Just for fun...

[MJo]

I am 55, Italian-American, Single and am a grant proposal writer/fundraiser for a multi-services social service agency that serves immigrants and others. Live in Delaware. I used to be an editor for a small local magazine. I like using my writing skills to solve social problems. MJO

[tousled1]

I'm 59 and retired. I retired in July 2005 but not due to breast cancer. I took disability retirement after I had my lumbar spine fused (L3-S1). I had worked for the government and spent 7 1/2 years overseas and after my return to the states decided to pursue a different career. I then worked for the teacher's union until retirement. I have 3 children. My son passed away September 2 ,2002 of leukemia (AML), my youngest daughter is an aspiring actress and lives in Chicago, and my other daughter is the mother of my one and only grandchild - Eli, and lives in Georgia. I relocated to Georgia after I went on disability and currently live with my daughter, son-in-law and grandson. I have no significant other in my life but I do hope to get out on my own again once I complete my treatment. I'm too young to be living with my daughter and her family -- Need to spread my wings while I still can.

[dawn]

Hi Rhonda,

ITs so nice to talk about something besides cancer once in awhile. Im an accounting assistant. I only work during the tax season in the year and take the rest of the year off to be with my kids. It works out great for all of us and now its working out even better.
Dawn

I'm a writer. My novel, "The Last Enemy" (Grace Brophy) will be published May 1. Publisher is Soho Crime. This is a the first of a five-book series, set in Umbria, Italy, with a very handsome detective, Commissario Alessandro Cenni. The reviews are beginning to come out. The first, from Kirkus Reviews, is good, and next week Publisher's Weekly will do a review. Please keep your fingers crossed that it's a good one. After I was diagnosed with cancer, last summer, I stopped writing for a while (although not on this forum), but I am back and hope to finish the next in the series in late summer.

[LindaC]

Hi,
I work for the Railroad carcleaner and volunteer Firefighter EMT for the last seven years.Before that I worked for the school buses taking handicaped children to school and home attendant to the elderly.Boy do I miss the school busses.

[mslinda]

Boy, I don't know how I missed this for so long.

I've posted some, but mainly a lurker. This is the best group of heros that I have ever known. Thank you to each and every one for giving me courage and hope that I can be around for many more years to come.

I was 55 at diagnosis. The shock of my life. I have been NED for 2 years now. I started chemo 3/29/05. I did not have Herceptin.

I am a housewife. But not always. I worked in the financial world for 34 years, and quite my job to care for my mother who has Alzieheimers. We had to put her in a nursing home October, 2004. I was diagnosed 12/28/04.

I have learned through this journey that life is precious. I try to live the way my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, wants me to live, and to glorify him. I may not always be successful in that, but He forgives me. So I try to forgive when someone offends me. Life is way to short to carry grudges.

I am married for 34 years to the most wonderful, supportive, and understanding man. He has been with me every step of this journey. I have two sons, 32 and 29, and two grandsons 3 and 1. Life is good.

Linda
S. Mississippi

[dorinda]

I Have Been A Respiratory Therapist For 19 Years. I Still Work And Have Since I Was Dx With Bc 9 Mons. Ago.i Love What I Do And Also The Insurance Is Great There. My Co Workers Are Great To Me And Are Like A Second Family . I Am Blessed. Before That, I Was A Stay Home Mom To My Two Girls That Are 33 And 34 Years Old. When I Went Back To College To Get My Degreee .i Was The Oldest In My Class And Sure Enough I Am The One Who Gets Pregnate. Ha! So My Two Girls Were 14 1nd 15 Years Old When Their Baby Sister Was Born. She Is Now 19 Years. It Is Like Having Two Sets Of Families.the Youngest One Feels Like She Grew Up As An Only A Child. It Kept Us Young And Tired. Ha! Oh Yeah The Question I Always Get Asked When I Say There Is Long Stretch Between My Girls Birth, They Ask Same Husband? Yes Were Are Going To Be Married For 37 Years In October .what Can I Say God Does Have A Sense Of Humor. I Thought I Was Finishing Up With Raising Children And Decided To Go Back To College And Look What God Had Planned Also. So I Did Both Got My Degree And Became A Older Mom.i Was A Stay Home Mom With The First Two And A Mom That Worked Outside The Home With The Younger One.i Would Have To Say Mygreatest Accomplishment Is Geing A Mom. I Loved Being A Mom To My Girls.

