Dear Family and Friends,

I’m in the home stretch of radiation treatment with just two more weeks to go. I haven’t worn a wig in ten days and it feels great. I wear a scarf at work but soon I’ll ‘retire’ that too. I seem to have forgotten over the last decade that I’ve been a blond how dark my hair really is. I’m really a brunette and now it’s mixed with gray.

Yesterday was the conference for Nurse Practitioners that I mentioned in an earlier blog. This was the first lecture I’ve given since my diagnosis. I tried to attend a dinner the night before but fatigue hit hard late afternoon and I just couldn’t make the trip downtown to the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit. I had plenty of energy the morning of the lecture and I was fortunate that they scheduled me early to give the talk. Surrounded by fellow nurse practitioners was particularly comforting – most either worked with patients in medical crisis like cancer or were touched by cancer themselves. It felt so ‘normal’ to be teaching again.

Thinking about teaching reminds me that I wanted to share an article in the Wall Street Journal titled, ‘A New View, After Diagnosis’ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970203547904574276434196118914.html. The article describes a study involving a new group therapy based on Viktor E. Frankl’s work which is best described in his book: Man’s Search for Meaning. I absolutely agree with this and I’m pleased someone is studying it. I’ve offered groups like this in the past (long before this study) as well as helped patients in individual therapy answer some of the same questions. If you’re interested in learning more about this topic see pages 30 & 31 in our book: Coping with Cancer: A Patient Pocket Book. I may start another group like this in the fall – it’s only eight sessions and just like the article describes, patients seem to find courage to face the adversities inherent in the treatment of cancer.

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Love,

Veronica