tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:05:00 +0000I was diagnosed in October of 2009 with metastatic breast cancer. This blog is an exploration of my relationship to life and health during this time. If you are new to the blog, it might be helpful to scroll down on the right and go back to my first entry on November 5, 2009. This blog is a creative way for me to stay connected to all of you, and let you know how I'm doing. You can leave me a comment at bonnie@bonniegintis.com, but please understand that I can’t reply to all of my emails.http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)Blogger83125blogspot/liLHbhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-979938377021358749Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:05:00 +00002011-12-29T18:05:23.142-08:00The sun sets in Vermont around 4:20 these days. That means it's getting dark at 3:30. Many people seem to be upset by this natural occurrence. I find it the ultimate invitation to be cozy with a cup of tea, a fuzzy blanket, and a good book. The dark days of late Fall/early Winter make it even more evident that most of the world is on the wrong speed. I yearn to slow down even more and be as http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/12/loving-dark-days.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-8572654513078024546Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:50:00 +00002011-11-02T03:50:18.491-07:00November is quite unpopular in the northeast. A friend of mine calls it "stick season," but I find it magnificent and I feel truly welcomed Home by this time of year. The last of the leaves are falling, and the palette of the earth is simplified to shades of brown, blue, gray, and white. If you recall the artwork in my old offices, there wasn't any green. I like having a break from green, yellow,http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-end-of-survivor-guilt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-1716844002114223385Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:49:00 +00002011-10-14T04:49:28.391-07:00Everything is Waiting for You Your great mistake is to act the drama as if you were alone. As if life were a progressive and cunning crime with no witness to the tiny hidden transgressions. To feel abandoned is to deny the intimacy of your surroundings. Surely, even you, at times, have felt the grand array; the swelling presence, and the chorus, crowding out your solo voice You must note the way http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/10/coffee-and-hidden-discipline-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-3337750553593310839Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:51:00 +00002011-10-06T17:51:21.269-07:00I picked up Jack Kornfield's newest book, A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times, looking for some grounding guidance and inspiration during this challenging phase of moving and unpacking. He opens the book with the description of a cartoon he saw in the San Francisco Chronicle which shows a nomadic family crossing the desert on camel-back. The daughter must havehttp://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/10/were-all-just-passing-through.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-6538043904660092284Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:10:00 +00002011-08-30T14:10:50.851-07:00For those of who are concerned, we want you to know that our part of Vermont escaped the worst of the storm. It should be quite green from all the rain by the time we get there. Now that's making lemonade from lemons!We've been listening to Vermont Public Radio on-line: http://www.vpr.net/ to get the inside scoop on what's happening.I'll be blogging more after we land and settle. For those of http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-part-of-vermont-is-ok.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-6973094644790033072Sat, 27 Aug 2011 01:03:00 +00002011-08-26T18:03:59.959-07:00Contrary to what some people are suggesting, there is no causal or mystical significance of my move back east and the recent natural disasters. The earth is not quaking at the anticipation of my return, and the hurricane that is ripping up the east coast has nothing to do with my penchant for spirals. I am amused, though, by the metaphorical implications of cataclysmic change in my life. We are http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/08/earthquakes-hurricanes-welcome-me-home.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-4895805036953708464Sat, 30 Jul 2011 23:39:00 +00002011-07-30T16:39:20.345-07:00I was sitting with Steve, staring out our living room window a few weeks ago, drinking what we jokingly call our morning "hot brown liquids." Hot and brown describes the range of morning brews, from coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, to coffee substitutes like Dandy Blend. I was staring out our picture window that faces the back of a hedge, and the following sentence popped out of my mouth, "I http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/07/unexpected-river.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-2810931788737496840Sat, 30 Jul 2011 13:39:00 +00002011-07-30T06:39:38.025-07:00I have a lot of big news and I'll begin by letting you all know that my recent work-up showed that my tumors continue to shrink and there is no new spread. I'm 1 month short of my 2-year anniversary and I'm obviously, officially, a statistical outlier. There was an 80% chance that I wouldn't make it this far, and now that I have, I'm in uncharted territory. There are no statistics on women who http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/07/happy-anniversary-bone-ct-scans.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-7074132796153864441Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:28:00 +00002011-06-29T15:28:42.756-07:00The companion piece to my last blog entry, "Secret Sculptures of Bone" was published today on the new North Atlantic Books Communities website. Please check it out by clicking here.http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/06/riding-breath-inside-my-bones.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-8729144357450155602Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:34:00 +00002011-06-19T12:41:20.489-07:00 Dear friends, family, colleagues, and blog-followers, Hello to all my tribe members who are gathering in Indianapolis this weekend. Today's entry is dedicated to you all. I wish I could be there, but this is the next best thing.  I have a huge collection of half-written fragments, which I have decided to share with you. Many of them are parts of other, larger pieces that are in varying states http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/06/secret-sculptures-of-bone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-1008425776067393960Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:09:00 +00002011-06-01T16:09:17.953-07:00When I was in practice, I frequently heard the complaint from people that they felt fatigued. People often asked if there was some supplement they could take for what they thought was "adrenal burn out." I always replied that there is no vitamin or herb that replaces sleeping 8 hours a night, eating well, exercising, and resting - and until they do these basics of self care, that it would be an http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/06/do-what-grandma-said-was-good-for-you.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-9093281293460806238Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:45:00 +00002011-06-01T08:45:39.569-07:00My friend and nutritional consultant, Mark Mead has a new website, click here to check it out. I wrote the following story about working with him and about my relationship to my diet for the "Stories Of Healing" within the "Connections" section of his website. If you've been following my blog all along, you've read much of this story. If you haven't read my blog posts from way back in Fall of http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/06/wherever-you-go-however-you-eat-there.