On Men's Health for Father's Day

June is Men’s Health Month, and this week marks Men’s Health Week, the purpose of which “is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This week gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury.” 

I posted earlier this week on Instagram about my three brothers, and how much the men (and one blue-eyed boy) in my life mean to me. Are you talking to the men in your life about their health? If not, here's a gentle nudge.

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Here I am with my three brothers (and my mom), in late 2007 at my youngest brother’s wedding. ❤️ The men in my life are super important to me, and it started with these generous, loving, stand-up guys (and my dad, who I’ll get to later this week). I’ve talked a lot about my health over the years, but this Men’s Health Month, I thought I’d remind you to talk to the amazing men in your life about THEIR health and remind them to seek help when something doesn’t feel right. Stay healthy, my brothers. 💙#menshealthmonth #menshealthweek #brothers #onlygirl #wedding

A post shared by Jen Campisano (@jencampisano) on Jun 11, 2019 at 7:32pm PDT

So given the theme of this month/week, it seems fitting both that this week culminates in Father's Day and that today is my dad's LAST radiation treatment for prostate cancer. Whooot-whoot! Dad, I know you're exhausted in a full-body, cement-in-your-bones kind of way, but you did it. You've crossed this finish line, and I'm so thankful. I'm particularly appreciative that you see your doctors for regular check-ups and then follow through when something isn't right. 

To back up a bit, in mid-March, I got a call from my dad. “I have news. I have prostate cancer,” he told me. This isn't the first time my dad has called to tell me he has cancer. And I am conditioned to think worst-case-scenario when I hear the word cancer, but he assured me his doctors considered this very treatable. Still. What do they know? I am a skeptic about medical certainty nowadays.

After losing Chris's dad to pancreatic cancer in 2009, I also knew prostate cancer has a better prognosis. But still. Cancer is cancer and fear is fear.

Four generations, circa 2013

In April, I went to the HealtheVoices conference and talked about my dad's health to a few prostate cancer survivors. Even if my dad wasn't fully comfortable seeking out support from strangers, I knew these men from past conferences and needed my own support network. 

Somehow, having been through breast cancer and bared my deepest fears online already, it seems perfectly acceptable to me to talk to others about the health of my dad's prostate. Because at their core, these conversations were about my fears for him. Would he be okay? What are the chances of recurrence? Would radiation be enough? Would he need hormone replacement therapy?

And this is the beauty of connecting with others who've walked in those shoes. Of facing our fears and seeing them grow smaller as we speak. 

These are the men who crushed those anxiety demons for me. Joel Nowak lives with metastatic prostate cancer and spent at least an hour walking me through what to expect, assured me that most likely this would never bother my dad again, and gave me tips to pass along to my dad to make treatment a bit easier. And Rick Davis, who also had prostate cancer, offered to chat with my dad (or me) anytime about our fears or concerns. On his flip phone. 

Wedding day, 2008

My dad will most likely be okay because he took action. He saw his doctor for regular physical exams, and then didn't balk when a treatment plan was in place, as draining as it has been. In many cases, it really is that simple: visit your doctor, talk about your concerns, follow through with treatment, go on living a healthy life. So this Father's Day, how about reminding the men in your life to visit their doctors? Next step, connecting with support networks.

I love you, Dad. Happy Father's Day.

WEGO Health Awards

I'm not sure which one of you did it, but whoever nominated me for not one but two WEGO Health Awards (Best in Show: Blog and Patient Leader Hero) -- THANK YOU!

Some beautiful soul named Rhonda had this to say:

 Jen isn't "just" a patient leader hero. She is THE HERO of all time! The energy Jen gives off is welcoming, wise, & w/ those things brings a level of comfort. You don't have to chat w/ her long before realizing she is INCREDIBLE. From a *terminal* cancer DX to navigating parenthood & autoimmune disease, Jen is here. Sharing. Loving. LIVING. <3   — Rhonda

It means the world to have my work here recognized. As I change yet another diaper or wash another bottle (how do the dried bits of formula get so glued up into the nipples, anyway?!) and feel like I'm not doing as much advocacy or policy work or writing as I'd like lately, it made me a little teary-eyed just to be nominated.

To be fair, we also went on vacation last week, where I was still very much changing diapers, just with prettier views.

I've got to figure out a way to advocate from Hawaii...

In the meantime, here is a truth I've learned, and I think the attribution goes to Madeleine Albright: as a woman, you might be able to have it all, but not all at once. You can go on vacation to celebrate a friend's one-year cancerversary, you can have a kick-ass career (or so I've heard), you can have children and/or pets and be a good mom to them, you can volunteer for organizations that make your heart sing, you can cook homemade meals every night, you can write a memoir, and you can run marathons or hold a handstand in yoga. You just cannot do all these things at once.

Especially don't try to do a handstand while making dinner. You are not Dr. Seuss.

Because this advocacy work (and stay at home mom work!) isn't often paid, and because my husband has a job that expects him to be in the office (the gall), I can't say yes to every opportunity. As much as I'd like to learn more about the science of breast cancer or how to be a better advocate or lend my voice to try to talk some sense into Congress, it's not always feasible, with a 7-month-old and a 7-year-old to take care of. To be honest, I have felt wholly deflated more than once this year because I've had to turn down pretty incredible experiences due to a lack of childcare.

