en-us I know it's been a while since my last post. I tend to hibernate during chemo. I feel like crap. I feel like I look like crap. I have no energy and I...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/36712--ovarian-cancer-treatment-the-reality-of-chemo-and-what-i-m-looking-forward-to 2012-03-22 04:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/36712--ovarian-cancer-treatment-the-reality-of-chemo-and-what-i-m-looking-forward-to I have now had my second round of treatment - not very much fun. But, I want to focus on my daughter today and the pride I have knowing that although...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/35982--life-lesson-my-daughter-learned-during-my-ovarian-cancer-treatments 2012-02-23 04:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/35982--life-lesson-my-daughter-learned-during-my-ovarian-cancer-treatments There is always good and bad in everything that happens. I have had my first chemo session and am about to have my second. The good news is it seems...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/35743--chemo-for-ovarian-cancer-good-results-there-s-always-the-positive-to-focus-on 2012-02-09 10:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/35743--chemo-for-ovarian-cancer-good-results-there-s-always-the-positive-to-focus-on This is a short video from my first chemo session. I am telling the story of my daughter's reaction to hearing that I was going back on chemo. She...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/35120--first-chemo-session-one-step-into-this-new-journey-with-cancer 2012-01-18 04:30:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/35120--first-chemo-session-one-step-into-this-new-journey-with-cancer Until recently, I was waiting for this last set of CT scan results to know whether or not I could continue on the trial — was it really working...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/34804--getting-ready-for-a-hard-road-ahead 2011-12-22 12:30:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/34804--getting-ready-for-a-hard-road-ahead I haven't posted lately because I have been busy doing some cancer-awareness videos for Princess Margaret Hospital — I guess I had my fill of...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/34360--hope-and-time-both-play-a-role-in-cancer-recovery 2011-12-06 13:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/34360--hope-and-time-both-play-a-role-in-cancer-recovery We all get lulled and complacent in life, and we forget the challenges we face if they are not present on a daily basis. Okay, so we may not...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/33716--they-re-easy-to-forget-but-our-challenges-are-never-that-far-away 2011-11-17 13:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/33716--they-re-easy-to-forget-but-our-challenges-are-never-that-far-away The video posted is from a speech I gave to help launch a new event for the Princess Margaret called Disco Days and Boogie Nights. I will be...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/32769--remember-to-not-take-things-for-granted-good-or-bad 2011-10-26 14:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/32769--remember-to-not-take-things-for-granted-good-or-bad There is always some nervousness around the delivery of test results — you hope for the best, but have to prepare for the worst. I got some...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/32393--dealing-with-learning-new-results-from-my-cancer-tests 2011-10-14 15:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/32393--dealing-with-learning-new-results-from-my-cancer-tests I always like to focus on the positive — especially at this time of year.

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/32000--focusing-on-the-positive-for-fall 2011-10-03 14:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/32000--focusing-on-the-positive-for-fall I have been doing this blog for about a year now — and what a year it's been! Happily, I just got some good news this week from my doctor...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/31652--my-anniversary-of-blogging-about-living-with-ovarian-cancer 2011-09-22 15:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/31652--my-anniversary-of-blogging-about-living-with-ovarian-cancer This video is from a speech I gave this morning to a group of pharmaceutical, industry and medical professionals involved with clinical trials. It's a...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/31313--how-clinical-trials-give-cancer-patients-like-me-hope 2011-09-10 13:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/31313--how-clinical-trials-give-cancer-patients-like-me-hope September is the month designated for ovarian cancer, and I want to make the most of it! Let's use this month to raise awareness and spread the word...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/31079--how-i-m-making-the-most-of-ovarian-cancer-awareness-month 2011-09-03 03:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/31079--how-i-m-making-the-most-of-ovarian-cancer-awareness-month I fully intended to do a video post this week, but then I got sick with strep throat and I just can't do it. So, let me start by apologizing to Leigh...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/30729--my-six-year-cancerversary-and-thoughts-on-jack-layton-s-final-letter 2011-08-24 16:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/30729--my-six-year-cancerversary-and-thoughts-on-jack-layton-s-final-letter Sydney is back from camp, our new puppy Poppy is so much fun and the CT scan showed relative stability or slight improvement — all signs look...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/30458--the-results-are-in-from-my-latest-ct-scan 2011-08-12 14:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/30458--the-results-are-in-from-my-latest-ct-scan We picked up Poppy today and she is gorgeous — so cute and so good natured. She is a very sweet puppy. Getting Poppy also gave me some...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/30222--a-new-puppy-is-a-good-distraction-from-an-upcoming-test-and-missing-my-daughter 2011-08-05 11:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/30222--a-new-puppy-is-a-good-distraction-from-an-upcoming-test-and-missing-my-daughter Thursday was my 9th wedding anniversary. Mark and I are celebrating with a few days in Muskoka. I couldn't really travel too far because of the...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/30020--celebrations-and-vacations 2011-07-31 09:00:40.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/30020--celebrations-and-vacations Here is the latest update on what is going with me. It seems to be trending towards the good, thankfully. I'm still tired, but the breathing is...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/29687--changing-the-way-i-talk-about-cancer 2011-07-20 12:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/29687--changing-the-way-i-talk-about-cancer Well, we figured out the cause of the cough — now we just have to figure out what to do about it. There always seems to be another curve that...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/29256--ignorance-is-bliss-unfortunately-my-medical-education-continues 2011-07-06 15:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/29256--ignorance-is-bliss-unfortunately-my-medical-education-continues This week Mark and I had a health scare with Sydney. She is okay and she will be fine. Nothing that cannot be managed and it's nothing that is...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/28847--when-your-child-is-sick-nothing-else-matters 2011-06-22 12:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/28847--when-your-child-is-sick-nothing-else-matters So, as I mentioned quickly last week, I did start the new clinical trial. It consists of two drugs. There is a low dose, daily, oral chemo called...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/28654--i-finally-started-my-new-clinical-trial-for-ovarian-cancer 2011-06-15 15:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/28654--i-finally-started-my-new-clinical-trial-for-ovarian-cancer Tonight, our community manager for It's Time To Shout, Rachel Fine, hosted a fundraiser where she cut off all her hair for locks of love. She used...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/28512--rachel-s-big-chop-to-raise-money-for-ovarian-cancer 2011-06-09 12:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/28512--rachel-s-big-chop-to-raise-money-for-ovarian-cancer The mind-body connection is something that many people speak about, but now it seems that science is jumping on the band wagon. Maintaining a positive...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/28350--the-power-of-maintaining-optimism-and-positivity 2011-06-03 11:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/28350--the-power-of-maintaining-optimism-and-positivity So, no video this week because once again, I got sick. I had a wicked flu on Monday night that had me violently ill throughout the night. It took me a...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/27923--frustration-once-again-waiting-for-new-treatment-to-start 2011-05-20 13:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/27923--frustration-once-again-waiting-for-new-treatment-to-start Onwards and upwards...one clinical trial didn't work, and so we move on to the next. But, not for four weeks. Four very long weeks. I hate having to...

]]> http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/27716--disappointments-and-pleasant-surprises-managing-expectations-while-living-with-ovarian-cancer 2011-05-12 14:00:00.000 http://www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/post/27716--disappointments-and-pleasant-surprises-managing-expectations-while-living-with-ovarian-cancer