My journey of life while dying with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer
Two weeks ago, I recorded part of a documentary about clean water with Karen Erbach of Schiller Street Media. Karen and her partner, Patrick, both complimented me several times, and told me I should be doing a video blog (a "vlog") within my blog, because I have a "presence". I hate looking at myself in …
Continue reading My Heart Hurts
I was going to post this yesterday, but I forgot to add it to my post. Here is the Dad of the Bride speech given at Little One's wedding last Friday: Hello! Can you hear me now? Whoops, wrong carrier! Sorry Matt!* I am Rob Balza, Hope’s dad. One of the best days in my …
Last week was a huge and busy week in our lives. Monday, 9/24Monday, September 24th, was my 48th birthday! Considering I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer when I was 44, and was supposed to be dead within six months after diagnosis, birthdays tend to mean a lot more. Baby Girl and myself …
Today is a gray, cloudy day outside. Even rained this afternoon a little bit after I got home. It's Hair Appointment DayLittle One made a hair appointment for me when she made her appointment to get everything ready for her wedding in NINE DAYS! She asked me to be there a little early in case …
I know, I know, it's been a while again. But I've just been living the boring cancer life. I did have some scans - a CT scan and a bone scan - because of increased pain. The scans came back with good news - there's even less cancer than there was in the scan from …
Living with cancer is hard. Expected response: No duh! Tell me something I don't already know! Living with cancer is not easy. Every little ache, every little pain... is it the cancer? Is it progressing? I wish there was a scanner - like the Progressive "name your price" tool - that I could use to …
Unconditional Love Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the love I have for my children. When anyone asks how many children I have, my response is always "together, we have eight children." The response is typically wide-opened eyes, and the rounded "wow" mouth. I didn't give birth to eight children. As I say, "I …
Today, a photographer, Darren, drove up from Milwaukee to take pictures of me. The pictures are for the US News & World Report magazine, because of our shitty water in 2016. Some called me a celebrity after the commercial appeared for Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters and the special election on June 12th. It is …
I've written about our cabin up north before. Where we go for peace, quiet, surrounded by the woods, adventures on 4-wheelers, swimming, sunshine. Last Ride?Last year in October, we took one of our last rides of the year on the 4-wheeler, on the well-kept trails that take us through the beauty of the woods. That …
Religion and Politics Religion and politics are two of the things I will not discuss with anyone. Not even the hubs. We are friends with a couple from Green Bay, and the husband talks about politics most of the time. Towards the beginning of our friendship, I told him that I don't discuss politics. He …