And then the one conference I did attend, I missed the dickens out of my kids. Ah, parenting.

But also, those who say they want to hear and incorporate patient voices could be better about compensating patients, am I right? At least cover some costs so more of us can participate? (Huge shout-out to the team at HealtheVoices here). As for the rest, a woman can dream.

My point is, I wish I was doing more in this space but my efforts have been temporarily curtailed by a peanut named Noelle and her big brother. They demand (and deserve) the majority of my attention for a bit. So it makes me even more verklempt at these nominations because this year has been such a different kind of challenge. Turns out, parenting is exhausting even if you're not also being treated for cancer.

If you have a moment, please consider endorsing me for one or both nominations. I appreciate it -- and you all -- so much.

A Nightmare

What a week. I had my six-month follow up scan on Monday, which always brings an onslaught of new pains and unwelcome sensations in my chest. A strange pull here, a shortness of breath there, a telling knot that tastes like bile in my throat. I have trouble sleeping in the days before, even with the exhaustion of new-parenthood. I growl at the cat for meowing too much and swear more than I should. This is what scanxiety looks like, and when I ask my oncologist if it ever goes away, he just shrugs.

Over the weekend, we got back to Arizona after ten days in Idaho and Washington visiting family and friends. And while it was mostly relaxing, mostly wonderful to escape the heat and visit with loved ones in some of the most beautiful settings that exist, I couldn't shake a sense of panic.

cousins

Chris woke me up one night in the middle of our trip, as I was gasping for air and thrashing with the bedsheets. When he asked me what I'd been dreaming about, I sleepily replied, "Frankenstein." He did his best not to laugh at me at 3 in the morning.

My dream wasn't actually about Frankenstein. Frankenstein was just the only word that came to my sleep-fogged mind in the middle of the night. It was a werewolf that was chasing me. In my nightmare, I had the distinct understanding that if this werewolf caught up to me, it would mean more cancer. As I got more and more entangled in the sheets, the werewolf was closing in on me. Then just as it was about to grab hold of me, Chris woke me up. My first thought was that I hadn't really escaped; I'd just been lucky and awoken at the right moment. Cancer could still be lurking. It took me a long while to fall back asleep.

In a moment of terror on Sunday night as I was feeling helpless about my scans and about the atrocities happening to children at our southern border, Chris stepped in to comfort me. "It probably WILL show something," he said, to which I cocked my head and raised my eyebrows.

What kind of comforting was this supposed to be?

"But it's most likely sarcoidosis," he added. That spot on my elbow is back and lingering, despite a steroid shot in December. I thought back to my incessant coughing at the HealtheVoices conference in April.

Monday afternoon, my oncologist called to tell me my scan was all clear. But then I met with him Tuesday, and the radiologist's report clearly says I have a 4mm nodule on my right lung that has been unchanged since at least 2014.

WTF.

There has never been any mention of this nodule; my left lung was the one biopsied in 2016. I checked my file and the tiny scar next to my port scar.

At home, Chris scoured prior scan reports, and there's nothing except a passing mention of potential radiation fibrosis, whatever the hell that is. In any case, my oncologist isn't concerned and says we'll just watch this spot. Strangely, I am not completely freaking out. But I am calling my oncologist to ask about fibrosis, and my pulmonologist to get a closer lung inspection. And I might need another vacation.

Reflecting on HealtheVoices18

A couple of weekends ago, I went to Chicago to get some sleep in a hotel without middle-of-the-night baby feedings attend a conference supporting online health advocates. HealtheVoices is in its fourth year, and this was my third time attending. I skipped last year because Chris had a conference at the same time and I was newly pregnant and freaking out about that.

It's a conference that brings together advocates across several health conditions. More than forty different illnesses were represented this year. What that does is allow us all to find common ground, to share and learn from one another, and even drum up ways to collaborate. By gathering together, we realize that many of our symptoms, fears, and struggles are the same, whether we are cancer survivors or living with chronic pain or coping with an autoimmune disease (or several). It also reminds us to be kind, because you never know what another person has been through.

As I always said when I thought I had metastatic breast cancer (MBC), I didn't always look sick.

This is like a game of Where's Waldo?

This year's conference opened with breakout sessions for a few advocate groups. In our relatively small group of cancer survivors, I was especially floored by how many of us were diagnosed as young(ish) adults, whether with breast cancer, testicular cancer, or lymphoma. And this session -- where I met Ben and Justin and Racheli and Kathy -- kicked off a weekend where I was continually inspired, and if I'm being honest, a bit challenged to find my own road post-cancer.

Some of these people are doing wildly amazing things to support new patients and bring awareness to their communities, so there were a number of times when I wondered if I'm doing enough, and what my purpose even is in a post-MBC world (more on this later). But as speaker after speaker reminded us, if we are reaching just one person, we are making a difference. Related: it's not about likes or retweets (even if those do make us feel more useful).

