Breast Cancer? But Doctor, I Hate Pink

Sort of a retro review. I've reviewed this blog before, but now it has a new domain name (and hence URL).

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Breast Cancer? But Doctor, I Hate Pink, by Ann Silberman

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.butdoctorihatepink.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: With an humor and intelligence, Ann Silberman, breast-cancer "ass-kicker," describes her life since diagnosis. She found her lump in May 2009 and was diagnosed in early September. She is sharing her journey through surgeries and chemo as they happen. A must-read for anybody who either has cancer or has a family member with this disease. Ann writes with wit and energy in her blog: Breast Cancer? But Doctor ... I hate pink.

MY REVIEW: The author of this blog, Ann, found out she had breast cancer in August, 2009. This blog tells the story of her fight against the disease. It is very moving, very affecting, the more so because she does indeed manage to be funny and heroic at the same time. (Yes, there are heroes who, in a split second, risk their lives for others, such as our soldiers, and police and firemen and just regular people, and then there are people who have chronic illnesses in which they suffer every day and have to rise to that challenge every day. They are just as heroic.)

If you have just been diagnosed with breast cancer, or have a friend or loved one who has been - this is an excellent resource for you to know what the future holds. There are photos, there's talk of the various drugs and the chemotherapy and so on. If you're just interested in how people live their lives when faced by chronic illness, you will find this blog uplifing as well.

A few paragraphs from a sample post:

I am a small person with bird bones. My wrist is five inches around; I wear a size 4 1/2 ring. I can't purchase a watch without a picture of Hannah Montana on it, and I buy bracelets to use as anklets.

I have correspondingly small veins. Watching people draw my blood has always amused me, because I have a strong sadistic streak and no needle phobia whatsoever. I like seeing sweat on the brow of the phlebotomist responsible for getting blood out of me and into that vial. It just doesn't happen without hard work.

Typically, the way it goes is the first tech pokes around a while, moving the needle in and out, muttering about tiny veins until she either pops one or freaks out. She then calls the specialist with the butterfly needle who has the finesse to start the flow. Even when I try to make it easy - drink lots of water and wear warm clothing to "plump the veins," it's never enough to get the well pumping.

I'm so dry if I was Bella, Edward would leave me. [Is this a Twlight reference? KBR ed]

RECENT ARTICLES:
- Rename - But Doctor...I Hate Pink
- Tatas and Tombs
- I Heart Boobies Controversy
- Bad Cancer Day
- Breast Reconstruction Revision
- The Little Pink Book - Free!
- The Future is the Children
- One Year Post-Chemo

Dorinda Fox's Blog (lidestyle and culture)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Dorinda Fox's Blog

WEB ADDRESS: http://open.salon.com/blog/dorinda_fox

BLOG DESCRIPTION: This is the blog for Dr. Dorinda Fox

MY REVIEW: The author says she started this blog because, having cancer, she wanted some proof of her existene, and so started tis blog. The strange thing is, the posts at the blog seem to be wiped every other week or so.

In any event, she's a cancer survivor, who had a masectomy three years ago, who just learned her cancer has recurred.

This is a tough blog to read, from that standpoint, but you might find it interesting.

Sample post:

Of Little Angels and Stripper Boobs

My six-year-old will be repeating Kindergarten so she did not go to school today. Her classmates were to visit the first grade classrooms they will be attending in the Fall. She is a smart girl. She does well in small groups. Basically the deal is that when she is in with the larger group of kids she wants to party all the time and won’t listen to the teacher. I was speaking to an old friend of mine of 30 years who amazingly is also my boss about this. I explained that the hope was she would mature and grow out of this behavior in the next year. His reply was “I have been waiting for you to do that for thirty years. She won’t grow out of it.”

So she was home when I got some of the worst news of my life.

They saw something suspicious on my six-month mammogram, ultrasound, and SRI. The surgeon asked for a core biopsy. It was cancer. The nurse called and told me at two this afternoon

Round Two.

I spent a year of my life three years ago slugging it out to win Round One.

That is why I began this blog in the first place. If am no longer here there is a record somewhere of mom: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

But now on to Round Two with a tenacious opponent.

This summer I get a new body. Mastectomy. Reconstruction. Tummy tuck. I only had 15 pounds to go to a goal weight. Now maybe at 48-years-old I get to be Barbie with a flat tummy and perky boobs. Currently I am thinking 36C will do but have encouragement from some to get the stripper body if I can ;0)

My friends from basically birth to last week are all on facebook and much help has been offered. I am humbled and appreciative.

What was more humbling was my youngest daughter.

Loving someone is scary. That means losing them would hurt. We all get that. I say I love you rarely even to relatives because the likelihood of hurt is high. Loving my children right now is breaking my heart.

