It’s the little things – Finances, Marijuana, and Symptom Reporting

Dear reader! How have you been?

I have been home alone this weekend. My boys are at an out-of-town baseball tournament. And even though I love them dearly, I am sure many of you can relate if I would share with you that it can also be really nice to be home alone. And being able to take the time to enjoy routine activities as well as to explore, e.g. by trying out a new grocery store, and then coincidentally discovering a new ice-cream place…..shaking things up a bit…..being fascinated by the little things…..stimulating the senses. Over the last few weeks my existence had shrunken down to the work and home environment – and so it felt really good to be able to be ‘out and about’ for a bit….expand my world….allowing the simple things to bring distraction and joy, just like in childhood!

Until the next time! In the mean time, please find below a few things for education and entertainment!

Learn and Think:

• Cancer care is rather expensive and not always (fully) covered by insurance, resulting in 25% (1 out of 4!!!) of cancer survivors facing financial hardship. Therefore, it is encouraging to see that there is a government-led, bipartisan initiative, Cancer Survivors Caucus, that tries to improve care for cancer survivors!
• You should feel comfortable to discuss any of your symptoms, no matter how seemingly small or innocent, with your health care provider to allow them to figure out why it is happening and if anything can be done to provide you with (partial or total) relief. And there is now evidence to support that those who self-report symptoms may live longer!
• Medical marijuana is a trendy modality that you may have heard of or read about and wondered whether it is something you should try? Dispensaries are popping up everywhere. It often needs to be paid for out of pocket. It is not yet FDA approved – evidence is limited. Here are a few good articles (from the CURE Magazine and NIH) to allow you to decide for yourself. And as always, please discuss with your own providers first before pursuing a medical marijuana license.

Live and Feel:

• Article: Saturday Night Life alum Vanessa Bayer reflects on her cancer journey that started in her teenage years.
• Movie: I saw this movie recently (Cast Away). It reminded me of how random life can be at times. And how our inner strength can surprise us at times when it instinctively rises to brave life’s challenges. And lastly, how everyone needs someone…..even if it’s only Mr. Wilson!
• Video clip: This bird was spending quite some time interacting with my car mirror. For me it symbolizes that “sometimes when we cannot go where we’d like to go, we may discover that we already are where we are supposed to be!”.