PET scan
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Aging Gracefully: Lessons from a Weekend Full of Scams
A most embarrassing post. I repeat, “a most embarrassing post.” Act your age. Has anyone ever said that to you? Maybe your mother would tell you that you couldn’t sit still in church. It’s been a long time since I have given much thought to acting my age, since I probably never have. I agree Continue reading
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Brief update ‘cause it’s almost Friday
One day of packing, two days of moving, three days at Mayo and the time change have been exhausting this past week. Not to mention, scanxiety at yet one more CT scan on Monday. Yes, scanxiety is something we all experience with upcoming tests. The most difficult part is waiting for results. The good news Continue reading
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Leavin’ the Garden of Weedin’
Yes, it’s time to say goodbye to the summer, and it’s about time. October is my favorite month of the year. The 10th month of the year provides chill nighttime temperatures for a relaxing sleep. During the daytime, the temperatures have been in the 70s, sometimes reaching the 80s, making it perfect for a walk-about Continue reading
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Exploring Estonia: More Observations
Words cannot express. I’m back from Estonia. Yikes, 24 hours on three planes with three-hour layovers is exhausting. It might take me a few days to get back in the saddle; however, there are tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, and more patiently waiting to be eaten or processed. I will see how long I last today. One Continue reading
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Preparing for My Journey to Estonia: A Personal Reflection
All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go…… This is it. It has been nearly a year since I committed to traveling to Estonia for an Adult Bible Camp. The time has come to check in for my flight. My bags are packed, my testimony written, and my lesson planned. Some of my preparations Continue reading
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Challenges of Gardening (and breathing) in Extreme Weather
This was a good year to cut back on farmers markets. With the damage in my lungs and current medication, I have become sun sensitive, heat sensitive, and unnaturally tan. While it hasn’t stopped me from weeding and harvesting in the early morning, standing in the parking lot in this heat would be very uncomfortable. Continue reading
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Weaving Success: My Artistic Journey began at Art in the Park, Mandan
My first job in Mandan was at the Mandan News and Finder. It was back then, in the late 1970s, that I was introduced to the town that celebrates the Fourth of July like no other. There were decorations, fireworks, rodeos, children’s events, and Art in the Park. It was at a booth in the Continue reading
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The Joy of Watching Grandchildren Grow
There is no greater joy than grandchildren. Somehow, while raising my children, I missed out on observing how a child progresses from non-communication to endless questions and observations. My friend Shelley maintains we are too busy as moms making sure they are fed and cared for to notice the nuances of the toddler stage. Being Continue reading
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Highlights from a Busy Week in Morton County
Morton County and Mandan NewsLast week was a busy one in Morton County for the Balcom family. Monday, grandchildren Elle W. And Lucy B. Had lunch at the Old Ten in Bismarck with Grandma Sue B.B. followed by conversation and a Starbucks coffee in the Schilling Building on 43rd and Highway 83, Bismarck. It was Continue reading
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Small victories and big heartaches
It’s June. I’m celebrating in a small way today. The month of May has passed, and I did not have a single lab, scan, MRI, or doctor’s visit for the first time since December of 2022. In years past, hospitals, clinics, and labs were minor annual blips on the radar of life. Doctor’s visits were Continue reading
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From Seeds to Serenity
Many families spent Memorial Day weekend on a lake, cooking out, eating watermelon, and relaxing. The rest of us, well everybody knows at least one, worked frantically planting our gardens. After the most welcome rain and ever-warming nighttime temperatures, gardening has begun in earnest. Overnight, the trees have greened, the grass lushed up and will Continue reading
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Celebrating Small Victories
Again, with Tom Petty (he’s a heartbreaker) and the lyrics to another song he produced —Sure as night will follow dayMost things I worry ‘boutNever happen anyway The song “Crawling Back To You,” was probably not written about crawling back to Jesus, but somehow the lyrics could easily mean whomever you trust to be there Continue reading
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The Emotional Journey of Medical Appointments
Well, it’s not Monday, but I thought I had better stick to my schedule and get a post out. It was a wonderful Easter Saturday, followed by the dreaded CT scan and MRI on Easter Monday. It’s Tuesday evening, and this Tom Petty song keeps going around my head. “The waiting is the hardest partEvery Continue reading