[BonnieR]

Thanks for bumping this thread. I am fascinated to read what an accomplished group we are!
I too am an RN. Have not worked in the field for many years. Was a psych nurse and had some interesting jobs during my days as a "hippie" nurse.
Now in alcoholism recovery myself for 22 years.
Married 32 yrs. No children
Have been an artist for about 15 yrs. Mostly expressionistic landscapes. Am represented in a few galleries. Very active volunteer in the art community.
My husband and I are a Therapy Dog team and visit hospitals and institutions with our dog. Well, HE does it now.....
I am a huge Clay Aiken fan. A "Claymate" at my age! lol
We recently moved back into our remodeled house. It was hard to be diagnosised when not "home" so I am happy to be getting settled again. I swear, if stress causes cancer, then ther remodel is to blame!!

[PinkGirl]

Hi All
I have had many jobs - all in the accounting/administration/clerical field.
My hubby's job has required us to move alot - he's been posted to 5 different offices, so I find some kind of job each time we move. My jobs have been part-time since 1991 when I had a 2-level spinal fusion. No kids, but lots of family around - sister, brother, sister and brother-in-law, mother-in-law, and mother all live in the same town as us, along with nieces and nephews. My mom has Alzheimer's and lives in a nursing home - I try to visit every day.

My interests are gardening, knitting, READING, word games, crossword puzzles, entering hockey pools, and I have 55 houseplants.... might need therapy for that one.

Before BC, I was very active - enjoyed walking and exercising. I like to stay home - I'm not much of a social butterfly. I like to curl up with a good book, fuss over my houseplants and drink tea with my friends. I live in a small town in the northern part of Ontario (it has already snowed here) and I have the flannel sheets on the bed ! The American tourists are all packing up and going home after their summer of fishing, and some new ones are moving in for the Fall moose hunt. I was born in this town and my dad was a railroader.
I haven't worked since my dx. and I don't plan on it. I am 53, and my husband is planning on retiring one of these years. I also love animals, especially golden retrievers.

I like to bake and I like to eat the baking - preferably something with chocolate.

I am very intrigued by the number of nurses in this group. Have there been any studies on that ??

[juanita]

Bumping this back up for any new memebers who might want to add theirs to this. I can't believe how long it got, and it was fun rereading this.

[Carol Carlson]

Guess I missed this one so here goes.......
I am also a R.N. seems to be several of us here.
I've worked in various settings including hospitals, director of nursing at a nursing home, taught a nursing assistant program for the Red Cross, worked in psych and most recently worked for a large health care corp. and did nursing assessments for elderly patients in the hospitals for nursing home placement, and marketing for the same corp. My last postion before retiring 2 years ago was Marketing Director for an Assited Living facility.
I've been married to a chemist for 47 years... WOW... he worked in R&D
We have 3 children 45,43,38 and 3 grandchildren 23, 7, and 5.
I keep busy with the grandchildren and playing bridge. My passionate hobby is photography, esp. nature and the grandchildren who are such beautiful subjects !!!!
We've lived in the same house for almost 40 years and seen our town grow too fast. We live in a lovely rural community between Boston and Worcester, Mass.
Our oldest child is in a graduate program at the University of Tenn. and in Dec. will be a Nurse Practitioner in family Mental Health.
Our next child is a senior underwriter for a large insurance co. in Mass. They live about 30 minutes away... thank God, so I can see my "little ones" often.
Our youngest works for a social service agency in Worcester and lives about 30 minutes away also.
Our daughter in Tenn. comes "home " to Mass. on a regular basis and readily admits she misses " crazy" Mass. and is anxious to come back after she finishs school, though she loves going to the Smokies.
By the way,
1 daughter, 2 sons
grandchildren.. 2 grandsons, 1 granddaughter
Thanks for the opportunity to expand on my personal life.
Carol

[kcherub]

Wow, this is really intriguing! Okay, here we go, and I am working backwards:

Owner of a children's boutique (furniture, linens, clothing, gifts) since 2002...

SAHM from 1999-2002

Culinary student 1997-1999

Starbucks supervisor 1996-1999
Wedding consultant 1996-1999

Office manager for 2 attorneys 1993-1996
College student (Political Science) 1990-1994

Other than that, I have worked in a dental office, sno-cone stand, video store, Kirkland's (over Christmas), and Arby's (at 15, for two days until they made me clean the toilets after a particularly nasty day--LOL. I was only 15!!!)

That's it. My work life in a nutshell.

