Quite the contrary. Shortly before the book was published in March 2012, I was diagnosed with a metastatic breast cancer which appeared in the form of a large tumor wrapped around my spinal column, weakening my bones and leading to two compressed vertebrae and pain. Excited as I was about the book launch and the exhibits in the Spring of 2012, I managed to attend the ADI conference in London, and I lived in New York and spoke several times at Pace University where the exhibit was hosted for 3 months, organizing a symposium there.
But the need for medical attention in English so my husband could play a significant role in it, led us to decide to move to the USA after 11 years living in Nice. Selling our apartment, packing, finding a new place and moving, were time consuming and leaving a wonderful life and wonderful friends in France was difficult. Now after 6 months in Palm Springs, California, I’m so happy to tell you that I am out of the “turtle brace” that prevented me from driving, and though I’m still on pain killers that make me groggy and shorten my days as I sleep long hours at night and nap at midday, I feel good.
And my cancer is under control!
Working again on the LOVE, LOSS, AND LAUGHTER project has been key to my recuperation I am sure. I have been buoyed by wonderful messages from many of you and by new opportunities. Exciting things about the LLL project have given me many reasons to get back on my feet and to move forward. In particular I’ll tell you in the next few weeks about the following developments and more. All of them were during the period of recovery from my cancer and I consider them my “best medicine”:
- Love, Loss, and Laughter was in the 400 gift bags at the NYC Rita Hayworth gala in the winter of 2012 thanks to an anonymous donor, and now it is being used as a gift at other organizations’ dinners and other events. Globe Pequot gives a 50% reduction in price for these bulk purchases, making it a perfect gift.
- Paul Kerley of BBC.com’s beautiful video about the LLL project had more than 2000 hits in the first 3 weeks. Many organizations and individuals have posted the link on their web sites and blogs, and I’ve received wonderful messages about it. The link to the video is http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21862859
- Alzheimer’s Australia made the LLL exhibit the centerpiece of their impressive awareness and education campaign for 2013. The 100+ photos will tour for 7 months from May – November 2013 to 7 states. Details are on a web site they created: http://exhibition.fightdementia.org.au
- Starting in mid March 2013, I spent 3 weeks in Melbourne and Sydney taking new photographs for the exhibit with wonderful families and programs, and I’ll post some of them on the blog for you to see.
- I will return to Australia for the Melbourne opening on June 6, giving lectures at the University of Wollongong on May 30 and to the Victorian Dementia Network in Melbourne on June 4.
- I was the Keynote Speaker in September 2012 at a conference on Art and Alzheimer’s at the University of Worcester in the UK, and a set of images from LLL on art and music was hosted at their Hive Library for 3 weeks.
- Thanks to Mary Mittelman (Langone Center, NYU) showing my work to Perla Werner (Center for Research and Aging University of Haifa), the smaller exhibit and I have been invited to be at an Arts and Alzheimer’s conference in November 2013 in Haifa.
- I’m exploring several possible venues for the LLL exhibit in North America, with particular interest shown by people in California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Montreal. All inquiries are appreciated and I can send the relevant information to people you link me to…
- Like some of you, I’ve learned a lot from the monthly webinars created by Laura Bowley and Richard Taylor. If you haven’t been online for these get information from http://minds-meeting.com/.
Cathy
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