She does not know what is wrong. She heard my end of phone calls. She heard the curt tone in my voice as she tried to explain what dinosaurs are meat eaters and what dinosaurs are plant eaters. She did not know what to do.

She has made me a dozen cards today all with “I love you. I love you. I love you.” printed from the top to the bottom of the page. She keeps telling me jokes and trying to make me laugh. She doesn’t know very many so she tells the same ones over and over. She has sung every song she knows how to sing. She has dressed up as a princess, a pirate, and a dinosaur. She insisted we go to through the car wash because that is the most fun in the world.

This is what an angel looks like: [photo not shown, of her kid]

This is why I have to win Round Two.

RECENT POSTS:
--Of Little Angels and Stripper Boobs
--Why Try? I So Suck at Zen
--Fear Makse a Booty Call
--Wisteria Lane Refugee
--Not One of the Special Eight Women

_______________________
Ms. Cairo writes several blogs including:
Seaborn: Oceanography Blog
Star Trek Report: Space Sciences
Topical Murder and Dated Death

Flashfree (Lifestyles & Culture)

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Flashfree

WEB ADDRESS: http://flashfree.wordpress.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: An organic, fresh, informative, hip and humorous overview of evidence-based alternative approaches to menopause and the transition to midlife.

MY REVIEW: A blog that covers complimentary/interpretive medicine dealing with menopause. She has recently added a doctor as a guest contributor. Her posts cover new studies related to women's health, nutrition, interviews, and other topics - all geared toward that mid-life transition we all face. Her posts are thorough with many links to past posts and outside sources and a helpful review of all the posts at the end of each month. She posts often, several times a week.

It is well written, however, I didn't see the "hip or humorous" part but that may be up to each reader. It's an informative blog on an important subject. For those interested in this topic, this is a good blog.

RECENT ARTICLES:

Wednesday’s Bubble: easy does it with Chamomile

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Osteoporosis: what’s the 411?

Wednesday’s Bubble: another nail in the coffin of HRT

West meets East, Guest Post Jonathan Black MD/MPH Student

________________________

Ann Currie publishes My Life a Bit South of Normalwww.abitsouthofnormal.com/
and also, Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiarstrangeandpeculiarsilver.blogspot.com/

Full Figure Plus

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Full Figure Plus

WEB ADDRESS: www.fullfigureplus.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Full Figure Plus is dedicated to posting news, links, and relevant information for plus size women and big and tall men.

MY REVIEW: This a full-size blog for the millions of full size women out there. The posts are full of shopping information as well tips on dressing and styles. The posts are updated regularly.

There are some links that cannot be accessed on the Kindle but the entries are not dependent on those links and the valuable content is in the posts. One of the more valuable assets of this blog is its references to and reviews of retailers that offer fashions for this audience. It is refreshing to see a positive fashion blog for the full size woman.

RECENT ARTICLES:

• Full Figured Weekly Question
• Trendy Plus Size Fashion from Elvi
• Charming Shoppes introduces one stop shopping for plus sizes
• 10 steps to reducing your frustration level when shopping
• Plus Size Maxi Dresses Just In Time For Spring
  

f i t . g i r l . c a r i

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

OUR RECOMMENDATION: NO

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: fit.girl.cari

WEB ADDRESS: fitgirlcari.blogspot.com

BLOG'S DESCRIPTION: some personal, some professional, but always something useful in the world of health, fitness and life in general!

OUR REVIEW: Random! What do a short discussion on flax, Taza Green Tea at Starbucks, recipe for homemade vapor rub, pronto pups (which are treats on a stick), and "stories of a lifetime: grandma draft" have in common?

These are five sequential posts on this blog. And, I read them and still find them to be random. She only posts every two weeks so maybe she loses track of what she was blogging about? Seriously, the blogger is a personal fitness trainer and most of the posts have "something" to do with fitness. In order to carry off this "random" theme, she needs to post more often. Cari's blog needs some training.

THE GOOD: not much

THE BAD: Does not post often enough to make this worth while.

RECENT ARTICLES:

• amy's tasty flax snax (a recipe) (Feb 15, 2010)

• my secret drink at Starbucks (Starbucks sells Green Tea) (Feb 2, 2010)

• homemade vapor rub . . . naturally (do it yourself directions) (Jan 13, 2010)

• pronto pups? then ya better snowshoe! (Pronto Pup sidewalk store opened for two days during winter) (Dec 29, 2009)

• stories of a lifetime: grandma draft (motorcyle accident) (Dec 26, 2009)

___________
Ann Currie publishes My Life a Bit South of Normal www.abitsouthofnormal.com/
and also, Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiar strangeandpeculiarsilver.blogspot.com/