SCATTERED THOUGHTS

Last week was quite a week.  I want to mention some of the things that took my breath away and damn, I know I'm heading into The Danger Zone.  I remember my son's kindergarten teacher.  "That's why I don't name people individually. Someone is invariably forgotten."

First, I had the opportunity to meet a fellow Long Island resident, Tobey Young who founded and runs an all volunteer not for profit organization called Previvors and Survivors.  With my family cluster of disease and two wacky BRCA genes, I am constantly on high alert for any news about genetic risk or familial risk factors.  It's what moms do.  The watchful eye. Tobey has a fabulous website packed with information.  There is something so magical about stepping from behind the computer and having the virtual hugs we send each other turn into a face to face meeting and a warm embrace.  And there is something so special about Tobey.  She is genuine and sincere and her efforts are truly from a place of love.

I was scheduled to meet Evelyn, another NY neighbor who was on Long Island last week but the time was tight.  One missed train and a doctor appointment I could not reschedule derailed that meeting.  I'm sure we will meet sometime soon.

On Wednesday, Idelle Davidson, co-author of Your Brain After Chemo gave me her blog space for a day. We swapped blogs and she shared her personal experience from her cancer diagnosis through the trials and tribulations of her issues with chemobrain leading up to the publication of her book.  I decided that we will be the Abbott and Costello of Chemobrain. Come to think of it, "Who's on first" could have been written by someone WITH chemobrain.  That's the zig zag thought process, that is the confusion.... it's the epitome of chemobrain!

On Thursday, I went into outrage mode when someone took some really cheap shots in the comments section of one of my newer blogger buddies. Certain things just push the wrong buttons and when that happens, I can't hold back.  That same day, I found out another buddy had her entire BLOG stolen.  What?  The whole world lost its collective mind in a span of 36 hours??

By the time Friday rolled around, I had nothing left.  Not an ounce of wit.  And even less on the intelligence scale.  I received a couple of emails from Army of Women, including a "Call To Action" for which I was eligible and I did participate in an online study.  I know everyone that is involved with Army of Women is trying to figure out how to get Dr. Love her pool of one million women.  The text option was introduced in November.  Last week, I noticed there is a new sign up method embedded within their Facebook page.  Anyone on FB doesn't have to leave the application.  The Facebook link is a great idea.  Someone MUST explain to me how The Pink Ribbon page on Facebook has over 1.6 million fans and Army of Women has little more than 360,000 enrolled "volunteers."

On some level, I suppose that irritates me a bit which is why I asked for help in my Friday blog.  I threw out some suggestions and I want to extend a public and most heartfelt thanks to one of my twitter friends, Kathleen Hoffman, PhD, a Health Communications Specialist.  She wrote a blog she titled Motivated By Love and in that blog, she included my You Tube video.  Wow. WOW!  I hope you will stop by her Facebook page and become a fan.  Bookmark her blog.  I don't know how else I can express the depth of the gratitude I feel.  What an unexpected thrill...... that's a ripple.

Terri finally made it to Viet Nam after a snafu in Hong Kong and upon her arrival in Hanoi, had her iPhone stolen. Something similar just happened in NYC.  A stolen handbag containing an iPhone.  The difference?  In NYC, they lojacked that phone and the idiots who stole the handbag led the police right to their apartment where they were arrested.  Note to thieves and robbers who are not in third world countries.  Ditch the smart phone if you rob someone.  They are called smart phones for a reason, you dumbasses.  Shout out to my son, the source of all news tid bits.....

I connected with Lori and there's a good shot we will be sharing a room in Washington DC at the NBCC Summit in May.  We will squeeze in an evening of dancing and I apparently have a bit of an issue with weak bones in my ankles.  I just realized this ankle thing over the weekend so the dancing will have to be in some sort of flat shoes... or, if I'm in appropriately stylish heels, it will be chair dancing.  On Saturday evening, my right ankle began to weaken.  I felt it ever so slightly and within seconds, it went from being a bone to feeling like it was a strand of cooked spaghetti.  Wobble-right, wobble-left, wiggle-right.... and then I found myself on the floor.  The femara is doing a number on my bones.  This is how elderly people break bones by DOING NOTHING??

I wish I could say I had a few too many cocktails.  I didn't.  Or, that I wasn't dressed appropriately (for my age) and the shoes were too high.  They were on the high side, but as Diane tells it, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to keep up 42 year old appearances.  I love Diane.  And I love Stephanie, too.  We have become Triple Trouble Twitter People.  Stephanie is my clothing stylist.  She will outfit me and accessorize me via the airwaves.... or the "cloud" or however things happen to get around on the internet.

Lastly, for today.....  I would be remiss if I didn't thank Marie for including me in her Friday Round Up.  I do believe a good many of my new friendships were borne of her very first mention of my blog.

Did I forget you?  I really didn't forget anyone....... this is my brain after chemo.  If I "forgot" ..... it's because in my mind, IT NEVER HAPPENED.....  Damned chemobrain.....