We have affectionately captioned this one: two balls, no boobs...

The organizers asked me to sit on a panel about resilience and tell my story about coping with major stressors in my life. What? There've been one or two. I said yes, even if I'm not feeling my most resilient lately. A teething baby and looming CT scans and possible PTSD will do that to a person.

On Friday, I sat on the stage with another young(er) woman from Phoenix, Kate, who lives with epilepsy; John-Manuel, who is an author and journalist living with HIV; Kenzie, who made it so there wasn't a dry eye in the room as she spoke about choosing to stay in this world, even as a young twenty-something living with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and Addison's disease (when your adrenal glands aren't producing enough of certain hormones); and the refreshingly positive Hetlena, whose simple advice to "be mad for five minutes, then be done with it" stuck with me, even if I don't always follow that wisdom.

Apparently I chew my nails when I'm nervous...

Certain themes arose again and again. We are resilient because we are grateful for what we have, rather than dwelling on what we've lost. We all talked about finding purpose -- not that any of our illnesses are gifts, but choosing how we've responded to our diagnoses can give them meaning. And one after another, we talked about how the stories we tell ourselves -- and the world -- about our illnesses can shape our realities. My friend Sandi wrote an entire book about this theme. (You should read it.)

I participated in another break-out session on parenting through a chronic illness. We touched on feeling guilty for the days when we couldn't get off the couch (though my friend Brooke had a good point: she said she doesn't feel guilty for those crushing exhausted days, but rather the days when she actually felt well and still wasn't completely present for her son). We talked about how (and how much) to share with kids about our illnesses. We all cried. I'm not gonna lie, I could use this sort of group therapy on a weekly basis.

On the last day, I shared a bus ride to O'Hare with the keynote speaker (and fellow sarcoidosis-sufferer, though she has it much worse than I do), Karen Duffy. Yes, the former MTV VJ and bestselling author. We mostly talked about our sons and just a little about our experiences with sarcoidosis. We didn't talk about "Dumb and Dumber" at all.

I missed my kids a lot. Whenever I'm away, Quinn's voice on FaceTime seems so much smaller and younger to me (perhaps because I've only talked to adults for a few days?) and it reminds me to slow down and pay close attention to him when I'm home. This was my first time away from Noelle, and I was mostly fine until I held my friend Mariah's daughter.

Coming home from HealtheVoices was bittersweet. It is a marathon few days of networking and emoting and baring our souls. I caught up with old friends from previous years, and felt instant connections with new ones. I hope I'm lucky enough to get to participate again and again.

With the extraordinary Chrisa of The Mindstorm

Disclaimer: Janssen covered my travel expenses to attend #HealtheVoices18. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.ssen covered my travel expenses

to attend #HealtheVoices18. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Abundance

Last weekend marked six years since my bilateral mastectomy. I still remember waking up from surgery feeling like I'd done a thousand push-ups, like an elephant was sitting on my chest, like a hole had been carved where fullness once had been. I remember tightness and pressure and emptiness more than pain. I remember being terrified to peek under the bandages. I remember feeling numb. Feeling devastated. Feeling relieved (because, I thought, maybe I was done with this disease. Spoiler: I wasn’t.)

***

If you’ve been with me here long enough, you’ll recall there was an outpouring of support when I was diagnosed with cancer more than six years ago. Of course there was. People, I still believe, are at their core generous and kind and wanting to help in a crisis (or when miracles happen, too) . There were meals delivered and organized for months, and I still crave my sister-in-law Tracee’s stuffed shells — which is saying a lot considering my memory of them is tied to recovering from chemo. Friends and family dropped in to babysit baby Quinn, sometimes dropping everything on a moment’s notice just so I could lie in the fetal position on my couch, trying not to vomit, memorizing the pattern in the charcoal fabric. Other friends flew in for cross-country visits, and then there were those special women who cut off and donated their hair to make the wig I wore for all of 2012 and a good part of 2013. I was blown away by all of it, by all of them.

And then four -- ha! I was feeling ambitious about getting this post out -- ten weeks ago now, I gave birth to a baby girl. The magic of that in itself is for another post, probably after I’ve gotten more than four hours’ sleep in a row. But in my wildest dreams, I never imagined this kind of miracle could be possible after my diagnosis, after two years in chemically-induced menopause, after having my breasts removed that January six years ago. Our friends and colleagues have again swooped in to lift us up, to help us create a nest for our baby girl, to keep our older child entertained, to give us love and food and diapers in almost equal measure.

You'd be weeping on a daily basis, too.   

We named her Noelle. We think she's perfect.

Also? These photos are everything. My talented, beautiful friend Danya offered this photoshoot to me as a gift at my baby shower. I can't stop staring at them.

And you know how I met Danya? Stupid, stupid cancer. She read my blog, realized we lived near each other and have boys about the same age, and after months of intermittent messaging, one night we randomly sat next to each other at a pizza restaurant in my neighborhood and finally made solid plans to hang out. Our boys hit it off immediately, and so did we.

Check out her widely-shared video telling her story about being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in an effort to save the Affordable Care Act last summer. Thankfully, she's doing well right now and we are overdue for a champagne toast to celebrate both of our recent clean scans.

***

Even before Noelle arrived, my friends Jenn and Christine rushed over with breakfast one Sunday morning to help me launder baby clothes and set up the nursery when I thought I was going into labor two weeks ahead of schedule. Turns out I’d just peed my pants a little, and I will always blame it on: I was carrying low and Noelle's head was pressed into my bladder for weeks on end. The silver lining was that I finally got my hospital bag packed and figured out where in the house the newborn diapers had been stashed during our construction of the nursery.

Chris's colleagues gave us a hand-me-down rocking chair, bassinet, baby carriers, and an infant bathtub. Other mom friends passed down their little girls’ gently used clothing. A pediatrician friend pulled together a sampling of baby meds and ointments we might need in the coming months.

But far and away the thing that bowls me over day after day (and night after night) is the donated breast milk we’ve been able to feed our little girl. A friend with a 4-month-old gave me a few bags of extra milk; a couple of women who read my story in Facebook groups sent a few hundred ounces from Chicago, North Carolina, and Texas; another breast cancer survivor mom put me in touch with one of her former donors who passed along 50 bags worth of frozen pumped milk; and my pediatrician friend secured a couple of other local donors for us. The hospital where I delivered gave us donor breast milk while we were there and a few bags to take home with us.

Because of the infinite generosity of moms and their hours of pumping (so that women like me can feed our babies what's best for them), for six weeks my daughter’s primary source of food was breastmilk. Another box arrived from my college friend Katie today, and so baby girl will have another immunity boost, right in the heart of flu season.

A couple of times in the early weeks, when baby girl would turn her head into my chest, seeking food from me and my absent breasts, I wept. I felt inadequate. I cried to Chris, "I can't give her what she needs," which is ridiculous because we can still afford formula. But my hormones were running amok and a part of me will always carry some guilt that my body did this -- did cancer -- to itself.

My occasional feeling sorry for myself (and my daughter) notwithstanding, we have been abundantly fortunate. (Understatement of forever.) This village of women in my life, this band of mothers, has collectively pumped for hours upon hours and generously passed along their liquid gold so that my baby can sleep better, have fewer allergies, and maybe even avoid many illnesses. Perhaps between that and some Congressionally-funded research, she won't have to worry about breast cancer in her lifetime. One can hope. The future is female.

For now, we are mesmerized, in awe of our new family member, and beyond grateful for the abundance this community gives to us.

On Death + Healing + A Little Bit of Football

I haven't talked to many kids about death. But kids, I find, are generally equal parts curious and blunt. My six-year-old, Quinn, casually asked me last weekend: "What if my baby sister stays in your belly until my birthday, in March?"

"Then I'd be in some kind of record book," I said. "I promise she'll be here in the next couple of weeks."

"What if a mom was pregnant for 5,000 years?" he wanted to know. Then, quickly, "I guess then both the mom and baby would be dead by then."

In the abstract, death is a concept that isn't yet scary to him -- or wasn't, until very recently. He wants to know how old the oldest person on Earth is, why people can't live to be 600 years old, and very occasionally, he'll tell me he's worried we might need to move to another planet because ours is getting too hot. To be fair, we live in Phoenix, where it was still hovering around 100 degrees the week before Halloween. AND his dad is a climate scientist/geologist who studies the correlation between climate change and human evolution, so that could contribute.

Quinn is curious about our collective mortality, but death hasn't seemed imminent in his life (other than my bout with metastatic breast cancer, which he doesn't remember very well, and my mother-in-law's passing away more than two years ago -- also not a strong memory for him).

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen that Quinn had his first stitches three weeks ago. Because October wasn't awful enough already.

There's no filter that makes this less heart wrenching. 💔 He's okay but the fear of seeing my baby's head split open is something I don't know if I'll ever forget.

A post shared by Jen Campisano (@jencampisano) on Oct 24, 2017 at 8:36pm PDT

Chris was at a geology conference in Seattle, and Q and I were watching Monday Night Football. Quinn wants to be an NFL player when he grows up.

He loves everything about the game, and cheers for teams as wide-ranging as his flag football team the Patriots to the Seahawks because they're my team to the Cardinals because Arizona to the Eagles because his favorite color is green. Three weeks ago, Mack Hollins, a rookie wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, caught his first career touchdown pass, and in Quinn's estimation, nailed his end zone celebration.

Quinn tried to recreate the dance on his knees, on our couch, and, in a rare moment for him, he lost his balance. In what seemed like slow motion, he fell, head-first, and smacked into a leather-covered ottoman storage cube, then landed head-first on the floor. I didn't think it would be that bad because the cubes are padded on top. But he hit the unpadded, stitched corner, and when I scooped him off the ground, his forehead was gaping open and blood soaked my t-shirt. While I quickly set him down and assured him he'd be okay (as I tried not to show him how terrified I was and ran to the kitchen for an ice-pack and a towel), he kept repeating through his tears, "I'm so scared, I don't want to die."

My heart felt like it was being twisted and wrung out like an old dishrag in that moment.

I promised him he wouldn't die. I called 911 and just a few minutes later, several firemen stood in our living room and assured me he would be fine but also that he'd need stitches. "Can you do them here?" I asked, naively. They don't offer that service, apparently. We went to the emergency room at Phoenix Children's, where several hours later, Quinn got five stitches.

I'm not sure at what point he calmed down -- though it came more quickly for him than me. I was still  sobbing about his head and the wrenching ache in my heart days later, always at night when the house was quiet and my brain started racing again. I am more okay now, though Quinn's words have been replaying in my head the past few days.

***

My friend Beth Caldwell died ten days ago. Her daughter is Quinn's age, give or take a few months. Beth's husband, J, has been posting updates (up until his FB account was blocked because of a troll). Their kids are having trouble sleeping. As someone who still snuggles with Quinn every night until he falls asleep (and lately, I'm falling asleep with him), I get it.

How can you assure children that there's nothing to be afraid of after dark when their world has just imploded?

I haven't known how to write about Beth, but at some point I figure I needed to, whether I know what to say or not. In the last ten days, as Beth's husband points out on Twitter, this country has lost another 1,130 women like Beth to metastatic breast cancer. 113 every damn day. In the last ten days, Beth's husband had to live through their fifteenth wedding anniversary without his lovely bride.

And while we in this community are all too sadly familiar with grieving and death and losing our friends, there are some people who are just different in their scope and impact and the vast vacuum of emptiness felt in their absence. Beth was one of those women, and even now, it is so hard for me to write about her in the past tense. I told her husband that she and I used to joke we wished we'd met in law school, or over bourbon -- anywhere but because of cancer. Stupid fucking cancer.

Yes, you've seen this photo before, but - regrettably - it's the only one I have with Beth. Note to self: take more photos.

I know I'm not the only one who feels this way about Beth. She was a friend to so many of us, and a fierce advocate who led by example. She was whip-smart, even when she thought she was at her worst. And as I advocate in the years to come, I will always ask: would this have helped Beth? Will it do more to keep the Kelly's, April's, Danya's, Dana's, Rebecca's, Jennie's, Nicole's and Kisha's in my life alive? In other words, does it live up to Beth's standards?

I don't know what else to do to carry the torch she lit.

***

I woke up at 5:30 this morning to our meowing cat scratching at our temporary bedroom door. Temporary since we are still in the throes of a remodel because... I don't know? Paint is more complicated than I could have imagined? Even without the hungry cat, I'm not sleeping well. I'm 39.5 weeks pregnant. Waking up forty-five times a night is nature's way of preparing you for the sleeplessness of a newborn, blah blah BLAH. Whatever. I just want to stop peeing every two hours (or every time I sneeze).

This morning, I read through the news and my Facebook feed. I noted that the forecast has us at 86 degrees today. I saw that Beth's husband's Facebook account has been suspended because some terrible person reported him for who knows what... Grieving too hard? And I don't know how to stop being angry.

But then Chris woke up and we had coffee together. And Quinn woke up and I remembered him singing "Hush Little Baby" to my belly last night, how my heart finally felt un-corkscrewed. There was no longer a tornado brewing in my chest. Instead, it swelled to the fullest it has felt in weeks. As the Grinch would say, it near tripled in size, and love poured down my cheeks.

***
Quinn's head is healing. There is a pinkish scar that extends for about an inch above his left eyebrow. I massage it gently a couple of times a day. He's no longer asking me about death. His flag football team has their playoffs this weekend, and baby-willing, I'll be there to cheer him on.

I wish some calendula or coconut oil and a weekend of football could heal every kid's pain and scars so easily.

Reclaiming October

In case you missed it, October is right around the corner is here. (One of these days, I may sit down and write a whole post at once, but that day is not today.) It's even feeling like fall (i.e., below 100 degrees) here in Phoenix. Break out the freaking Uggs and pumpkin spice lattes already.

September has been was a whirlwind, though luckily in Arizona, not a hurricane. Please go click that link to help if you can.

Over Labor Day weekend, I went to Spokane to celebrate my grandmother turning 80; I had a birthday, too; I walked more than I probably should have at 7 months pregnant in another Avon 39 walk; my mom and a few dear friends flew in from out of town while some phenomenal women here threw me a baby shower, where I realized just how much PINK is about to come into my life, whether I'm ready for it or not; and I'm still managing a remodel so we have a place to put this little child when she arrives in the world. Since windows and floors are on backorder until mid-October, my god I hope she doesn't come early.

My dad, me, my 80-year-old grandma, and my "little" brother. Life goals now include living until I'm 80, and looking half this good doing it.

Team Booby & the Beast 2017.

We've raised a lot of money.

These women spoiled me rotten and my heart is so full.

My stunning mama & me. We felt all the emotions.

So when I say October kind of snuck up on me, it's because I've been really, really distracted loved and celebrated over here. I've missed you guys, but at the end of the day, I can barely keep my eyes open to catch up on what madness our Tweeter-in-Chief has been up to, let alone put thoughts together here.

But with October I feel an extra responsibility to speak up. My friend Beth is struggling to keep her platelets high enough for whole brain radiation every day so she can have a bit more time with her two kids and her husband, J. Knowing Beth, also so she can yell at Congress advocate to get more research dollars funneled toward metastatic breast cancer so moms (and others) can stop dying of this disease by the thousands. On that note, if you're able, please donate blood -- especially important given the tragedy in Las Vegas today.

I walk the Avon Walk every year, but I struggle with the pink-ness of it all. With the "save the ta-tas" slogans and "free breast exams" signs held by men along the route, to which I want to scream, "Sure, take a look at these scarred and purple, cold and numb ones, you disease-sexualizing ass." And then I wonder whether my own blog (this one right here!) is part of the problem with Booby in its name. Am I also a disease-sexualizing ass?

In the Avon walks I also always see a teenager or two walking for their deceased mom or a man honoring his late wife or a woman in the midst of treatment, bald and reminding me that DAMN, WOMEN ARE STRONG.

At the end of the day, I walk because of Avon's mission to provide for both research and support for underserved communities. Because they lift up those at the margins who would be further marginalized by the bad policies our government seems to threaten on a daily basis. Because women of color -- particularly black women -- fare far worse than white women do when it comes to breast cancer outcomes, and I believe organizations like Avon can make a difference when it comes to these disparities. I was so moved by the speaker they chose at this year's walk, I wept as she spoke about her Stage 4 diagnosis that so closely matched what my story used to be. Her reasons for walking are worth hearing.

And now I also walk because I'm about to have a little girl, and while men can and do get breast cancer, it is primarily a disease affecting women's bodies. IS THIS WHY WE DON'T HAVE A CURE? If testicular cancer killed 40,000 men a year (it kills around 400), would we have this problem solved?

***

Quinn had "pink day" at his school last Friday, presumably to mark the (near) beginning of October. When I asked him if anyone had talked about breast cancer at school, he said, "No." Then added, "Well, let me put it this way. I didn't hear anyone talking about it." Later, I realized it's probably because they don't want to use the word breast at an elementary school.

On the way to school, I had asked Quinn if he ever talks about me having had breast cancer. He does not. "I don't even remember it!" he tells me, as if I'm ridiculous for asking. Oh, the sass of a six-year-old. And so I dropped him off looking like this, then cried a good portion of the car ride home.

I cried because I'm pregnant, partly, but also because something that was such an enormous weight for our family is but a blip in this little guy's mind. Because if all continues to go well (knock on so much fucking wood), his sister won't have experienced my cancer at all. I cried because we are not the norm; most families do not get a reprieve from metastatic breast cancer unless you count death. Because we can do better -- in so many ways -- as a country.

Please think of all that as we go into this "awareness" month. Please donate responsibly. Please learn about the devastation of metastatic breast cancer. Please understand this disease is about so much more than saving some tatas or the color pink, unless you're six and get to dye your hair fuchsia for the first time.

How to Talk to Congress

I am way out of practice when it comes to trekking in heels all over the unforgiving, marble halls of Congress. When I went to DC last week, I thought I was being sensible with 2-inch pumps instead of the stilettos I wore in my twenties. I was wrong. My feet are still healing from the ensuing blisters.

Was it worth it? To the extent it meant getting in front of legislative staff for my Senators and telling them my story -- absolutely. I'm not sure if I changed any minds, but here's what I can report and some advice for talking to your own Senators, whether you can make it to DC or not. 

Here I am after meeting with Helen Heiden, legislative assistant for Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ). 

I'd like to think this meeting had something to do with the decision to delay the vote on Senate healthcare legislation until after the 4th. Either way, doing my part to #ProtectOurCare by telling my story to staff of @jeffflake

A post shared by Jen Campisano (@jencampisano) on Jun 27, 2017 at 11:00am PDT

I realize I look slightly annoyed. Some of that may have been my sore feet, but it's also the fact that Senator Flake has not said one way or another how he'll vote on the proposed replacement bill for the Affordable Care Act. This legislation, called the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA for short), will gut Medicaid spending by nearly $800 BILLION, allow states to opt out of the requirement that insurance companies include essential health benefits (EHBs) in their plans, and give massive tax cuts to the wealthiest people in this country. It is hardly a healthcare bill.

For Arizona alone, the proposed legislation would cost more than $7 billion over the next ten years. More than 400,000 Arizonans would lose coverage. We are a state that expanded Medicaid services under the Affordable Care Act, and it has been a success story. As Sen. McCain's staffer put it to me, "We don't want Medicaid to change in Arizona! Enrollment is up, and costs are down. It's exactly what we want to see." Even our governor, Republican Doug Ducey, has spoken out against the current draft of the Senate legislation.

Over this July 4th recess period, new proposals to amend the BCRA have emerged, including an amendment by Texas Senator Ted Cruz that would strip the few remaining protections for those of us with pre-existing conditions. This proposal makes the legislation even worse for the estimated 16 million cancer survivors in this country, not to mention all of the people with other conditions -- such as diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, anxiety, and the like -- who would no longer be eligible for affordable care. The Cruz Amendment sounds dreadful, but has been hailed by a few more conservative senators as a requirement for moving this legislation forward.

