Patient's Perspective: Cindy Chmielewski

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3 Days- 72 Hours

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A lot can happen in three days. I could drive from my home in New Jersey to California in 3 days.  In the New Testament Jesus told the Jewish populace at the Temple, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."  It will take three days to have the hardwood floors in my home refinished. It never occurred to me that when I hung up the phone after chatting with Pat Killingsworth three days ago it would be the last time we would be chatting.  Pat was a blogger, a mentor, an advocate, but most of all a dear friend.  I met Pat several years ago at a Patient Ambassador training and grew to admire him the more I got to know him. Pat's mission was to educate the myeloma community.  He accomplished that and much more through is blogs, books, speaking engagements and his beloved Beach Party. Pat was an unique individual. He put others above himself.  He blogged EVERYDAY. Pat often pushed himself to publish a blog post from his hospital bed...
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My Biggest Decision- EVER

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I Get By With a Little Help from My Friends - A Fresh Chapter

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We all have different personality traits.  Some of us are introverts while others are extroverts. Some of us are carefree while others are more serious. Some of us are nurturers while others graciously receive gifts of help. I would classify myself as a nurturer. I receive joy when helping others. It is in giving that we receive.  I receive so much positive energy from helping others. Helping others re-energizes me.  This summer I traveled to Peru as part of A Fresh Chapter's Peru Odyssey Program .  A Fresh Chapter is a non-profit dedicated to healing the emotional scars of cancer. A Fresh Chapter combines domestic or international volunteerism with programs designed to reframe adversity, foster connections, and promote personal growth and development. A Fresh Chapter's  vision is a world where our experiences with cancer empower us to seek new purpose and possibility in our lives. My volunteer assignment was helping at Martincitos the senior center l...
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