Category Archives: cancer

May

Posted on May 23, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

Last week was a long week. I have had a relatively easy time in terms of side effects, but for about three weeks the fatigue that set in was very difficult to work around. It turns out it was due … Continue reading →

Posted in art, cancer, garden | Tagged , | 1 Comment

S is for Susan

Posted on May 18, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

I received an incredible gift this week from my niece Dale and her sixth grade class. Last year I visited her public school in Chicago as a visiting poet. She is in a gifted classroom and these kids have been … Continue reading →

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The Weight

Posted on May 15, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

When chemotherapy knocked out my desire and the taste for alcohol, many carbohydrates, and sugar, particularly chocolate, several women on both sides of my family said: “Oh, you’re going to lose weight!” This is, for middle aged women, an unqualified good result, … Continue reading →

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Dancing on the Ceiling

Posted on May 10, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

I’m sitting in my room in treatment and just finished watching Fred Astaire dance on the walls and ceiling of his hotel rom in Royal Wedding. It is not the first time I’ve seen this number. I’ve seen it dozens of times. … Continue reading →

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Inventory

Posted on May 8, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

Perhaps when one is choosing what to let go of and what to hold onto, one should not hold onto something that is dependent on the weather. I’m scaling back my garden plans. Friday it got up to nearly 90 degrees, and … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, garden | 2 Comments

Pot

Posted on May 6, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

When you have cancer, people will talk to you about marijuana. Pretty much right away. A lot of people (I suppose this depends on the circles in which you travel, but still, I’ve been surprised by who and how many). There … Continue reading →

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This Year’s Garden

Posted on May 1, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

This week marked a turning point for me in terms of fatigue. The real low point was marked by my inability to make a meal on Thursday. I haven’t been keeping up with the grocery shopping, and sending others out with … Continue reading →

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Fertility

Posted on April 29, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

A new painting came to live with me yesterday. As Sophia said, time to get the winter painting out and get something green in the room. She walked it across the commons in the morning and we set it up on … Continue reading →

Posted in art, cancer, poetry, the Farm | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Numbers Game

Posted on April 23, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

The most terrifying part of the ovarian cancer diagnosis for me has been the numbers. There are many numbers. It begins with staging. I knew what stage 4 meant as a number, though not why, and when Steve asked, it was … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, writing | 2 Comments

Somali Scarf Shopping

Posted on April 20, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

I came back from my trip to warm temps, greener grass, and full-throated frogs in the wetlands. And that means I need to move from my winter hats and think about lighter headwear for summer. I tell you, I am … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, St. Joseph | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments