Blog #1

Dr. Charley Ferrer, author of Breast Cancer Diaries

This is my very first blog post ever. Took me three weeks to complete and I wonder…

Will it be inspirational? Empowering? Give you food for thought? Or merely piss you off as I propose various possibilities, hold individuals accountable for their actions (especially physicians and health care providers)? How will you internalize the connections I make to thoughts, people, and life experiences I wish to share?

Will you extend me the courtesy of your patience as I meander through my thoughts and philosophize about the world and the choices we make or don’t make? Does any of it really matter? After all, if you don’t want to hear my thoughts, listen to my comments and ruminations, you can simply stop reading and look elsewhere for your entertainment of the day. I hear cat videos are all the craze at the moment.

Anyway, I’ve been reluctant to write a blog these past five years despite the encouragement of family and friends because…well…we all have our hang-ups, our struggles, and our triumphs with cancer and life; does it really help to read about someone else’s?  Then again, I consider the fact that though I tend to be a loner and go about life doing what I feel is best in any situation and making mistakes along the way, sometimes, I do appreciate the advice of others and find encouragement from their journey. Yes, I’ll admit it, sometimes I do find a little of my own truth in theirs.

And though sharing my inner thoughts and struggles with others is akin to pulling teeth for me, I hope I can brighten your day, give you a laugh, or make you mad enough to kickass as you face the challenges ahead during what I lovingly call, “the insanity of breast cancer” and others may call the comedy of life.

I won’t share everything…a woman has to have her secrets…however, I’ll share some of my own experiences along the way.  However, my major inspiration and insights will come through the vignettes I write about The Adventures of Kore-Bob. Be sure to check them out as I found the real life adventures to be inspirational, insightful, thought providing and hell…just a celebration of life itself. Reminding me…us…we’re still here, still alive even if it’s just for a moment. So live like there’s no tomorrow because there isn’t, there’s only today.

I invite you to share your comments and thoughts with me as well with one caveat; if you just want to spew hate, go elsewhere and watch cat videos. My blog. My rules. Big smiles.

Live with passion,

Charley…

Dr. Charley Ferrer
Clinical Sexologist
Breast Cancer Advocate
CEO, Cancer Tamer Foundation

Click here for: The Adventures of Kore-Bob

PS:  For those of you who wonder, yes, I was diagnosed with breast cancer on February 9, 2016 and thyroid cancer February 8, 2017. Yep, 364-days apart. (Question: why do we always mention the date we were diagnosed? It’s not like it’s our birthday or the day we lost our virginity. Do you even remember when that day was? Ok, now there’s no doubt this won’t be your typical blog. Getting back on topic: I underwent multiple surgeries, developed an auto-immune disorder, and saw the inside—yes, inside–of my chest daily for months because the surgeon I had did a horrible job and no one wanted to step in his sh*t afterward, so my stitches dehisced (let go) and I had to have steroid injections in my chest     weekly and monthly for almost a year to keep my breast from rotting off. I looked like one of the walking dead. But, that’s a tale for another time and I’ll even throw in a few pictures.

Why didn’t I mention my diagnosis immediately at the beginning of this blog, you ask? Because I’m not this disease! I’m so much more than that…just like you are! Thus, I never introduce myself with the words, “Hi, I’m Charley and I was diagnosed with breast cancer….yada…yada…yada.” That’s like going to an AA meeting and saying, “Hi, I’m so-and-so and I’m an alcoholic.”  We already know that; that’s why you’re there. Not that you have to have breast cancer or any type of cancer or illness to read this blog, but I figure 99.9% of the people reading it will have a run-in with cancer whether with their own diagnosis or their loved ones were diagnosed. I merely hope that this blog helps you along the way.

PPS:  I will warn you now that I’m dyslexic and so my spelling may be off at times or the endings of words missing, or my punctuation may be wrong. Like I always told my students, if you caught the error, that means you should pay even more attention to what’s being said; your subconscious caught the error for a reason. And remember the ultimate lesson, if it bothers you that much, then stop reading.  Laughs.

Click here for: The Adventures of Kore-Bob