Hi Folks! This is Chris B. signing back on as Mangomaid after a L - O - N - G time away from this site (and now a long way from Massachusetts--now I'm in hot & humid Northwest Indiana...) I used to be bcjunky way back when, but things have changed---boy howdy have they changed! I'll spare you the gory details, but you can read some about it at my blog http://cbuerger.redtoenail.org and that'll get you up to speed if you're interested... Want to say HI to kj (long time since Harvard Square, eh!) and to Hayjude, who's kept up with my progress the past few years. I'm still getting the hang of all this stuff in the forum---so many different topics going on!! I'll look in every so often & try to keep in touch now.... Hugs & stuff to all of ya....
Peace, Mangomaid (aka the Hoosier Hottie)

Hey, Chris! I mean Mangomaid! Welcome back! It's great to see you around here again!

Welcome back! It's ncie to see folks back on the site again...

wow, Chris, how cool to see you again!!!....wondered where you wandered off to....just had a quick flashback to you coyly taking over the stage stairs at the House of Blues with your big-face Arlo tshirt on!!.... and held that great seat all night....lol...

quickly read your blog, you've been through so much...wish you had let us know... there are some others here on similar journeys, past and present....
lots of blundervibes and prayers to you.... sounds like your journey is in a good phase now.... i'll keep up with your blog and stop by when you can...

Thanks everyone! It's good to be back among the blundering. Yeah, I had to go thru a lot of weirdess between 1999 & 2003--which is when it all came to a head. Got diagnosed with stage 3B Inflammatory Breast Cancer a week after I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea---geez, no wonder my life was a pile of sh%t... So I did the chemo & radiation thing & surgery & a break of 20 months before I had a recurrence in May of last year & did the chemo & radiation thing AGAIN (sigh...) & I sleep with a CPAP machine keeping my windpipe open & it's at the highest setting & sounds a little like a big fan right in my ear! But ya know: I'm feeling pretty darn good & I'm active in my cancer support group & with the online IBC group & the American Cancer Society (be sure to support them) and Susan Komen, too. I also sport a pink rubber wristband & Lance Armstrong's "LiveStrong" yellow wristband on either side of my watch! The only obvious signs of my difficulties are my distinct lack of boobs and a swollen right arm due to lymphedema. Have also lost a lot of feeling in my fingertips due to neuropathy from the chemo. And you can tell my vocabulary has expanded exponentially with all the verbiage from cancer!!! It's amazing how much more focused on TODAY I've become and, better yet, I've learned it's no problem to say NO and to keep away from toxic people. It's hard living in the boondocks tho. I so loved Boston---all the opportunities for concert-going, the theater & all those kinds of things. At least I'm on an Amtrak line for going into Chicago every so often. I'm on disability so about all I do is recuperate, volunteer at the hospital every Monday morning, try to keep up with the email/internet stuff & do the health-related stuff I'm supposed to do. This year I planted a bunch of containers with flowers, some herbs & a couple of tomato plants, so I'm hoping for some pretty things and some edible things showing up in a month or two!
Well, I've babbled on quite enough. Thanks again, Cheryl, Judy & Kathy. It's good to be back! (And grins to ADG---do YOU remember me sitting at your feet for all 3 shows at the House of Blues about 10 years ago... Kj remembers it as well as I do---kinda scary!! )
Y'all keep in touch. Love, Chris (the Hoosier HOttie & mangomaid)

I read your blog & am sorry about what you had go go thru. Prayers said for ya. Healing vibes sent your way...

Yeah, Chris, you learned some of the same lessons I learned going through breast cancer. One of the biggest and hardest lessons I learned back then was that it really is OK to say no, if someone asks me to do something I don't want to do or I'm not up to doing, and to stay away from people who drag my energy down, even if I love them lots. And the other big lesson I learned was to "be here now".