http://www.katethaxton.com/survivingpc A first-hand look at the good, the bad, and the ugly about pancreatic cancer. Mon, 05 May 2008 22:35:28 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Same day service is great when it comes to things like dry cleaning or shoe repair. It's not so great when it comes to test results. I learned early on that no news is definitely good news. The more time that passes in between taking a test and receiving the ... http://www.katethaxton.com/survivingpc/2008/05/05/the-call/ I'll be honest, I've had a rough week and it's not over yet. I spent most of the week in the hospital with unexplained stomach and back pain. As I sit here, I'm no longer able to hide my fear and anxiety. It could be anything - arthritis, fluid build-up, ... http://www.katethaxton.com/survivingpc/2008/05/01/cheers/ I need your help. The other day someone asked me a question that left me stumped. It's certainly not the first time I've been asked this question, but yet I have no idea how to answer it. The question is 'How long do I have to do chemo?'  Some people actually ... http://www.katethaxton.com/survivingpc/2008/04/20/until/ Assignment #1: listen to Matchbox Twenty's song, 3am. If you're like me, you're drawn to this song for it's passion and honest account of a couple's relationship during a difficult period in time. Like a good story-teller, the singer presents us with a difficult memory that is only slightly altered by ... http://www.katethaxton.com/survivingpc/2008/03/31/3am/ I was sitting on the marble bar at the beautiful Pazo Restaurant in Baltimore, MD. I grabbed another glass of champagne, shared a toast with my two new friends, and sang along to Leaving Las Vegas. I met nine other cancer survivors that night. We compared port scars, shared bald stories, ... http://www.katethaxton.com/survivingpc/2008/03/24/one-of-the-crowd/ I was religious about it. I rarely missed it. I went as often as was allowed. Now I know why… I began donating blood about fifteen years ago. I was addicted as soon as they marked ‘PEDS’ on my donation bag. Just knowing that my blood was going to pediatrics made ... http://www.katethaxton.com/survivingpc/2008/03/10/pinch-hitters-needed/ Kate asked me to hop in to say a few words while she's getting over this week's chemo treatment. She's fine, by the way - tired from the meds, but they've kept her from being green this time around. That makes me happy - she's strong, but everybody needs a ... http://www.katethaxton.com/survivingpc/2008/03/04/luckys-rules/ Some things are simply too difficult to write about using cute little analogies. This is a stream of consciousness, brought on by a very rough week and accentuated by a few sleepless nights. This is undoubtedly the most candid and personal post I've ever written. No word-smithing here, just spell ... http://www.katethaxton.com/survivingpc/2008/02/22/decisions/ Tim and I exchanged puzzled looks and the doctor, sensing our confusion, repeated the question. 'What did you do?' At first I thought it was rhetorical - as in what did I do to get cancer - but then I realized he was asking a fairly routine question. Looking back ... http://www.katethaxton.com/survivingpc/2008/02/13/ass-u-me/ How do you define your future? Are you a fiscally-minded person who sees life neatly divided into quarters? Or do you pay homage to the European philosophy that life is made up of a series of mini-holidays? Are you able to look into the future and clearly see yourself with ... http://www.katethaxton.com/survivingpc/2008/01/25/mirage/