tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201169832009-07-11T12:59:21.067-07:00<i><p>Tales of my second go-round with breast cancer before the age of 40.</p> <p>A chronicle—sometimes raw, sometimes reflective, always irreverent—of a life upended by a long shot and of the daily indignities and tiny victories that comprise it.</p></i>Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.comBlogger489125This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-14994245186058497422009-07-10T21:46:00.000-07:002009-07-10T22:17:37.763-07:00

I just read about this cool site, which generates anagrams for whatever word or words you enter.Some of the best for my name are:Drones Enjoy WorkYonder Jokers WonNerdy Joker Swoon Order Enjoys WonkDork Enjoys Owner Odor Jersey KnownRowdy Jokers Neon Wordy Jokers NoneRender Joy Know So Denser Joy Work OnEnd Joke Now Sorry Done Jokers On WryDrone Jerk Snow Yo Downer Jerk No SoyYonder Jerk No Sow

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-40989913960547545772009-06-28T09:03:00.001-07:002009-06-28T10:07:17.764-07:00

I realize that it has been a while since I've written about our hopes and plans for parenthood.And while I haven't been writing, I certainly have been thinking.There is actually so much to think about that it's hard to know what to write about.Simply said, surrogacy is an overwhelming proposition. In addition to the significant emotional and psychological aspects, there are legal, financial, and

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-49726760600519268192009-06-17T20:47:00.000-07:002009-06-17T21:59:01.047-07:00

I will say up front that I expect absolutely no sympathy.I realize that compared to many people, I am coming to this issue approximately 25 years late. I also realize that it is likely of zero interest to anyone besides me, my mother, and a subset of my health-care providers (everyone but my ophthalmologist and dentist, I'd say).Nonetheless, it's an in-my-face reality these days.I need to lose

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-70970072317081136482009-06-05T21:17:00.000-07:002009-06-05T21:59:32.479-07:00

I arrived in Los Angeles a year ago today.To commemorate the anniversary, we went out to one of the best kinds of restaurants in Los Angeles: the ones that are hidden behind unpromising facades in the midst of strip malls.This place happens to have a good sense of humor about its surroundings.One of things I really liked about it—in addition to a delectable sweet-corn soup with avocado—was the

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-51048164353921609602009-06-01T20:42:00.000-07:002009-06-01T22:15:10.103-07:00

Zach and I returned this morning (on a much too early flight) from our East Coast swing. It was a great trip for us, although I realize it would not have been for most people: 9 days, 4 cities, and lots of plans, including a high-school reunion, two NYC get-togethers, three trips to the theater, and several appointments in the mix. I just did a rough count and realized that we stayed, broke

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-57012804589156958372009-05-19T22:58:00.000-07:002009-05-19T23:34:34.774-07:00

I had a quarterly check-up with my West Coast oncologist this morning. These appointments always start with a visit to the lab for a blood draw.I'm what's known as a "hard stick" because the veins in my right arm—the only one that can safely be used because of all the surgery I've had, and the attendant risk of lymphedema, on the left side—are highly uncooperative. All those generous helpings

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-17186387298961802182009-05-09T12:23:00.000-07:002009-05-09T12:41:55.636-07:00

This morning Zach and I participated in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women with a group of people from my office. Each of us had a placard pinned to our back. Zach's said "I am walking in support of . . ." at the top, and he filled in "my gorgeous wife Jody." Mine said "I am a cancer survivor" at the top. Underneath, I wrote "8 years & 3-1/2 years."One of my co-workers assumed I'd made a

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-65072696475661010952009-04-26T22:34:00.000-07:002009-04-26T23:14:23.208-07:00

One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to cook more often, and I'm pretty sure I made it through the entire first quarter without producing a single dish.This weekend, however, I made good on a promise to reprise a dessert I first made for Zach years and years ago. I'm not sure what inspired me back then—Valentine's Day, perhaps?—but I found a great-sounding recipe for a Savoy Raspberry

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-72239984417724042712009-04-18T15:10:00.000-07:002009-04-18T15:51:07.330-07:00

Ever since we returned from Greece, Zach and I have been meaning to put together a book of photos and send them to Andreas, the shaman-like artist we met on Santorini.We think of Andreas often, when we listen to the Greek music we first heard in his studio, or repeat the mantra he taught us, or admire one of the beautiful ceramics pieces of his that we brought home as keepsakes.We hope to get

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-43299540691696970452009-04-14T22:29:00.000-07:002009-04-14T23:00:19.946-07:00

Today is my dad's birthday—what would have been number eighty-three. I wasn't sure exactly how to observe the day, but I wanted to do something in his honor.So tonight, over a dinner that included one of his favorite foods—soup—Zach and I toasted him with his favorite drink.We looked heavenward, raised our glasses in his name, and each took a swig of Caffeine-free Diet Coke.

