my big speech

I have another video. I’m not asking for another date in this video… I don’t think my boyfriend would like that. But if you stick it out til the end, I do ask for a job. My master’s degree will be in urban planning, but my heart, more and more, is in doing something with all of this health care experience i’m getting. I’m 27 now after all and about to graduate–i’m all grown up. This is the video that I promised to post, the video of my speech at the Health Care Social Media Summit put on by Mayo Clinic and Ragan Communications. I hope you enjoy it.

This video comes, for me, at the right time. As I head into the stresses of midterms of my last quarter of school ever, it’s a reminder of how exhilarating it felt to be up on stage, telling my story. It’s a reminder of why I continue to blog. It’s a reminder that there are some things that are more important than a week of classes (shh. don’t tell my professors). It’s a reminder, as I struggle to teach myself the statistics that I missed for one of my classes, that I traveled all the way to Rochester, Minnesota to give this speech for a reason. Sure, I hope to continue speaking, and I was able to connect with other patients and health care communicators from around the country, not to mention catch up with former coworkers and my friend who helped me with the JGL video.

But there’s a reason that’s harder to quantify. Cancer affects my everyday life in many tangible ways–doctors appointments, blood work, scans, side effects, pills, pain. It also affects my life in many intangible ways. If affects my mood, my concentration, my attention, my ability to deal with regular life stresses. One of my professors accepts doctor’s appointments as an OK reason to miss class and treatment as an OK reason to turn a paper in late–but what about the time that I need to process this? I think the emotional aspects of this disease aren’t emphasized or accepted to the extent they should be. It doesn’t take much; but I have found that I can’t just smoothly switch gears from cancer to school to cancer. I need time to reset. I reset by blogging, doing videos, making speeches, watching TV shows, doing fun things that help me forget about having cancer, and taking time to meditate and sleep and see my therapist and hang out with friends.

Going to Rochester was an extended reset. It was an amazing opportunity. It was fun. And it helped come to terms with this life sentence a little bit more.

(or here’s a link if you need that: http://youtu.be/kER0a5Z9NUU)

I would like to extend a great big thank you to Ragan and Health Care Communication News and to my friend Jessica (there’s a great photo of her on one of my slides if you make it to minute 10) for agreeing to have me speak and come out for the conference and for doing everything you’ve done to help me out with this. You’re the best!!