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A Year of Healing: Birthday Reflections After Cancer
March is a month of birthdays in our family. Growing up, my dad did not acknowledge birthdays. When the subject was broached, his answer was, “It’s just another day.” There were no huge birthday parties growing up. No mountains of gifts, and no grandparents in attendance, but we did get birthday cake, I think. When Continue reading
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A time of German-Russian purgatory
When man plans, God laughs. It’s been eight days since my hospital stay. Eight days of German-Russian purgatory. For anyone joining me on this cancer journey, I recently posted my long list of commitments for the year, trusting I would be well enough to follow through. I was feeling so normal I filled my calendar Continue reading
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Embracing Life During Cancer: My Journey Forward
Somehow when you are painfully aware that you are in the winter of your life with a non-curable disease, you think almost daily, “What should I do now?” There are so many things I want to do or be a part of. What do I do? By nature, I am the type of person who Continue reading
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Christmas bells. Cancer bells
Sometimes, reality sets in. None of my doctors have ever given me a timeline for my cancer’s course. I have never asked. It’s between God and me. I’m trying to move forward without dwelling on what happens next. So far, it’s been excellent news. We share that news at a group I zoom in on Continue reading
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Embracing Faith While Facing Uncertainty
Imagine opportunities you can see across the Missouri River. You dig your toes into the sandy beach and shield your eyes from the rising sun. The shore looks a long way off. You aren’t a good swimmer and the water is cold. Inside your belly, a fire burns longing to get to the other side. Continue reading
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Cancer goals: A McIntosh County cemetery tour
One of this year’s “I have cancer” goals involves working less on my passions in life and spending more time with people. (I am an introvert and people wear me out.) I do love spending days in the garden or crocheting for my grandkids. However, it’s been a wonderful year of reconnecting with my past Continue reading
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Believe it or not, I’m at a loss for words this week.
My journey began in January of 2023. As fall slowly creeps into our overnight temperatures, I’m coming up on two years since the day my doctor called and told me the news. She sounded apologetic. It was after 5 p.m. She called a surgeon she worked with to please review the chest X-ray. He followed Continue reading
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Cancer, Gratitude, and God’s Tender Mercies
After a challenging week involving medical procedures and family events, the author expresses gratitude for their home, health, and support. Despite the ongoing battle with cancer, they embrace each day as a precious gift, drawing inspiration from a poem and their faith. The author encourages others to cultivate a spirit of gratitude and kindness. Continue reading
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Navigating Health Challenges with Faith: The Power of Prayer
We leak. It’s 3 a.m. Monday morning. My throat hurts. My left ear is throbbing. My eyes are wet but there are no tears on my pillow. There’s a storm brewing in the pit of my stomach. The peace of the past four days has dissipated like the morning mist on the windows from the Continue reading
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Fulfilling My Longtime Dream: A Journey to Alaska Amidst Cancer
Here is a scan of a yearbook photo from 1973 of my science teacher, Mr. Bryan Dinkins. I wish I had paid more attention to my studies back then; of course, I didn’t realize how much I used math and science in baking, sewing, weaving and almost everything else I do. If you can see… Continue reading
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Living with Lung Cancer: Navigating Memory Loss and Hope through Poetry and Puzzles
Tumors in the brain make you painfully aware of the memory loss associated with chemo and cancer. I’m always reading, writing, and playing word games to hopefully use up some unused portions of my brain that aren’t under attack at this time in my life. I feel like I am doing fairly well memory-wise, but Continue reading
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50th Class Reunion: Rediscovering Memories
As a journalist, I had the privilege of interviewing many people for newspaper articles and the two books I wrote about Germans from Russia. Most interviewees begin by saying, “I have nothing to say that anyone would want to listen to.” By the end of the interview, they would say, “Thank you so much for Continue reading
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Cherished Memories: Small Town School Days, Rekindled Friendships, and Sentimental Reflections
