Author Archives: Beth L. Gainer
The New Abnormal
The following gem appeared in my email inbox this week: this highly knowledgeable doctor from a very prestigious US medical school “encourages the return to ‘normal life’ or a ‘new normal’ following breast cancer.” I think we can all read into the subtext of this quote: the good doctor wants patients to “get over it,” [Read the full story …]
My Greatest Strength
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” — Former US President Calvin Coolidge It’s no [Read the full story …]
A Summer Blogging Challenge
My friend Nancy Stordahl at Nancy’s Point has laid down a blogging challenge, and I am enthusiastically taking up the challenge. Here are the questions she presented, with my answers. 1. How long have you been blogging (or reading blogs)? I started blogging in 2009. 2. How has your blog changed? The purpose of my [Read the full story …]
My Most Enjoyable Gift
This week, Marie Ennis O’Connor from Journeying Beyond Breast Cancer gave the blogging community the following writing prompt: What gift did you most enjoy receiving? This is a difficult question to answer, as I have been blessed enough to have had many wonderful gifts during my lifetime. But as the first anniversary of my Aunt [Read the full story …]
Adopted Friends
Ari and Me If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile now, you know that my daughter is a Chinese adoptee. When she became school-aged, she ran into problems: she felt isolated because she was one of the few Asians in her school, let alone one who had a white parent. Understandably, … Continue reading [Read the full story …]
Fatigue
Last week, I had a real treat: for the first time in a long time, I went to the Art Institute of Chicago, famous for its impressionist paintings, among other artwork. On a pitch perfect day, I met a dear friend whom I hadn’t seen for awhile at the museum. We had lunch, laughed, caught [Read the full story …]
Let’s Play Ball!
Anyone who knows me understands that I love baseball. I’m a loyal spectator who grew up in the Bronx and loves the New York Yankees. My brother is an avid baseball fan and knows more than I do about each player. In fact, he has an impressive collection of Yankee-signed baseballs, and each year he [Read the full story …]
“Safe,” My Ass
In my last post I discussed my possible lung damage from radiation therapy for breast cancer. I am still hoping for the courage to accept this possibility. Someday I will accept that I made the best medical decision I could have, given the misinformation I was given about radiation’s so-called “safety.” Today is not that [Read the full story …]
Radiation Blues
When I finished radiation treatments for breast cancer 17 years ago, I received a beautiful certificate stating that I “graduated” from radiation and that I crossed that finish line. The staff signatures on my certificate and hugs from my radiation oncologist and nurses were amazing. I actually felt like a survivor and my spirits were [Read the full story …]
Dad
In Judaism, there’s a beautiful gravesite tradition where the rabbi cuts a part of the mourners’ shirts, about where the heart is located. Those closest to the deceased wear the ripped shirt every day during the first week of mourning to symbolize and remind us and the community how our hearts are torn apart. The [Read the full story …]