So what can you do to help stop this? How can you talk to your Senators about this legislation?

• Call. I have my own senators' DC and local numbers programmed into my phone, and make a point to call and talk to a staffer every day. You can also call 844-257-6227 to be connected to the senators in your state.
• Write letters. 
• In any case: identify yourself as a constituent. Be polite, be brief, but make sure to share your personal story about why gutting Medicaid, or defunding Planned Parenthood, or stripping protections for pre-existing conditions or essential health benefits is bad for you and your family.
• If you can't think of how this affects you personally, feel free to share my story. Or my friend Danya's, who also lives here in Phoenix. 

After my meeting with McCain's staffer last week, I pressed the button for the elevator, and out walked Senator McCain himself. I introduced myself, and said I was in town from Phoenix to talk to his staff about my experience as a cancer survivor. "I'm one, too," he responded as he shook my hand. "I know, sir," I said, then explained to him that I hoped he'd continue doing what's best for Arizona and voting against legislation that's not good for cancer survivors or our state.

And if your senators are opposed to this legislation? Please still call them and share your stories. They need to hear appreciation for their stances, and need to know why this matters so very much.

I Am Still Screaming (Even if Not on My Blog)

With each one of these false starts, I feel like I owe you all an apology for being gone for so long. I haven't meant to disappear, and I haven't even given up on blogging, I don't think. My friend Sandi says that sometimes she closes her journal and moves on to another one, whether the pages are full or not. Sometimes, she's done with that chapter of her life and needs new pages -- and a new journal -- for whatever's next. I don't know if that's where I am with this blog, but I like her approach. Am I done with this chapter in my life? In the sense that I am no longer a full-time patient, yes. In the sense that I am fired up and trying to advocate for a better world for cancer patients and survivors, not even close.

So what's my excuse for being away for so long?

That "E" is for employee. Today I started a (very part-time) position as an adjunct professor teaching international law. I'm still noticing frequent bouts of chemo brain but hope, with practice (and help from my real professor husband!) I'll get used to this working world thing again. Here's to dipping my toes in the waters. Or just jumping in full-force. 💦

A post shared by Jen Campisano (@jencampisano) on Jan 19, 2017 at 11:58am PST

Well, there was the whole issue of teaching international law to actual students, which meant reading and dissecting case law and contextual background and news (SO MUCH NEWS) enough to be able to explain the materials in a mostly coherent way twice a week for the spring semester. That is done now except for some final grading, so we'll see how they -- and I -- did. We all did okay. Mad props to my husband for professor-ing full-time for more than seven years now. That shit is not easy. And I didn't even have to apply for grants.

Side note: Don't get me started on funding for science. I will point to the fact that it was 99 degrees here yesterday, 14 degrees above average, and it's STILL APRIL. See? I started this post ages ago. Now it is hotter and I am angrier. For example: WHAT THE FRESH HELL IS UP WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION'S BUDGET PROPOSAL? 

But what I'm most angry about this spring is the four vibrant, beautiful, young friends I've lost to metastatic breast cancer in the last couple of months, and how the issue of cancer death is only going to be exacerbated by this White House's policies toward healthcare and science (not to mention its general disdain for women).

In a super emotional state last week sometime in April, through uncontrollable sobs, I texted my friend Deborah to ask, "Why me? Why did I survive?" She wrote back exactly what I needed to hear: "As for your friends dying - I don't know why you're ok and they're not. And I don't know why you lived in a reality where you had mets and your friends did, too. Then you didn't have it but they still do and now you have to watch them all die of this thing you were going to die from...that's fucked up. I can say all the good things like how you can advocate for them and since you're not going to die, you can keep fighting for funds and research but really? It's just fucked up. You're going to relive this over and over and it's not fair. It's awful."

It is awful.

I look at Mandi's last post from the beach, or the posthumous entry by her husband (grab your tissues), and I hate that she didn't have more options. Breast cancer got into her spinal fluid and there was basically nothing left her doctors could do, even though they tried a number of drug combinations. I think of how she counseled ME through the uncertainties that arose with my diagnosis change last spring, before I'd told anyone else in the community, how she assured me even as she faced pain and drug failure after drug failure.

I look at Anna's beautiful video,



which I can hardly watch past the point where it shows her artwork that says, "but I have two small children" (5:02). But you should watch it. Watch as these women joke about setting up a dating profile for Anna's husband, or writing a letter, "to the future mother of your children." Too many children are losing their mothers. I remember my conversations with Anna about how hard it was to parent with metastatic cancer, but we just did our best to appreciate every exhausted moment, even when we felt like shit because of treatment. I remember how she walked me back from crazy-town when I thought a terrible headache meant brain mets. She had brain mets, and that wasn't what hers felt like, she promised.

I look at Louise's obituary, and think - she was only 42, which sounds at once so young and also so very old in the mets community I know, where most women are in their thirties and praying to see forty. Weez, as she was known, lived with mets for more than seven years. When she was still on Facebook, she cheered whenever I posted a "no evidence of disease" status.

