Category Archives: MS

Advocacy, Art, Cancer, MS, Narrative Writing, Poetic Medicine

14-Day Blogging Challenge: Day 10

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14-Day Blogging Challenge: Day 10

“What Do You Do?”

Let’s say I’m taking the day off, and I have nothing scheduled, no responsibilities, and no one else to take care of. What do I do?

Garden Photos_Summer2007 076I would begin my day, stretching and say:

Good morning world 🙂 Thoughts fluttering about, thinking about the day, nothing scheduled, no responsibilities, everyone I care for is being looked after, and well cared for today. What do I do?

I would do some yoga, then meditate.

I would have my drink of hot water with freshly squeezed lemon, maybe a little maple syrup if I wanted it sweetened.

On a nice  cool day, I would walk barefoot into my garden. Relax on my patio with our dog, Sadie, by my side, sitting in the shade of the grape vines growing over the pergola and under the more than 80 year pine trees enjoying the coolness they bring.

Filling the birdbaths, and basins with water. Watching the birds, squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks.

Keeping a glass of water for me, to drink, by my side.

I would relax and read the paper or a magazine. Having my camera nearby, I would go for it to catch some photos of the beautiful day, the flowers, shrubs, and the animals I see in the garden today.

Returning inside, I would whip up a smoothey.

Or, maybe, cooked steel rolled oats with almonds, raisins, and a bit of honey.  A cup of tea or freshly brewed coffee.

I would gather the greens and crunchies, for preparing a lunch salad.

Making some calls, or going on-line, I would visit with family and friends.

An afternoon out, to see an early movie.

A late afternoon, stretched out, getting a massage.

A dinner of fish, baked potatoe, and vegetable, asparagus sounds wonderful to me. And a nice cup of herbal tea.

An evening of knitting, crochet, or quilting would be a delight for me.

Reflecting on the day with appreciation, heading off to sleep.

Sweet Dreams.

So let’s say you’re taking the day off, and you have nothing scheduled, no responsibilities, and no one else to take care of. What do you do?

 

Cancer, Endometrial Cancer, MS, Narrative Writing, Poetic Medicine

14 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 9

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14 Day Blogging Challenge: Day 9

“Facing the Fear”

My biggest challenge in the last year was facing the fear of my having cancer. I was looking cancer in the face. Thoughts were racing. I’d noticed bleeding. I’ve been postmenopausal for five (5) years now.  I remembered being told by my mother that if I ever noticed unusual bleeding to be checked by my doctor. Now the question was, ” Doctor, what doctor?”  I’d had the same doctor for many years, yet questions lurked: “Who would be my doctor now? From whom would I receive treatment?  Stress, I have MS.  Pain, I have chronic pain, and from more than having  MS.  Sometimes, to learn where the pain is originating and what to do about it,  we have to realize we are more than an illness we’ve been diagnosed with.  Reality check: In my life, I was facing even another.

Insurance, what insurance? Obamacare, who in our system is it who was really caring? I no longer had the insurance I’d had for many years.  I was no longer working. I no longer had COBRA.  I’d already applied for Disability.  I had been in an appeal process.  I did not yet qualify for Medicare.  Medicaid, which program, the authorities that be figuring out for which I qualified?

What doctors?  Where?  My medical team was in need of coming together.

New travels. First stop, Family Health Center at White Plains Hospital.  Second stop, the White Plains Hospital ER.  Tests ordered: Blood Test, CAT Scan, Ultra Sound. Upon discharge being told to follow up with my own doctor. Informing the nurse with the discharge instructions, “After all these years of seeing a gynecology specialist, I didn’t have insurance my specialist accepted.” Thinking aloud: Really, really now, and this is the system here in the USA, in NY, in Westchester County?  Third Stop: The Greenburgh Health Center – Another examination and recommendation.  Fourth Stop: White Plains Hospital Radiology for the hysterosonogram which had been recommend.

All the uncertainty, the stress of the uncertainty. Anxiety, Depression you had a deeper hold on me. Time, precious time, having to take the extra steps, to getting necessary treatment.  What feels like an eternity.  Days, leading to weeks, and weeks leading to a few months. MY AFFIRMATION: ” I CAN OVERCOME FEAR!”

I OVERCAME THE FEAR!!!  Fifth Stop: Advanced OB/GYN Associates at Westchester Medical Center.

My medical team had been brought together…

My doctors were the best!

Excellent! Knowledgeble! Understanding! Caring!

Willing to listen to me!

I had a D & C, and then a Hysterectomy!

