Humor

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Wendy Santana

After we received my biopsy results and learned that a craniotomy was imminent, I decided to create a closed Facebook group to keep friends and family in the know about the situation. Looking back, it seems I returned home from that first week in the hospital with my “offbeat sense of humor” fully intact. When I heard I had an…

Pain

Posted on October 15, 2017 by Wendy Santana

Quote by Alicia Taylor: “Sometimes you must… HURT in order to KNOW, FALL in order to GROW, LOSE in order to GAIN, …because life’s biggest lessons are learned through PAIN.”

Coming Out

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Wendy Santana

You may find this odd now that I am publishing a blog but deciding to “come out” publicly on Facebook regarding my brain tumor was not something I took lightly. I had previously created a closed Facebook group to keep close friends and family informed after receiving the diagnosis in October of 2014. Since I was Facebook Friends with several…

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Wendy Santana

Ironically, my favorite Thanksgiving celebration took place a few weeks before my craniotomy. I didn’t know it then but this was to be the last time my dad and all three of his ex-wives (each of whom played a significant role in my life) were together. Sadly, my dad had a stroke in January of 2015, just as I was…

Scanxiety

Posted on September 23, 2017 by Wendy Santana

What will my next MRI reveal? Am I sick again or still able to heal? Is there regrowth or am I still stable? Only time will tell… and until then, I can choose to live my life or I can reside in my own private hell. Mindfulness is something I’ve been working on. I need to practice acceptance, patience, and…

Hello. My name is Wendy and I’m a recovering workaholic. I'm also a brain tumor/cancer survivor. The purpose of this blog is to share my experiences, memories, resources, and self-discoveries as I continue to transform from a workaholic into a more balanced person. I have read several books and stories about others who have had similar experiences (see the suggested reading page) and each has helped me to get to the place of acceptance of my new normal. My ultimate goal is that by sharing my journey someone else will be helped as well. My vision is that this site will serve as a landing space where people come for information and inspiration. Please feel free to email me with any comments or suggestions at: wendy.2ndchance2live@gmail.com