humanity
Advocates, icons, influencers, and more. All about humanity.
Cancer Sucks
In Nov. 2012 after a my annual mammogram - I was diagnosed with cancer, ... in my right breast!!! WTH???!!! CANCER!??? SERIOUSLY!!!???? THAT was totally unexpected, right?! Last thing I expected to hear after having my usual, yearly mammogram, but there it was - the "C" word, CANCER!!! I was floored, ... dumbstruck, ... but I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and started the ball rolling with everything that needed to be done to kick that "C" in the ass - with a motto that stated "It is what it is". I had a GREAT doctors (the one who caught it) and she had me seeing someone ASAP re: everything pertaining to dealing with this! I ended up with seeing a number of doctors over the course of treatment and all. Met with an AWESOME reconstructive surgeon, an equally awesome breast doctor, and oncologist. Tests, tests, & more tests. Right breast mastectomy was scheduled and performed. There was some healing to be done afterwards before we could go the next step. Radiation followed for 6 weeks, 5 days a week, which I scheduled after work each day. Surprisingly enough I didn't feel wiped out like some I've heard. Also, I was fortunate and I did not have to do chemotherapy, thank goodness (though I did cut my hair by some 4-5inches, just in case that was something I'd have to do). Then more healing to be had before I could schedule surgery to reduce the size of my left breast and reconstruction of my right breast (they had to match up, no?). Who knew that the extra weight I had carried around my middle for years was going to go to good use after all this time! :) A tummy tuck like surgery gave me what was needed for constructing a right breast! However, reconstructing a right nipple wasn't something that works well, ... so I'd heard, and research and all. Soooo ... I decided to find something that would work for me! Hello internet for ideas! I settled on something I found that was attached to an "Alice in Wonderland" quote - though I now have forgotten the quote. It's a sketch of a button, a needle & thread (as I am a pretty crafty person - I thought it was perfect for me). I found a SUPER cool gal tattoo artist locally and had THAT tattoo'd onto my right breast where a nipple would normally be found. It looks GREAT! Works for me! And best yet, due to numbness of the reconstructed breast, ... I didn't feel a thing during the tattooing (yes, I'm a pansy when it comes to pain, huge baby when it comes to pain & I've had both knees replaced, but THAT is a whole different story - so the numbness worked for me)!! BONUS, I say! During follow-up appointments with my doctors they were surprised by what they saw and thought it was pretty darn cool. I was very pleased with how it turned it! So much so, I had no problem showing it to anyone I wanted to! Survivor Mode! :) This may not be for everyone, ... cuz goodness knows everyone is different, ... but it works for me and I am now some 7+yrs cancer free. Attached is a picture of my tattoo'd nipple. And - lastly - CANCER SUCKS! Cheers to all.
By sandra quinones6 years ago in Longevity
Too young to die
My name is Stephanie Gonzalez and My journey began on April 11, 2017 when I was diagnosed with stage 3b cervical cancer at the age of 35 years old. After many months of not feeling well I finally decided to see my doctor, who referred me to a specialist, and while awaiting my appointment with the specialist, I became very ill and My concerned father drove me to a Fresno, Ca. hospital where my life would soon be changed forever….
By Stephanie gonzalez6 years ago in Longevity
Tattoo of a Flat Line
Every tattoo has a story. Whether it's the meaning behind the tattoo or the experience of getting it. I've gotten a tattoo in the back of a bar, I've gotten poked with a needle and a chopstick by my best friend, I got a tattoo on a trip in Israel. I love the aesthetic and the memories associated with each one. And although there is a story for every tattoo I have, here's the story about the first I ever got.
By Christian Johnson6 years ago in Longevity
Stop Helping Me: When Helping is Disabling
When we see someone struggling it’s almost automatic to want to help out. As a person with a disability I get a lot of people trying to help me. It’s almost always done with a good heart and good intentions. In a lot of cases it is appreciated, however it can also be a hindrance.
By Diary of a Disabled Girl6 years ago in Longevity
Social Distancing with Friends
So now the term social distancing has become not just a rule of how we engage in public spaces but also a way of interacting with others even close friends and family. So, I went to visit with my friend who I have not been able to connect with physically for months and while there her daughter called, and she explained she to her that she was social distancing with me. I mentally went Wow! I am socially distancing not visiting with, or hanging out with my friend, but social distancing with her. You almost have to say it out aloud to hear it for it to register in your mind. Yep! People this is where the pandemic has brought us and no matter how hard we try; we just cannot seem to wake up from the sci-fi end time thriller. It is not so hard now to imagine a world where intimate touching becomes outlawed. Before 2020 it would have been unimaginable, but it certainly is not that farfetched anymore.
By TanYah Global6 years ago in Longevity
QUARANTINE
Quarantine -- Just what does that mean? Apparently, it means different things to different people!! WEBSTER: (qua ran tine) a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed.
By Arlene Pitts6 years ago in Longevity
Personal symbols
In 2005 I was running a small fashion label and had my own creative studio in the city. I often felt tired around 11am and started taking small naps on this big green armchair that I had in the workshop for when I need to chill out. At first my naps would last about thirty minutes to an hour and by 2009 I was napping at 11am and often waking up at 5, 6 or 7pm in the evening wondering what the hell was happening. I felt so guilty about sleeping all day that I would take any stimulants I could get my hands on to try and stay awake and keep working at night.
By Toby Whittington6 years ago in Longevity
The Disability Pride Movement on TikTok
When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is look in the mirror. I see surgical scars. They're scars resulting from cancer, a dual heart, and kidney transplant. All of my health issues have left me disabled, but I'm not alone. I am one of 65 million people with disabilities in this country. We are the nation's largest minority. Yet, we have the least representation in all facets of society. This is never more strongly felt than in the entertainment industry.
By Odunola Ojewumi6 years ago in Longevity
Covid-19 Madness: Stop Fighting Over Masks
Okay, I've about had it with the whole mask shaming thing that is going on right now with this Covid-19 pandemic. It just seems to me that this outbreak has given people whole new ways to be complete jerkholes to each other. Stop it! We don't need more division right now.
By Chris Hearn6 years ago in Longevity