With gratitude, I thank Dr. Tarah Pua and her team, for giving me another chance at life.

Sixth Stop: Westchester Medical Center and the Radiation Medicine Team…

When I met Dr. Chitti Moorthy, little did I know what lie ahead of me.  I’d never heard of brachytherapy, a type of radiation therapy. With his expertise and guidance, and a caring staff attending to me all of whom I’m grateful to, I’d take a gulp of air, a deep breath, tell my body to relax, and meditate (which I reflect on and look at as sacred time given to me).

Seventh Stop: Home, Recovering, Moving On,  and Living Life  ~ with love and gratitude to my family and friends who have been with me, each of you know who you are, totally supportive and sharing your love. Now it’s time for me, with faith in G-d above, to inspire and share with others.

Endometrial Cancer – American Cancer Society

Is there some fear you have, or have experienced, maybe overcame, or would like to overcome? If you’d like, you are welcome to share it with me.

Advocacy, Cancer, MS, Narrative Writing, Poetic Medicine

14-Day Blogging Challenge: Day 8

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14-Day Blogging Challenge: Day 8

“My Biggest Success in the Last Year”

Over the last year, my biggest success has been in the design and development of my websites.  I began my first website, andreahorowitz.com, because I wanted to share poetry and narratives about Survivorship, about Multiple Sclerosis, about Endometrial Cancer, about having become a patient after years of being the primary caregiver in my family, and my husband and I having become  carepartners.

With belief in the importance of exercising my brain, and cognitive skills (encouraged by my neuroligists),  I want to share information, hope, encouragement and inspiration through poetry, narratives, and in advocacy.

With a passion for creating fiber art, I also wanted a website where I could share about  knitting, crochet, beading, and quilting, which led me to creating andreasherrycreations.com .

I also believed it would be fun to share about the place we call home, Horowitz Hacienda in the Pines, and write about the beautiful nature in which we’re blessed to be surrounded.  We creatively engage in play based art and fun activities with my sister, Francine, and all of us have loads of fun with Sadie, our Shitzu mix.

I’m proud to have accomplished bringing these websites live and to have started blogging.

With encouragement for you to share and letting you know that I am interested in hearing from you, what is your biggest success in the last year?

Advocacy, Art, Cancer, MS, Narrative Writing, Poetic Medicine

14-Day Blogging Challenge: Day 7

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14-Day Blogging Challenge: Day 7

“What My Favorite Book or Movie Is, and Why”

Nature is one of the things with which I love connecting.  I’ve enjoyed learning and each year find more to learn about the birds which live in our area.  Each year I pay attention to their migration patterns.

At Horowitz Hacienda in the Pines there are birdhouses hanging on trees, the fence, shepherds hooks, and pergola.  In the garden, we also sometimes paint birdhouses for some of the birds to nest. Birdbaths and feeders have also been placed.  There’s a satisfying feeling in caring for and feeding the birds. Each day is beautiful waking to the sounds of the birds. Mourning doves cooing.  Wrens and Chick-a-dees chirping a beautiful melody. Garden Photos_Summer2007 074-1

Afternoons, relaxing on the porch, sipping iced tea or lemonade.  I watch for the birds in flight, while glancing through and reading one of my favorite books.

Sharing in this 14-Day Blogging Challenge: Day 7, one of my favorite book is “Birds in Your Backyard: A Birdlovers Guide to Creating a Garden Sanctuary” by Robert Dolezal.  For bird enthusiasts (or would be bird enthusiasts) it is a comprehensive guide, richly illustrated, and provides food for thought on planning and planting with the rewarding experience of enhancing a yard into becoming garden sanctuary. There’s lots of information about identifying birds, their markings, how they behave, and what foods they like best.  At feeding time, it’s a magnificent sight watching the birds eat.  Sometimes I’ll photograph their activity. The spectacular goldfinch fluttering to and from the thistle feeder.  Various species of birds favoring certain feeder foods.  Some eat from feeders, some even from the ground. Garden Photos_Summer2007 075-1

It’s always  a sight watching the squirrels go after the bird food and hang off the feeders,too.  I make sure there is food for them at the ground to try to keep them from the feeders. “A little something for everyone!” Squirrel a Munching at The Horowitz's Nature Center_25-Dec-2007 011

The birds at play in the birdbath and shaking off the water, or taking a sandbath are lively. They like both and they can be quite amusing.

Approaching dusk, the magnificent male cardinal in the euonymous tree.  Singing his song, the last I hear, in our garden sanctuary, to say goodnight.

I’d also love to know: What is your favorite book or movie, and why?