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

Dear Libby, Keep creating. It will lead you to pursue your love of the arts and study art history at New York University, where you’ll spend semesters in Paris and Rome. You'll graduate, step into a white-box gallery and realize it's not for you—but don't worry, it'll still inform what you do. Years later, you'll realize what you love about art is the power of an idea and making it reality. Later still, this will inspire you create your own company from something personal. But first, you'll spend over two decades working in fashion PR. Mere weeks into your first job, you'll be sent to Milan for your first runway show. Baptism by fire, as they say. You'll spend the majority of your first paychecks on anything lace—lace tops, lace bras—when you really should be saving up for rent. New York City isn't cheap! But you can't help it; you got your love of lace from mom. You’ll leave PR for a period to teach yourself how to play the electric guitar, writ...

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...

  It better be the last FUCKING Chapter! Today is 3 weeks from my exchange surgery. 3 weeks since those horrible hard expanders with metal nipples came out. 3 weeks since the squishy girls went in. It's also 3 weeks of not lifting and learning to be taken care of again. 3 weeks of getting used to the increase in size that I questioned at first. 3 weeks of immense gratitude. 26 weeks from the mammogram that saved my life. 26 weeks from the first time I heard, "Mrs. Canny, I think you have DCIS". 26 weeks from the day I knew I had cancer. Exactly 1/2 a year of my life that has been centered around cancer. Exactly 1/2 a year that my family has worried about me. Exactly 1/2 a year of trying to turn lemons into lemonade!   ...