The poison.
I know it may seem like a bizarre wish – but I wanted to lose my hair. In my mind, chemotherapy that was killing my abundant head of hair would surely really be giving it to that nasty cancer. So when my first oncologist told me that I would keep my hair, I was...
read moreThe prognosis.
“Would you like to listen to some music while you are lying here, Nicole?”. I was stretched out on a very skinny bed with my arms above my head, waiting to be pushed into my PET scan. Music was the last thing I expected. Well, perhaps a glass of Veuve was the last...
read more
The diagnosis.
I have been beautifully sheltered from the burden of breaking my news. I can count on one hand the number of times I have had to say "I have cancer". My husband, Tim, and my family have taken all of my tough conversations away from me. Social media also protected me,...
read moreThe chart.
The ward doctor entered the room with "I hear you have meds that are uncharted". Um, sorry? I deciphered this statement at the time as follows: it appeared one of my Zarzio immunity injections hadn't been included in the documented medication list when I arrived at...
read more