I look at the tributes to Beth, and remember how we laughed at sharing the same birthday. I wasn't as close to her as some other women were, but I had so much respect for her calming, steadfast presence in the world of MBC advocacy. That's the thing about MBC advocates, though -- eventually, most of them die of the disease they're trying to end.

*****

In March, I went to Oakland to attend my FIRST Young Survival Coalition Summit. I'm part of YSC's 2017 class of RISE Advocates, which I'll write more about later, assuming I can find my focus this summer. I hadn't made it to a YSC Summit in the past because they always coincided with Quinn's birthday, which I wasn't willing to miss. This year, the summit was a weekend later, so I went. There is nothing quite like finally being able to hug a friend in person after knowing them online for years. But I realized I am still very much straddling two worlds, or trying to find my way in one as I no longer quite fit in another. I'm part of the "survivor" crowd now, though I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable calling myself that. I got a lanyard colored to indicate more than five years since my diagnosis. I did not get a metastatic-colored lanyard. But the majority of my friends fall into that group. They're the ones I joined for dinner.

Eight of the ten women in this photo live with metastatic breast cancer. Can you tell who? They are my tribe, even as I am no longer one of them. And even if it's not always through blogging, I will keep doing my part to be a voice for them.

Want to help? Please raise your voice to talk to your Senators over the next few days and weeks, to tell them to reject the terrible House legislation that would allow states to end protections for those of us with pre-existing conditions. How? I have my Senators' local and DC office phone numbers programmed into my phone. I call them regularly. I am polite, but make sure I relay my point. I don't always know if it's effective, so I also make a point to send the occasional letter. There are apps who will reach out for you, too. Whatever method you choose, please just get involved. My friends' lives are on the line, and I'm really tired of being angry.

The End of the World As We Know It

I have quite clearly been at a loss for words these past few weeks. Well, I've had words, but most of them aren't fit to print. "WTF?!" doesn't exactly make for constructive dialogue.

As I transition out of my role of full-time cancer patient and into whatever comes next: survivor, I suppose, though that is still such a strange word for me; advocate, about which I hope to write more soon; and adjunct law professor teaching international law twice a week (yes, really), I'm still trying to find my footing in a post-MBC world, and now, also, in a post-factual one, too.

And while this is a breast cancer blog that's sometimes about parenting or research or even finances or sexuality or grief, I cannot ignore my past as a lawyer/lobbyist and the dire threat to healthcare -- and our constitution itself -- that now exists. So this may also become a blog about policy and politics, too, to some extent. Just a fair warning for my readers because I'm sure that not all of you share my voting record or worldview. I hope you'll stick around regardless. At the end of the day, we're all in this together. I welcome debate here (or in person!); just please keep it civil.

For those of us who are friends on Facebook or other social media, you might have seen my statement shortly after the election that Trump's win felt oddly similar to being diagnosed with cancer. The cold fear was familiar to me, as was the sense that I had just lost control and my innocence in one fell swoop.


Here's the deal: I am not a "snowflake," as some people are characterizing those of us expressing our sadness at what our country is facing: the potential loss of the rule of law and human rights, or respect for free speech and science. Our grief is warranted. I am no withering petal.

No one gets through nearly 5 years of cancer treatment without some deep resolve and fortitude.

My opposition to the new administration is not a partisan matter. I am a patriot. I studied history and the law, marveling at our founding fathers and the lasting power of our Constitution. I grew up in a military household where the Fourth of July was almost as important as Christmas. I can't really carry a tune (ask Chris), but I hummed along to Lee Greenwood's anthem with tears of pride in my eyes every summer.

This American "experiment" we've been involved in for the past 240 years? I want to see it endure. I believe in it, flaws and all.

One of my students asked me the other day whether I thought the new administration's actions were hurting our standing in the world, and if so, what we could do to correct this course. My answer was strangely similar to what I'd tell a newly diagnosed cancer patient, and at least one (conservative) author seems to agree with me.

I told her we need to continue to speak up for our beliefs and interests. I would tell a cancer patient she has to be her own best advocate. The protests and boycotts and what one friend tells me are hundreds of thousands of calls per hour to congressional phone lines are making a difference. We are being heard. It is an uphill climb, but I'd argue our lives and liberty are worth it.

Elliot Cohen writes:

[A]ll can dedicate themselves to restoring the qualities upon which this republic, like all republics depends: on reverence for the truth; on a sober patriotism grounded in duty, moderation, respect for law, commitment to tradition, knowledge of our history, and open-mindedness.

On the other end of the spectrum, all of this advocacy, just like being a patient, can be exhausting. It is SO important to engage in self-care. Get enough sleep, even if it means resorting to a tablet of Benadryl (note, I am NOT a doctor, and this is not meant to be medical advice). Exercise regularly. My guess is boxing classes will be filling up quickly as more and more of us feel the need to punch something. Eat plenty of vegetables, even when you feel nauseated. It is important to refuel yourself to get back into the arena, for this will be a long, drawn-out match.

We don't want to burn ourselves out. We have so much work to do. We have been knocked down (and I don't mean liberals, I mean our very democracy). We must stand up again and again and again, like the old Japanese proverb says. Ask any cancer patient.