Take care,

[fauxgypsy]

Thought I would update this. I now teach various biology courses at community college about 45 minutes from my home. Throughout grad school I did everything I could to get out of teaching. Most of the time I had a research assistantship. Because of lymphedema I could no longer do the faux finishes and found myself applying for a teaching position. Because of my diagnosis I was considered to be disabled but I did not have the quarters I needed. I had pretty much plowed all my money back into my business. I have never felt disabled except short term when I was on chemo and recovering from surgery. Within a short time I found the position I have now. I was scared to death. My throat tightened, my palms sweated, for weeks. Then it got better. I really enjoy teaching and just finished my second year. I was excited this spring when I was voted one of the favorite teachers. The students tell me and each other that I'm harder but that thery learn more. Makes me proud. There are so many things that I want to do that I don't know how long I will teach but I'm very happy with it now. I also still paint, though not as much and will be in a show in August.

Previously:
Thanks to everyone for keeping this going. I missed it as well. It is good for all of us to be reminded that we are not our diagnosis.
I was Navy brat. I can't remember all the schools I went to. I quit school in the early seventies in the midst of bomb threats and dissension during integration in the heart of Mississippi. I started college when I was in my thirties and went on to a M.S. degree in biology. I helped start a short lived literary effort called "Surfacing" and thoroughly enjoyed my University years. As my career was ramping up and I was going on for a Ph.D. in forensic science I had a reaction to a medication for my stomach and ended up clinically depressed, almost suicidal. I left school and ended up in the hospital for depression. The week after I got out, my mother died. It took months to recover. At that point I believed that I had burned my bridges and decided to follow another interest. I had taken a class in faux finishes and turned that into a fairly profitable business for many years. I also painted murals. Even after I started chemo I continued it but my mastectomy has pretty much limited what I can do physically. For some time I have been interested in getting back into science and I applied just last week to for a research position in of all things, cancer research. I am in the process of setting up a web page with my fine art, as well. In the process of writing my CV, which is scientist's version of a resume, I was reminded of all I had accomplished. It is good feeling. I am more than a cancer patient. When I was first diagnosed they told me I was stage IV, then they thought they had made a mistake. At this point I have no idea what stage I was or am but I have been NED since May of last year and I am just beginning to accept that I may have years to go.
I was married for 27 years to someone I should never have married but I have a beautiful daughter from that marriage and another wonderful daughter from before that. And five wonderful grandchilden. When Heart Sutra was writing about her relationship I thought of my husband. I was at his last wedding as the matron of honor and through all those years we stayed friends. Then one night I looked up at him and my whole world changed. I could not have gotten through this without him. My daughter told me a few months back that she thought that if I had been still married to her father when I was diagnosed that I would be dead now. I think that it is not what we do that defines us so much as who loves us and who we love. Dale has been a part of my life, on and off, for over twenty five years now and I am so glad that I have him.
We both love making things and gardening, we have many interests in common. This week we started our summer garden and planted close to 150 tomato plants. I guess you could say we like pushing our limits. His health is not good but he loves to stay busy and it is very hard to slow him down.

Leslie

[Joanne S]

I was born and raised in a wonderful Detroit neighborhood. I am 100% Greek and the first in my family to marry a non-Greek. I have a wonderful husband--been married 23 years and I have two lovely daughters. My eldest is 22, she attends Wayne State University in Detroit; and my youngest is 17,a senior in High School.

The city gradually changed for the worse much through my adult years so when my husband retired from the Detroit Police Department in 1994, we moved from Detroit to a Detroit suburb I have worked for the same health insurance company in Downtown Detroit for 32 years. I had many different jobs through the years; most recently I worked as a mainframe programmer for hospital claims systems. Only a couple weeks before my breast cancer diagnosis, I was promoted to a systems analyst. Sadly, I started sick leave the same day I was to start my new job. I started chemo immediately after my BC dx 09/2006; unfortunately I've not worked, but been a total couch potato ever since then.

I'm currently in physical therapy because I've been inactive for so long (chemo, radiation, 3 surgeries and complications) so now I'm severly deconditioned. I am now finally working towards gaining back my strength and endurance and losing weight in hopes of getting back to where I was before cancer.

Hobbies before BC: I loved gardening, shopping, home decorating and creative crafts; such as, porcelain doll-making, wreath making, decorating/painting sweatshirts, making beaded fruit plates/arrangements, silk flower arrangements, and lastly making jewelry using sterling silver, Swarovski crystals, stones/beads.

