I picked up a book called Lab Girl by Hope Jahren this summer. It’s an option on Del Oro’s AP Language summer reading list, and I try to keep up with all of these books if I can. I’m glad I did. I expected a book about science. It turned out to be a littleContinue reading “Lab Girl Made Me Want to Plant an Oak”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Graduation Day
The morning of May 30 was one I had been looking toward for months. When I found out in March that I had blood cancer, there was one date I circled in my mind: graduation. I didn’t know if I would be healthy enough to be there. My goal quietly became, “Just make it toContinue reading “Graduation Day”
Less Than Two Weeks Left
I started the second, and final, round of infusions last Monday. This round looks a little different. Instead of five straight days, it is one day a week for four weeks. A different rhythm, a different medication, and as it turns out, a different set of experiences. About three hours into a seven-hour session lastContinue reading “Less Than Two Weeks Left”
Recovery After Round 1
Quick update from round one, and the days that followed. Last week I made the daily drive into downtown Sacramento, five straight mornings, three hours at a time. You settle into a rhythm pretty quickly. Check in, get set up, sit, read, think, repeat. I had three different nurses over the week, and each ofContinue reading “Recovery After Round 1”
Two Days Down
I wrapped up day two of my five-day chemo stretch this morning, and so far, it has looked a lot like what the doctors, nurses, and the internet promised. Pretty manageable. The needle still isn’t my favorite part of the day, but there is something oddly peaceful about three quiet hours each morning with aContinue reading “Two Days Down”
I Didn’t Get PICC’d
Today was supposed to be PICC line day. The step before chemo. The thing the doctor said we were doing. Simple enough. But then something unexpected and, honestly, kind of wonderful happened. I walked into the infusion center and met the nurse who would be placing the PICC. She was fantastic. Calm, clear, and theContinue reading “I Didn’t Get PICC’d”
Chemo Scheduled – Round 1
It has been a really good week. I have been feeling completely healthy, which is a strange thing to say given everything going on, but I will take it. Right now, it feels a lot like waiting. Waiting for appointments, waiting for next steps, waiting to get started. I did get a call from KaiserContinue reading “Chemo Scheduled – Round 1”
Meeting with Adada
This morning, Morgan took the morning off work, and we went together to meet with the oncologist, Dr. Adada. I’m grateful to report that he seems wonderful. Calm, clear, and the kind of doctor who makes you feel like you’re in good hands, even when the conversation itself is not exactly light. He walked usContinue reading “Meeting with Adada”
My March So Far
The last eight days have been intense. A couple of weeks ago, I thought I had the flu. The kind that knocks you down for a few days and then slowly loosens its grip. Except this one didn’t. My head pounded constantly. My fever spiked to 103 and above. I wasn’t eating. I wasn’t sleeping.Continue reading “My March So Far”
Why Is Change So Hard?
That’s the question at the heart of Switch by Chip and Dan Heath. And to their credit, they don’t answer it with vague ideas or motivational fluff. They answer it with clarity, story, and a framework that actually makes sense. The basic idea is this: if you want change to happen, you must address bothContinue reading “Why Is Change So Hard?”
Mr. Zerwas 