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-28626339713152022072009-04-12T21:12:00.000-07:002009-04-12T22:40:19.035-07:00

I quit physical therapy on Friday and practically skipped out of the building, so free did I feel after three months of twice- and eventually once- and most recently almost-weekly sessions.I started PT with the hope of getting some guidance on an exercise routine that I could eventually undertake on my own without increasing my risk of developing lymphedema.The very same day that I called to make

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-31351188761790364742009-04-05T21:34:00.000-07:002009-04-05T23:10:19.596-07:00

Three-plus years ago, I wrote a long post about our hope to one day become parents—and how, in our case, it wouldn't happen the old-fashioned way:If anything, we are now more convinced than ever that it would be too risky for me to try to carry a child. And that means—if the IVF goes well and we have some promising embryos to freeze—we will be looking to a surrogate. And that's a whole other

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-2814247684764634402009-04-02T21:14:00.000-07:002009-04-02T22:18:31.632-07:00

I have been trying hard of late to cultivate a habit of reflecting on things, both great and small, for which I am grateful. Part of this is an effort to stave off the free-floating negativity of the Great American Economic Hangover.Part of it comes from awareness of the concept of the hedonic treadmill—that we get used to improvements in our lives and quickly come to take them for granted.And

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-81994648290799065662009-03-26T16:29:00.000-07:002009-03-26T19:38:39.995-07:00

I had my annual breast MRI today, which meant busting out the orange panties and spending some quality time lying on my stomach on a narrow table inside a narrow tunnel, endeavoring to remain perfectly still for a good 30 minutes or so.This would have been substantially easier if I had not:had a runny nose from an inconvenient sinus infection;been stifling coughs from the same source;had an IV in

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-12353206782359233372009-03-22T22:03:00.000-07:002009-03-22T22:31:42.855-07:00

It took us nearly six hours of sorting through airline schedules and flight credits and enough miscellaneous scheduling constraints to create an LSAT-worthy logic game, but we have finally succeeded in planning our first joint return trip to the East Coast since moving to LA last year. We'll be wending our way down the eastern seaboard, from Boston to DC, and hope to see as many family members

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-89553373972799569752009-03-15T19:22:00.003-07:002009-03-15T20:19:52.917-07:00

I realized with a start just a few minutes ago that it's been eight years since my initial diagnosis.In some ways, that's an impossibly long time. (The length of the Bush presidency, for example.)Yet because those first weeks and months as a cancer patient were such searing experiences, they remain vivid in a way that seems to compress the intervening years. Most memories from that far back are

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-18625187815982882592009-03-11T20:15:00.000-07:002009-03-11T23:42:02.949-07:00

I just returned from a long weekend in New York, and one of the truly wonderful things I got to do several times while I was there was walk around the city. That's right.WALK. Around the CITY.When I say those words out loud, it's in a dreamy, wistful, almost reverent tone.Because the way I feel about walking in the city—especially New York City—is how most people feel about walking on the beach.

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-21235620613439734692009-03-03T20:44:00.007-08:002009-03-03T21:05:55.252-08:00

This morning, as I was standing at the bus stop reading the New York Times, an unwelcome missive from a bird on the power lines above landed right on A1.  (Above the fold.)It was a pretty gross experience, between the splat! it made and the nasty way it looked.  I carefully tore the paper around the affected area and tossed the offending portion in the trash. Eventually, I boarded the bus and

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-29964074074976927662009-03-02T19:56:00.004-08:002009-03-03T20:43:57.292-08:00

Fifteen things that are making me happy right now:The feel of our new shag rug under my bare feet.Hearing "Falling Slowly" as I type.Seeing Zach in an apron.Smelling the leftover short ribs he's reheating from the dinner party we attended on Saturday night.Knowing I made progress in physical therapy tonight, even though I'm sore as a result.That one of my dearest friends is feeling pretty damn

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-46598241901399539182009-03-01T21:43:00.003-08:002009-03-01T22:14:15.996-08:00

I'm not quite sure how March arrived so quickly, but here it is. There's a winter storm warning in effect in New York, while it was nearly 80 degrees here in Los Angeles today. And that, ladies and gentlemen, sums up the great divide between the two cities. (Well, I'm using the term "cities" loosely. Los Angeles is a major metropolitan area, but it's not nearly urban enough to be a city—in my

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-392996048826642942009-02-26T20:44:00.005-08:002009-02-26T21:09:41.913-08:00

Zach gave me a little talking-to today. It seems my stress level has been unacceptably high.He's absolutely right. It's a really, really busy time at work for me right now, and between that and a few extenuating circumstances, I've been stressed and exhausted and, well, kind of cranky.One of the extenuating circumstances is the long-lasting whiplash (aka "whiplast") I've had since we were

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-5930527121826328372009-02-18T20:47:00.007-08:002009-03-02T19:52:57.265-08:00

Thanks to Dooce for inspiring this post, in which I answer a series of seemingly random questions about my relationship with Zach:What are your middle names?Mine was Nan (after my dad's favorite uncle, Norman) and is now Rosen. His is Stewart, after his dad's brother.How long have you been together?Nineteen(!) years this month. We've been married for 16.How long did you know each other before

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-67408090611839521592009-02-17T18:52:00.001-08:002009-02-17T22:25:46.904-08:00

We've been getting calls and messages all day from friends and relatives who have seen Zach in a promo for tomorrow night's episode of "Lie to Me," a new show on Fox. If you watch "House" or "24" or "American Idol" or Fox's morning news shows, chances are you recently saw Zach looking a bit malevolent on your TV screen. If you missed it, don't worry—you can see the actual episode tomorrow night

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-8791614812382384282009-02-15T14:06:00.003-08:002009-02-15T16:09:26.892-08:00

I just looked back at the (paucity of) posts since the beginning of the year and realized that I hadn't written anything about Zach's and my relatively recent experience as the filling in a three-car sandwich. First things first: We were not seriously injured—no bleeding, no broken bones. (The car wasn't seriously injured either, although both bumpers needed to be replaced.)We were heading

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20116983.post-25777582829784037302009-02-05T21:26:00.002-08:002009-02-05T21:32:51.960-08:00

I'm in Phoenix for a conference and had the pleasure of attending the welcome reception in this lovely outdoor setting, under a stunning canopy of palm trees.The sunset was pretty spectacular as well, but I wasn't quick enough on the draw. . . .

Jody Rosen Knowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17638066371993482277noreply@blogger.com0