[Leslie's sister]

I have just got around to reading this thread. What a neat idea. I feel like I know everyone a little better. Interesting surprises. My bio is pretty boring in comparison but here goes.

48 years old living in the same area, high desert of So. Cal., that I grew up in. Divorced raising 3 children. 18 son in first year of college at UC Irvine, daughter sophomore in high school, and daughter in first grade. (yeah I know I will be 60ish when I'm finally done raising kids but I love every second of it) Worked in escrow business 17 years and owned an escrow business for 10 of those years; real estate developer & home builder from 1987 to present (though the house building business is pretty nonexistent these days). The Lord has blessed me in many ways, most significantly with my beautiful children, and for that I am thankful. My midlife crisis has been a passion for running, especially running marathons (finished 77 marathons to date). I have run a marathon in every state having completed this goal in Philly Nov 07. I have also run in 5 Boston marathons and have a goal to run in 10 consecutive Boston marathons. Think of me in a few weeks, I will be out there finishing Boston #6.

Lisa

[Marlys]

This has always been one of my favorite threads. So many newer people are here and I would love to know more about You!!!
Love & Hugs, Marlys

[Jackie07]

Indeed a 'fun' thread. Wish I had found it earlier. Be prepared, since it's going to be a long one...

I was born in Taipei, Taiwan at the beginning of the Sixties. My Father, the colonel, is a very, very strict and conservative, 'Ching-dynasty' (ancient) type of guy. He married my Mother who is 8 years his junior at the end of WWII when the Japanese surrendered after the atomic bombs.

However, they ended up having to fight the communist in the 'impossible' civil war. They lost contact when the Nationalist Army collapsed (there's no way to fight the 'war' because the communist army forced civilians to the frontline.) After the communist took over the Mainland, my parents were reunited in Taiwan. After having 5 healthy children, they had a sickly premature baby who was constantly having health-related issues. He was 45 then, and she was 37.

The 'spoiled'(as my Father always calls me)baby girl grew up to be the tallest among three sisters. I had been labeled as a 'very bright, yet also very lazy' child. I was on the ping-pong team and the hand-ball team in elementary school, the track team in junior high, and the basketball team in both high school and college. I love music and was given a brand new piano from the family when I was admitted to the top college in Taiwan. Several of my nieces have used that piano since I left Taipei in 1984.

I was the 'ugly duckling' because the brother right before me has been dubbed 'the handsome little prince' since he was born. He was so good-looking and popular that even my junior high school teacher couldn't help making fun of my pimples and questioning why I was not as good-looking as my popular brother.

But the 'ugly duckling' went to the best college in Taiwan and ended up getting a master's degree from Texas Woman's University. I married a good-looking young Texan who was born 4 days after the handsome 3rd Brother. Amazingly they are of the same height, same built-up, and even wear the same size of shoes. 3rd Brother commented after the engagement was announced: "I didn't know that you had 'worshipped' me so much...". One of my college basketball team members (with a Ph.D. in English from Boulder, Colorado) asked how come a handsome American like 'him' would marry a not-so-good-looking Chinese girl like me; and how come a smart, capable woman like me would marry a country boy who didn't care about getting a PhD or making a lot of money...

Well... it is because God has brought us together. I was singing in the choir at First Baptist Church just a little more than two months after I had moved to the Central Texas town to take a reference librarian's position. The salary was so low that no self-repecting American would apply for that job. This handsome (my colleague assured me) young man drove 1 hour to town and sat in the pew and saw the only Asian girl in the all Caucasian choir in the all Caucasian church... I was nice to him because I thought he was just a college kid... He was curious because he just got dumped by his Filipino girl friend who had moved out of state... During our first dinner out I was basically 'analyzing' for him why the physical therapist chose not to stay in the small town near where he lived...

Less than two years after our honey moon trip to Taiwan, I was diagnosed with a life-long brain tumor (love is so blind that he never suspected there's anything wrong with his girlfriend/wife)and underwent a 23-hour brain surgery. My oldest Brother came and helped (drilled me) with my rehabilitation while the groom was finishing up his college courses. My In-laws parked their RV by the hospital for the 40 days and then took me home for another month after I was discharged from the hospital.

