Almost there!

I have completed my paper. I am just waiting for feedback from the writing resource center, my mother and my brother. Those are the three sources I use for my final edit! I feel exhausted! It has been quite the quarter. I am not so much exhausted by my homework as I am by my personal life. It will be nice to have a week to breathe. I am moving to South Dakota though, so I will still be busy! I feel a little nervous about my paper. I got a lot of great feedback from my professor, but there were many changes to be made. I am still struggling with how to cite a source that has no author. No one seems to have any suggestions. I can't figure it out. And interestingly the writing resource center had not said they were wrong before I turned in my first draft. I'm a little frustrated by that. I honestly feel I have done the best research, writing and revising that I can. I have learned so much and feel I have greatly improved upon my writing skills. I am looking forward to seeing the final critique and grade of my paper. No matter what I pay attention to those mistakes and the suggestions to write a more competent paper. I am trying to build upon my writing confidence as I believe that comes across in the tone of your paper. I actually look forward to having more chances to write. I like finding a method to the seeming madness :)

Fire!

I can hardly believe this quarter is coming to an end. It went as quickly as the summer. Although I believe summer should never end. It was yet another crazy week here in Salt Lake City. The army has a base camp near my home and was running drills and target practices on Sunday even though the wind was blowing extremely hard. It was a red wind day here in Utah. Meaning, no fires! As usual, the army started a fire, but this one got out of control quickly. We were put under mandatory evacuation. It was unbelievable how quickly the fire spread. My sister's family is in the same area, so it was a scramble to get everyone out. You always get asked what you would grab in a fire, but when it came down to it I could not place high priority on anything! I grabbed my laptop, my dog, some clothes, my jewelry and a few important but small things. I was in agony over the thought of my books burning! It was pretty intense, and I was mostly worried about my sister and her kids. Hopefully we can go home soon. The winds keep picking back up just when we think we can go home. This last week also saw my girlfriend with cancer stop the fight with the anxiety of losing chunks of hair in public by shaving her head. She did not have this grandiose moment as some do. She quietly and privately shaved her head and appeared later with the most fabulous wig! God I love her. She bought two wigs and has the hair replacement coming also. The two wigs give her two totally different looks! She looked fantastic and I think it made her feel better to find a new and attractive style. She is kind of regretting going with her natural look for the hair replacement! We also learned that taking claritin before chemotherapy prevent the intense bone ache and fever that comes in the two days after. She did much better this round of chemo and her appetite remained healthy. We joke she is worse than a pregnant woman with her random cravings and eating patterns. A large group of us signed up to walk the three day Breast Cancer marathon next Spring. Barb likes having a physical goal to look forward to. We are going to try and cheat though. They expect you to sleep on cots in large tents! After an entire day of walking we want margaritas and a nice bed! :) I've been asking around on the internet if it is possible to skip the tent and sleep in hotels near each ending point. I finished my paper. I have a few people reading and editing it now. It feels great to have written a paper I am proud of. I have learned so much from my teacher and my fellow class mates. Everyone has been helpful with their suggestions. I also have learned from reading others papers and seeing how they make revisions to their writing. I can say with confidence I am a better writer now than I have ever been before. I also filled my notebook with what I have learned from this class. I will keep it close as I finish school. I have not decided if I am going to keep blogging. I think when I graduate and start working as a professional I might blog about my work and research. Who knows though...writing is therapeutic and even if no one reads it, it has been nice to put some thoughts down at the end of every week. I really was not thrilled about blogging, but have come to see the benefits and potential in doing so...

A little bit of madness...

This past month has been full...of good things and hard and hearting breaking things. About four weeks ago one of my very best friends was diagnosed with breast cancer. The statistic are that one in four women develop breast cancer, so I should have been more prepared that one of my friends, or myself, could receive this diagnoses. But like everything, you think it is never going to happen to you. She immediately went into surgery to remove the cancer and then started chemotherapy treatments. I have spent time learning about her type of breast cancer, the odds, the degrees and progression rates; about chemotherapy specific to her type of breast cancer, side effects, wigs, hair replacement systems...endless amount of information. What I found to be most surprising during this experience was the number of moments you could still find laughter, generosity, inspiration, and moments of gratitude. When the man at the hair replacement center found out she had breast cancer he only charged her $200 for what is normally over a $1,000. He was the most soft spoken and gentle and caring man I have come across. You won't even be able to tell it is not her hair. My friend decided to go fabulous through this whole thing. The first day of chemo she shows up dressed to the nines and with a fantastic bright shade of red lipstick! Chemo be damned! :) She has taken charge of how she acts and reacts to this process. Nothing is going to keep her from being true to herself. Can there be a better friend to have in your life?! She has been more brave and much stronger than anyone around her. I admittedly fell apart. The thought of not having her in my life was overwhelming, and the feeling that there is not anything you can do but be by her side was frustrating. These are the trials you want to take from the people you love. She was hell bent on me, and everyone else, pulling themselves together. She's been reading and editing and making suggestions on my paper for class. Its been great because I am writing about nutrition to help prevent disease and we are finding many supplements and foods to support chemo and reduce the risk of her cancer returning. I did become a bit jaded to my perspective on chronic disease prevention. My girlfriend lives a clean and healthy life style. Her only vice is a glass or two of wine on the weekend, but red wine is known for having positive health benefits. She is the last person I would ever suspect to develop cancer. I have learned that some things are out of control, but you still need to make choices every day to live a healthy and full life. My boyfriend suprised me when he came to visit over Labor Day Weekend. Knowing I needed a break from sadness and worry he took me up to the mountains on a long hike and proposed. It was wonderful to have a moment of joy during this time and I love him for realizing this and changing that day in my life.

My paper is nearly complete and I am feeling really good about it so far. I just need to focus in on the nutrional supplements I would like to highlight and figure out the conclusion. I am struggling to rephrase my thesis statement. I did find a great article today from a medical journal that nearly supports every aspect of my paper and I think I am going to adapt that to fuel my conclusion.

I am grateful for amazing friends who inspire me and push me to keep living the life I need to. I am grateful for an amazing man who knows me and supports me and offers me stability and constant comfort. I am grateful for the opportunity of education. It is empowering and motivating. I am grateful for those doctors and scientists who work hard at research and medical practices to help those afflicted with chronic disease. I am grateful to have a healthy body and know I cannot take it for granted. It's all about living in the moment and pushing yourself to be the kind of person you want to be. I am grateful for the many people in my life who are daily examples of this and who remind me to always be true to me.