greetings!

Friends and supporters - so many of you have sent words of encouragement, ideas and info. I am on the road on this cancer adventure. I hope through this online journal to keep you updated about my progress, but also to share information about this thing we call cancer, women's health, health care and possibilities.

I have named the blog 'ApopSal' from the word 'apoptosis' which means 'cell suicide'. This is what I want - the natural self destruction of these cancer cells that have organized as this wierd tumor attached to my uterus. I am exploring both medical models inducing apoptosis and meditation models which many believe can induce apoptosis.

My current path:
I am scheduled to start chemo treatment next week. I am hoping to be cleared for a 'clinical trial' using substances that try to stimulate apoptosis along with the toxic chemo that attacks the cancer cells. I have a small problem standing in the way with my kidney, but am hoping to be cleared this weekend.

I am working as much as possible with all these tests: I continue to love my literacy/ developmental reading work and continue to explore brain based learning research as well as the importance of affective support - convincing my students that they are indeed smart and able to become critical readers. As many of you know, the community college path is the hope for hundreds of thousands of students needing to grow their critical thinking and learning skills, and to find an academic path towards life goals. Many of my students are older returning adults shoved off the manufacturing life path and needing to find another way to grow and exist. But many are also kids - those who are digital savvy but don't have the magic of the reading process to stimulate their brains.

So I keep myself occupied and thinking - also trying to do more drawing and painting and advocacy when I can. Dearest friends and supporters - that's the present news from ApopSal!