I lost my job as a mid-level supervisor a year after the surgery and was very, very depressed. Staying home and closed up to the outside world, my neurological function dwindled quickly. By the time I got a hostess/cashier's job at a Chinese restaurant, I was so weak then I wasn't able to stand behind the cashier's counter for more than 30 minutes (I was eventually allowed to sit on a high stool when there's no customer around.) I made mistakes in balancing the account... I forgot what customers had ordered off the menu...The only thing that had saved my job was that my English was fluent enough by then and the new owner couple who had just emigrated from Taiwan could not handle the phone orders without me...

After 3 years - with good, nourishing Chinese food in the restaurant, I started back working part-time at a near-by college library and taking some college courses in the local community college (a self-prescribed rehab.) A couple of years later, I picked up another part-time job at the local college library. Then in 2000, after the library expansion, my position became full-time. Barely half year later - boom! my doctor said I had to get Gamma-knife Radiosurgery because the residue tumors suddenly doubled their size... (I am pretty sure I was poisoned there because the new director scheduled me to work the Saturday after the library got a new 'tar' roof Friday afternoon and I was the only staff 'constantly' working under that roof afterwards...)

A little more than a year after the GKRS, I lost my newly promoted full-time Reference Librarian's job (the library had built a new wing and expanded opening hours just 6 months before my Gamma-knife) at the library where I had worked 7 years.

I was on unemployment when we found out my first bout of breast cancer. I entered teacher training program with the scholarship from Texas Workforce Center and a travel stipend from Texas Rehabilitation Commission while I was undergoing the radiation treatment. I worked at three schools after substituting the first year. But none of the schools would renew my contract - the wig, the note-taking,... it's not hard for people to figure out that there's 'something wrong' with me.

So here I am again, battling another recurrence, trying for another line of work. I am taking 'medical coding' class on-line and hope to get through the program soon to get a job in one of the hospitals in the area.

'Life is not fair but God is good'. With helps from both sides of the families and our friends from the church, we have 'sailed through' all the obstacles so far. Truly, since we have been down to the Valley of the Shadow of Death several times, we 'have no fear' because His 'rod' has been protecting us...

And this website, to me, is heaven...

[dhealey]

This has be a wonderful thread. Great idea getting know everyone this way.

I will be 54 in Sept. and have been married to my high school sweeheart for 35 years. I have been a nurse in various family practices for 25 years. Been with the current doctor for 8 years. My husband and I bought our last house "ever" 2 months before my diagnosis. I have continued to work through all my treatments and Monday started in the Phase II trial for breast cancer vaccine. I have 3 children, Jenny 35, Hannah 23 (recently married) and the baby Ross 21 ( still in college and thinks he is in love), also have to grandchildren Tate 6 and Pierce 5. My hobbies are race walking, reading, sewing, gardening, quilting (I am presently working on a quilt made out of wedding dresses for the Making Memories for Terminal Breast Cancer patients. The quilt will be auctioned off with several others and they use the proceeds to make wishes come true for terminal breast cancer patients. Kinda like the make a wish foundation. Breast cancer has made me face my worst fears head on and live each day as it were my last. I am currently working on getting all the junk out of my life. It has also brought my husband and I so much closer.

I want to thank all of you on this site, you have all been such an inspriration during my journey with cancer. You all Rock!

[christie]

hi everyone,

i read the posts which you all write, but yes other than knowing the cancer details , we dont have much idea about each other. this thread is nice, i hope everyone writes into this and we can become a closer knit family.

I live in Nairobi , Kenya. I am trained to teach children with special needs, God has given me lot of patience and i feel i fit here the best, to reach out to these kids, at present i am not working.

we also look after a school in the Kibera slums in Nairobi, i am in the board and we look after the funds and manage the funds for them, there are so many poor kids, most of them orphans, abused, raped and Hiv positive in that school. we make sure they are provided with 2 square meals and clothing and education and telling them about God's love.. , we have 120 kids at present. i help in managing the accounts and we as a board take measures to ensure that the kids get what all we can provide by manging the funds we receive in a effective and accurate way.

I hope through this we can improve the lives of some of children God has entrusted in our hands to make their life better.

My husband, Daniel , has just started his own business, he is an engineer and is dealing with compressed air systems , Boilers and steam systems.

i have 2 children, keturah (13) and Kenneth(11).

I feel blessed to be their mother,

I have wonderful friends and also family who help me so much and are concerned about me. I love people around me and love being with them, i cannot live in isolation.

Above all i love Jesus and i know he is my best friend, i share everything with him.

love
christie

[juanita]

thought it was time to bump this back up to the top for anyone new.