Living

It has been a while since I last wrote anything, and that has been due to my physical and mental health. I found life so overwhelming that I retreated into...

After 3.5 years of managing to avoid COVID-19 - it finally got me. Having avoided contracting COVID-19 up until now was probably partly due to luck. However, for the most...

As you may have read, I had many plans for Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. One of these was reaching out to my local member of parliament (the UK's rough equivalent...

Maybe we can blame it on the emergency surrounding my surgery, and maybe we can say the post-op complications were taking precedence. But before and even after my surgery, I...

For me, self-care was never a thought. I was so caught up in taking care of everyone around me that taking care of myself was relegated to having hot coffee...

The In America survey is now closed. A bladder cancer diagnosis is a shock, but what can make it more difficult is the lack of information and research available for...

Hi again. I am back to look at another couple of additional ostomy products that may help you on your journey. Some people need support in the early days while...

Music has always been an integral part of my life. Even as a baby, my parents said I was always dancing and bouncing whenever there was a tune playing. As...

Isolation is debilitating. Be it physical or emotional. Feeling like you are alone or the only one going through what you are going through is brutal. Being open about your...

Surgery day was approaching. On October 31st, 2017, I was admitted to the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow, Scotland, for my total pelvic exenteration surgery scheduled for the next day. Confirmation...

From the day of my diagnosis, I have always been "different." I was too young (only 28 years old at diagnosis). I was a woman. I had never smoked or...

The New Year means different things to different people. I live in Scotland. December 31 is known as Hogmanay. Historically Christmas day wasn't even a holiday in Scotland; however, New...

November is Caregiver Appreciation Month. I am writing this on the first day of December. On November 8th, election day in America, my wife went to vote and pick up...

"All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth," sang Alvin and the Chipmunks, but what do we all really want for Christmas? Well, you could ask thousands of...

Once faced with a cancer diagnosis, your entire focus tends to shift to caring for your body. Staying hydrated, eating well, prepping for procedures, dealing with treatment after effects, and...

Today is a good day. No, today is a great day! This evening, I will head to Glasgow Airport, Scotland, and board a plane to Portugal. For anyone who knows...