I’ve been wondering lately why we’re called breast cancer “survivors.” It’s a brave term, isn’t it? Makes me feel courageous and somehow special. But I couldn't think of another way to put it. And then one night I got it.

HealthCentral.com, which features one of my all-time favorite media docs, Dr. Dean Edell, has begun a support page for breast cancer survivors.

When I get hit by the March blues....when I start despairing over everything big and little thing in my life...when everything I do seems headed south--and I don't mean Florida--I make beads.

The FDA collects reports from both consumers and prescribers of drugs and I think it's a good idea to report serious side effects, especially of a new drug like Arimidex.

Last summer, when I suffered debilitating side effects to the breast cancer hormone treatment, Arimidex, a Tamoxafin alternative, I registered my complaints on a useful website for exploring the side effects of commonly prescribed medications.

Yippee! I made it through my last mammogram and multiple checkups (one gets quite a bunch of docs) and celebrated by treating myself to a bash on my birthday, which followed the results by days.

Here's wishing a wonderful Christmas Day to everyone. I am in Colorado having a great time with Dylan and Ann, my son and daughter-in-law.

I’ve been invited to host a review of patient blogs called Carnival of Compassion, because part of my website is a Breast Cancer Blog, which I began about a year ago as a way to feel, vent, connect, and share information with others in my particular boat.

So why haven't I checked in here for the last six weeks? I've been in Costa Rica, that's why! I needed a break, and boy, did I get one!

On an elevator at our local hospital, where I was delivering a Sunday New York Times to a friend awaiting imminent quadruple bypass surgery, I encountered a man in his fifties or sixties carrying too many roses to count.