Between doctor’s appointments, trips to Mayo, MRIs, and CT scans I have time to contemplate my life. Mostly things in my past. It must be my age. It’s also been a blessing tho, since my diagnosis, many old friends have reached out and we reconnected. I appreciate all the prayers, cards and texts. I even Continue reading
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Witnessing the Power of Prayer and Healing | Encouraging Update on Tumor Progress
SEEING THE FOREST FOR THE TREES It’s true. They say sometimes you cannot see the forest for the tree. It’s very true. Sometimes you cannot see the big picture when surrounded by all the stuff that gets in the way of your view. Details, feelings, other people’s feelings. It’s been one of those weeks. I’m Continue reading
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Cancer, Courage, and Cenotes: A Journey of Facing Fears and Finding Strength
The author reflects on a summer filled with normalcy, enjoyable farmer’s markets, and a trip to Mexico despite cancer. The vacation included confronting fears by snorkeling and exploring Mayan ruins. The experience taught that cancer can give courage and the support of loved ones is essential for moving forward positively. Continue reading
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Overcoming Loss: The Story of ‘Dan’, a Resilient Tree and Symbol of Hope
I love plants. My house is full of plants. If a leaf drops and you leave it lying on top of the soil it becomes another plant and they continue to grow and reproduce until you have a houseful of plants. The front of our house has a long porch with lots of windows. Those plants love it out Continue reading
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Life is short and then your taxes are due
I’m caught somewhere between spring 2023 and spring 2024 at the moment. With the medical benefit, Easter, my birthday, and the stomach flu, somehow I lost my bearings. I do, however, feel like I should have thanked everyone for the countless well wishes, cards, donations, love, prayer, and support that I don’t think I deserve Continue reading
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My new normal
When I saw my doctor last week, I said, “I know my life will never be the way it was before this all started. So I have to find a new life.” However, I didn’t expect this second round of dis-ease to feel like I was pregnant with an alien baby, or worse Rosemary’s. But, Continue reading
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The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
“After radiation is better understood a day will come when the power from exploding toms will change the whole world we know. Some of the mutations will be good ones – wonderful things beyond our dreams – and I believe I believe this with all my heart, THE DAY WILL COME WHEN MANKIND WILL THANK Continue reading
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Coming out
By now, you may have heard the news about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s cancer. There was quite a hullabaloo regarding the fact he hadn’t disclosed any information about his cancer before his recent hospitalization. Granted, I am not a VIP, and my cancer did not make headlines, but I know why he did what he Continue reading
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Normal is a setting on your washing machine
During treatments, I was encouraged to live as normally as possible. Not that my life appeared normal from the outside looking in, but I tried. After all, normal is just a setting on your washing machine. Sometime in March, after Claire returned to South Dakota, I mustered enough energy to start my seedlings. There wasn’t Continue reading
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Ring my bell, ring bell…
It’s here finally. I baked a couple of cakes. The first was a three-layer white cake with Swiss buttercream. If I am honest, that frosting tasted like I buttered each layer twice with sweetened butter. Lucy and I love white cake. Elle and I love chocolate cake. I never met a cake I did not Continue reading
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Easter came and I missed it
Pretty funny the things we remember and how we remember them. I have had to ask my daughter several times how long she was here. It was four weeks, or was it five? Before she relocated to Mandan for my treatment, she was looking at Pinterest haircuts for me. Not ever being shy of being Continue reading
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March 19 — the day before treatment began
Entering the Twilight Zone and radiation/chemotherapy for lung cancer. Continue reading
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PET Scan day
Another day, entering the unknown. The weather was awful, so we left for Bismarck early. My desire to get these exams over and done outweighed my impatience at sitting in hospital and clinic chairs for hours at a time, staring at the walls, watching solemn faces entering and exiting. Although arriving early to appointments, we Continue reading
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The truth comes out in February 2023
The continuing story of my journey to better health. Continue reading
About Me
I love to write. My background is graphic arts and journalism. My roots are German-Russian from McIntosh County, North Dakota.
My time is spent reading, writing, gardening, cooking, blogging, fiber arts – you name it, we try it.
INDYchildrendotme 