It never stops being hard for me to learn that another woman has been diagnosed with breast cancer. But, because we don't have a cure yet... these announcements are still far too common. This morning, Joan Lunden told Robin Roberts (and the world) that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
I really wish her the very best as she goes through this traumatic experience. My prayers and good wishes are with her and her family. Another pink ribbon sister joins the sisterhood...
Lupe Fiasco creates music to think to, not drink to...
I am a self-proclaimed hip hop head. I am a fan of the culture of hip hop and a fan of the music of hip hop culture, which is also known as rap music. I grew up on rap music. I came of age listening to hip hop pioneers...long before hip hop was designated as a "culture" or a movement. And before people realized that rap music wasn't just noise... it was a message from the youth and the under-served communities to the world.
To me, rap music and hip hop culture will always be prolific and necessary. Just as necessary as the street griots who stand on corners or sit in the park telling history to whomever will listen. The stories must be told and shared.
That is the hip hop that I know and that I respect. As a head, I'm old school with my tastes in the music (and other parts of the culture). Hip hop music started as party music and eventually a sub-genre appeared known as "conscious rap". Young people had something to say. They had stories to tell about the neighborhoods they grew up in, and how people were dying but no one seemed to care. Rappers became the storytellers of a generation. They still are.
I still listen to hip hop every day. I think that a lot of people believe that hip hop is only for young people. But the truth is that hip hop is for whomever will listen and take notice of the voices of struggle and the sounds of hope that are wrapped around dope beats and spit with intensity. Because I am a fan of conscious rap, I gravitate towards artists who speak with truth about what is happening in the world (usually the parts of the world that people ignore). One artist I enjoy is Lupe Fiasco. He speaks out about what he sees and what he knows about this world and how people are living... and sometimes dying without the world paying attention.
Lupe is a young man but he seems to have an old soul. While many of his hip hop peers are concerned with fancy cars and loose women and luxury living... he's still on the ground in his hometown trying to stem the tide of violence there. He is a force to be reckoned with. He makes a point to stay in Chicago and to use his influence to help the young people in his city who are dying senselessly. But, he is also speaking out about cancer through his music.
Lupe interviewed with Katie Couric and talked about "Mission". A new song that was written to support and empower cancer patients and survivors. The song is on his new album and will support "Stand Up To Cancer".
I like the song but that's not surprising. What touched me were the testimonials from people directly affected by this disease. I am grateful that he lent his talents to this topic. But I honestly would not expect any less from this young man. As I said before... he is a force to be reckoned with.
Alright, so we're back on the "Ask a survivor" series. This series of articles answers some of the questions that I receive regularly from people who want to know "real" answers about my life as a survivor. The questions are from readers and followers of the blog.
Today's question is from a breast cancer survivor. Her concern is that she deals with bouts of chronic fatigue and while she has a young child to care for, some days she just doesn't feel like cooking.
Reader question:
Am I the only one who gets tired and just wants Taco Bell instead of cooking?
Survivor's answer:
*hearty laughter*
*snort, giggle... guffaw*
The only one?? Bwahahahaha...
Short answer? Heck no!
You are NOT the only one who just gets tired and does not want to cook. Personally, I don't dig Taco Bell (so I won't eat it) but I will eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or scramble an egg more times than I'd like to admit.
I'm not anti-cooking. I can't be because I simply LOVE food.
I L.O.V.E. food y'all.
Man... there is something good about good food. I collect cookbooks, I watch the Food Network religiously and... I collect hundreds of recipe pins on pinterest. I really love food. I just don't always have the energy to stand in the kitchen for hours trying to prepare something grand. I learned to cook from my mother, my grandmothers and my aunties. Food is love in my family. But none of that changes the fact that some days I'm just bone tired and I have to work within those parameters.
However, after eating a grilled cheese sandwich (which I love) or a bowl of cereal a few times... my body starts to crave real food. So I have to come up with something satisfying, but easy. This is where pinterest comes in handy.
I've created a pinterest board to share some of my favorite easy recipes. I wanted to give you ideas of meals that you could prepare when you want something good but uncomplicated. The board -- Easy Recipes for Fatigued Survivors -- has 50+ easy recipes to choose from.
I chose a variety of recipes -- salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, slow-cooker/crockpot meals, one skillet meals, soups, and breakfast options. Sometimes I like breakfast for dinner. Honestly. My go-to easy meals usually are pasta or fish meals -- fish cooks pretty fast and its good for you -- and salad. I'm getting better about feeding myself good nutrition and staying away from fast food, even though it is convenient.
Take a moment to check out my board (be sure to click below and follow me). If you have suggestions for recipe pins that I should add, be sure to send them directly to me on pinterest.
PS. These recipes also make good meals to prepare for families who have a breast cancer patient at home and need some help with the daily tasks of living.
Let me know what you think of my pinterest board. (I'm very much a pinterest addict. It's fun!)
Sometimes cancer treatment requires travel...and, of course, that's pretty expensive.
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I spend a lot of time and tears trying to figure out where I was going to be treated. So many people offered a lot of advice. I took it all in. At different points in the journey, someone would recommend a treatment center or a doctor who was in another city or state. The thought of traveling for treatment was unimaginable. [Thinking of traveling for my reconstruction surgery]
I was not making a ton of money, and that salary was cut drastically because I was on disability. I couldn't afford to take trips out of town for any part of my treatment -- no matter how great the doctor or the facility was.
Some survivors live in areas where they don't have access to great breast cancer care. And they are forced to travel for hours for treatment. The costs are extensive. Imagine having to travel every two or three weeks for at least two days to get treatment. Consider that you're going to have to travel with at least one other person (most of us are not in any condition to drive or travel alone after treatment). And keep in mind, that you have to do this for months at a time.
It adds up.
Hotel costs, fuel costs, days off from your job (and theirs), food costs... and that is on top of whatever expenses are not covered by insurance. Not to mention whatever additional costs you have to keep your home going (childcare, maid service, etc.)
It adds up.
I am a few years out from my treatment and my breasts have changed. They're uneven. I still need to get my nipple. The work that my plastic surgeon did was sufficient for the time it was done, but now, I want better. *shrug* I feel that I deserve breasts that I'm happy with. And I'm just not happy with the ones I have. (That sounds so callous and cold, but it's true.)
I chose the type of reconstruction that I did because I had hoped that one surgery would be enough to make me whole again. Things did not work out quite the way that I had planned but overall, the experience wasn't terrible. It was hard. It was painful. It was long -- both surgery and recovery were tough. But I made it through. Significant time has passed and now when I look at my chest I am deeply dissatisfied.
So, I am seriously considering more surgery to get things right. I need to feel comfortable in my body. Right now I don't. I am working on getting myself together completely, and a few tweaks may make things better.
I am considering going back to have more plastic surgery to my breasts, and one of the doctors I have been considering seeing for a consult is in another state. I may take advantage of this program with Extended Stay America in order to have the procedure. (I'm still thinking and debating, so my mind isn't made up yet.) All that to say, this sounds like a great partnership between Extended Stay and the American Cancer Society. I am glad to see companies stepping up to assist with the financial burdens that cancer places on its patients.
One of my biggest problems with dealing with the aftermath of cancer is the cost burden it places on patients. Are we all supposed to live hosting fundraisers and crowdfunding campaigns in order to keep ourselves out of poverty or bankruptcy because of a disease we didn't ask for?
That's a rhetorical question. You don't have to answer.
(Give a financial gift to your loved one who has dealt with this disease... if you can. I'm sure it will be deeply appreciated.)
