, tablet, find a book to hold, or just treating yourself, please do consider checking out Kate Matthews. She’ll have you laughing through cancer (a freaking miracle suitable to the time of year), and she’ll have you laughing through real & wonderfully normal life.

Now if you’ll excuse me. I think I’ll go back to my reading, and my giggling. Happy holidays everyone!

Little Pink Book of (mostly) Cancer Cartoons (Hard Copy) (Kindle)

Little Green Book of (Mostly) Happy Household Cartoons (Hard Copy) (Kindle)

P.S. I did get some free book bling, but I’ve been a fan of Kate for ages. And I’m not making anything from the Amazon links. She’s just a great cartoonist! Oh, and she’s on facebook if you’d like to follow.