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-4405561055308725259Sat, 28 May 2011 23:26:00 +00002011-05-28T16:26:09.352-07:00In a previous blog entry, not that long ago, I said that I was going to spend more time writing. I had hoped to be offering you a lot more frequent blog entries. I didn't know at that time that my hands would flare up and give me another reason to delay writing. I attribute the flare-up to the aftereffects of the move out of the office. I may not have carried boxes or furniture, but I have spent http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/05/needle-and-knife.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-538622326873947265Mon, 09 May 2011 03:30:00 +00002011-05-08T20:30:50.798-07:00First of all, thanks to all who supported my team in the Marin Human Race. We raised over $10,000 for the Commonweal Cancer Help Program! I have gotten a wide variety of feedback about my new foray into teaching Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). For the most part, people are supportive and excited about my new frontier of exploration, but some are questioning my orientation. I suspect http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/05/misconceptions-about-meditation-mbsr.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-3975991927505350835Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:50:00 +00002011-04-15T13:50:33.715-07:00So many of you have offered kindly to help me with whatever I need. I am blessed to have such a loving and giving support team of friends, family, colleagues, and patients, that I haven't needed to ask many of you for help. Here's your chance! This May 7th, my team, Team Hot Weals ("weal" as in Commonweal), will participate in the Marin Human Race to support the Commonweal Cancer Help program. http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/04/help-me-by-supporting-commonweal-cancer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-2829453323585383157Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:27:00 +00002011-04-08T07:27:40.742-07:00This is not a literary or philosophical blog entry; it's just a news bulletin. Many of you know I spent the day at Stanford yesterday, and I want to let you all know that I'm doing well. All I had done were some blood tests, which all look better than ever, and the conclusion is that there's no reason to repeat a bone scan or CT scan until summer or fall. I still need to be seen by them and have http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/04/no-philosophy-just-news.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-7138361926774350834Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:15:00 +00002011-03-29T06:15:44.724-07:00 The Field We Created In This Space Extends Out Infinitely Forever . . . http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/03/field-we-created-in-this-space-extends.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-7410643763271282830Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:40:00 +00002011-04-15T14:11:16.646-07:00 @font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }@font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }@font-face { font-family: "Courier New"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } As you can only imagine, these last few days of http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/03/life-thats-waiting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-8429679666068492704Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:55:00 +00002011-02-24T06:55:42.094-08:00This is the letter we sent out to about 1,000 patients this week. If you are not one of our patients, or haven't seen us in a few years you won't get one in the mail, so here it is, explaining the next shift in our lives. For you Doctor Who fans, in a recent episode he said, "Everything has to end sometime, or nothing would ever get started." Join us in bringing  excitement about the new http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/02/end-and-beginning.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-3819428374303314733Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:10:00 +00002011-01-30T20:18:05.079-08:00Now that I've been out of work for 15 months many people ask if I'm bored. I feel a lot of things, but bored is not one of them. One of my osteopathic teachers used to say, “if you're bored, you're not paying attention.” Boredom is a habit that I don't find particularly helpful. It is quite unpleasant and it's not at all reflective of “what is.” In any given moment there is so much going on, http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2011/01/if-youre-bored-youre-not-paying.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-4717139695371985060Sat, 18 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +00002010-12-17T16:00:06.378-08:00"How 'bout those Mets" is what you might say in New York when you're looking to make small talk with a baseball fan, but here in my life it's what I say to every doctor I see. Every one of them has a different opinion about the 2 mysterious findings in the CT scan of my pelvis. Whether or not the fracture and the lytic lesion (which looks like a marble-sized hole with a crust around it) in my http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-bout-those-mets.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-1550936333999331077Wed, 08 Dec 2010 17:00:00 +00002010-12-08T09:00:47.308-08:00I finally got someone to help me activate the "Subscription Feature" on my blog. You can automatically receive an email each time I post an entry, if you don't want to have to check it periodically. Just enter your email in the box to the right. I have an update brewing, as I sort through all my test results of the past week. Stay tuned this weekend. . .http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2010/12/finally-you-can-subscribe-to-my-blog.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-1504704237942788333Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:36:00 +00002010-12-04T06:36:13.936-08:00I have good news and some not too bad news. The bad news is that I do have a spot of metastasis in my pelvis (in my "sit bone," to be exact). The good news is that there is a possibility that it's not really new. It's most likely been there a while and just wasn't discovered earlier. My first CAT scan last year didn't extend far down enough to show it. At the time they were more interested in http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2010/12/join-me-in-being-alive-breathing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-7524986295130507808Wed, 01 Dec 2010 01:36:00 +00002010-11-30T17:36:39.735-08:00Here's my favorite quote of the week, from my gastroenterologist, "Your colon is beautiful and perfect."The dermatologist gave me a clean bill of health today, as far as my skin is concerned. Growing up in Miami in the days of baby oil sunbathing, I was sunburned until I was 15, so I'm serious about having my skin checked. So far the only diagnosis is terminal freckles! Tomorrow's my big CAT http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2010/11/quote-of-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494583210352611053.post-4181606790014209283Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:57:00 +00002010-11-27T09:57:17.498-08:00A young friend (by young, I mean 30) recently asked me what comes after the Stage 4 cancer with which I'm diagnosed. I didn’t want to tell him that mainstream medicine considers Stage 4 a terminal diagnosis and that death is considered the inevitable next stage. There is no Stage 5. I paused, grasping for words, and an image from the ridiculously wacky film, Being John Malkovich came to http://bonniegintishealth.blogspot.com/2010/11/stage-4-portal-to-another-dimension-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bonnie Gintis, DO)