Lifted, By My Girls! — The Archives — Formerly Vented Uplift

  Well, it’s January 12th…did you fail at your New Year's resolutions already and you feel like shit about yourself? Or is that just me for like the past 30 years of my life?? Except for this year…because at 3 in the morning, an hour after I went to sleep, I woke up with a thought…New Year, New Me is complete shit! I call these little moments of thought my download from God. It's the things that I need to hear and understand to become a better version of myself. And this thought was just what I needed to break those crazy ideas in my head that have been placed there by society, TV, and the perfect people on Instagram...oh and let's not forget the number one guilty party...me! So the thoughts continued in my head as I tossed from side to side. Who came up with this crazy notion that once we wake up on January 1st that we could be a new person??? Like WTF? (And no, I didn’t give up cursing for the new year.) First off, most of us will be slightly hungover or tired in the morn...

My daughter has always said to me “ Mom, you just don't know how to really relax” all said while she’s in sweats, wrapped in a blanket like a burrito placed in the middle of her bed, surrounded by more blankest and pillows ever possibly needed with just her eyes and red curls sticking out. She knows how to relax. And, she was totally right about me. I never really knew how to get lost without thoughts and cares.  With a brain that is literally non-stop it’s always been hard for me. Being in design, retail and the service industry for 35 years I can’t help but make checklists I’m my head about ways that the environment I am in could be improved. But then, I was finally in a place that does what they do so well that the first barrier was broken. The Rock Spa at the Hard Rock AC do it right! Now the next barrier was me….what was holding me back? I had to get out of my own way and really be in the moment and let go and just relax. And really, who likes their children to be right? Am I ...

Hi, I'm Dr. Kavita Jackson- ER doctor, 2020 breast cancer survivor, and Your Cancer Life Coach. From having spent time on both sides of the curtain, as a medical provider turned breast cancer patient, I have gained useful insight into the practice of patient advocacy. As a provider, I understand what it's like to best understand your patient's concerns and desires. As a patient, I also have experienced the challenges of trying to express myself effectively to my medical team. The ability to advocate for yourself, especially as a cancer patient, can be incredibly powerful in shaping your cancer experience. Often people don't realize that as a patient, you have an active and significant role in your medical care. Yet, we are never taught how to navigate the world of medicine from the patient's seat and, as a result, can feel overwhelmed and develop frustration and confusion regarding our diagnosis and treatments-- which is the last thing you need on top of dealing wit...

  There’s Always a First First date.  First love. First job. First promotion. First baby. First day of school. First new car. First day in the new home. Firsts. We can probably make a list of all the beautiful firsts in our lives longer than our arms.  But, not all firsts are exhilarating. Some firsts are scary and dreadful, like hearing the words you have cancer for the first time. Those words will bring you to your knees, and the feeling is crippling. I know. I remember that moment when I heard for the first time that I had breast cancer. It was 5:15, my feet were soaking in warm water at the nail salon, and we were leaving for Las Vegas the next morning.  No doctor ever calls after 5 pm. I was safe, or so I thought. It had been a week since I had the biopsy. No news was good news, right?  Not this time. Not for me. My phone rang, and Dr. Diehl was on the other end. “So, the results didn’t go our way.” Those words changed my life forever. “Your result returne...