MS Maze

Writing a memoir invites the question, “Why did you write it?” It’s a fair question.

A comment left on the “No More Secs” Facebook page captured the spirit of the book perfectly.

“What a nice book. I laughed, I cried, I connected to you in a way I’ve connected with no one else. It was so nice to know I’m not alone.”

“It was so nice to know I’m not alone.” That’s why I wrote it and I’m forever grateful to the readers who’ve taken the time to let me know that it was worth the effort.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t eat a muffin the size of my head.

Recently I happened upon a display case filled with beautiful muffins, bagels, and cookies of mammoth proportions. It made such an impression that it sparked a dream that night. It was one of those crazy nightmares where nothing fits quite right, and the more muffin I ate, the bigger the muffin got, until I could no longer distinguish my own head from the muffin. That’s not exactly what the term “muffin top” means, but it was disturbing nonetheless.

Read it: Muffin Top Madness

 photo: WebCamp One LLC

What a wonderful time I had chatting with the gracious Dr. Cecile Forte and the inspiring Chamein Canton on their show, “Who You Calling Old?” If you missed it, you can catch the on-demand podcast at your leisure. Thank you, ladies.

As we close out 2011 and welcome in 2012, it’s a good time to take stock of life. I’m not a new year’s resolution maker, but I do like to think about the previous year and where I hope the next year will take me. 2011 was a bittersweet year, one of tremendous highs and lows.

When we welcomed 2011, I wondered if I’d be around to see 2012. As it turns out, I look and feel healthier than most people I know. Aside from my still faint eyebrows and eyelashes, and my boyish haircut, there is no clue that I survived triple-negative breast cancer and ten months of very aggressive treatment, or that I have multiple sclerosis. Life is funny that way. Despite the difficulties of the year, I am truly grateful to have lived it — life is a roller coaster and I’m happy to take another turn on the ride in 2012.

Wishing you and yours all the best in the new year.

The Buzz about Secs!
No More Secs! was previously available in Nook format on Barnes & Noble, who recently added the paperback version. They listed it at a price quite a bit lower than Amazon’s list price and — not to be underpriced by anyone — Amazon has matched it. No More Secs! in paperback is now available for $10.76 at both chains. Both still carry the eBook version at $6.99.

Did you catch my first-ever podcast appearance earlier this month? I had a lovely time speaking with Trudy Thomas about living life to the fullest despite serious health issues.
Living with HOPE (Host: Trudy Thomas) 12/9/11

I’ll be visiting with Dr. Cecile Forte on January 16 on her show called, “Who You Calling Old?” Certainly no one would call me old…
Who You Calling Old (Host: Dr. Cecile Forte) Scheduled: 1/16/12

For a woman who considers herself to be an introvert, I’m certainly getting out there these days!

WebCamp One
WebCamp One is our full-service website development company, expert in standards compliant website design, with clients throughout the USA. These aren’t cookie cutter websites or websites that are all glitter and no substance. They are carefully crafted and custom built by a business professional with years of experience in sales and marketing. From website management to freelance writing, we’ve got the web covered.

Connect with us:
WebCamp One – Facebook/WebCamp One
No More Secs! – Facebook/NoMoreSecs
Twitter/AnnPietrangelo – AnnPietrangelo.com

photo copyright: WebCamp One LLC

On the Living with HOPE podcast with the very gracious Trudy Thomas.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and may you truly appreciate your blessings.

When it comes to giving thanks, I know exactly where to start — by sending the universe a heartfelt thank you for the gift of life.

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2004 and triple-negative breast cancer in 2010, and in my 52 years on the planet, there have been other health issues, too. I’ve had my battles, that’s for sure. One might be tempted to harbor resentment about the piling on, but I don’t. I choose to look at it another way. This body of mine is a trooper. It fights back with a vengeance and I’m darn lucky to reside in such a resilient body.

Read it: Thankful for the Gift of Life

No More Secs! is a timeless story, not dependent on current events or big names. So there’s no big book tour, no national coverage, and no high tech marketing. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Slow and steady seems to suit us and the book, and a little buzz goes a long way.

The eBook and paperback versions of No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis have now been successfully merged on Amazon, making it easier for readers to see their options. The folks at Amazon and CreateSpace have done a magnificent job, making the merge smoothly and more quickly than anticipated. Within the next six weeks or so the book will also be available through CreateSpace’s Expanded Distribution Channel so additional book stores, libraries, and other outlets will be able to order copies.

A hat tip to Nadine of Indie eBooks for the Author Interview. And a shout out to Morgen Bailey for a listing in her non-fiction book section, as well as an Author Spotlight. An author interview with Morgen will be published on November 28. Morgen is not only a generous friend to writers, but a phenomenal writer herself, so please check out her stories. As my growing circle of U.K. friends would say, “brilliant!”

Care2 Healthy & Green Living will be hosting a book giveaway for No More Secs! in the near future — all you’ll have to do is leave on comment on their blog to have a chance to win the paperback. (Details to follow.)

I’ll be appearing on a radio show called “Living with Hope” on December 9, and on another called “Who You Calling Old?” on January 16. Surely, no one is calling me old…

Do you have a question about the book…where to buy it? how to gift it? how to peek inside? Want an author interview? Check out www.NoMoreSecs.com and if you don’t find the answers you seek email writer@webcampone.com

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, I am thankful simply to be here to give thanks this year. Happy thanksgiving to all, and may you truly appreciate your blessings.

We are pleased to announce that No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis is now available in paperback format.

You can get your copy by visiting WebCamp One’s online bookstore.

The paperback version of No More Secs! will be available for purchase through Amazon and other national outlets within the next few weeks, and we’ll let you know as things unfold. Of course, it’s still available in eBook format, too.

If you take a leap of faith and give it a read, I hope you come away from it on a positive note. As always, feedback is encouraged and welcomed.

For all the latest purchasing information visit: www.NoMoreSecs.com

I sing and dance when I feel good. Not well, mind you. My younger son was but a toddler, trapped in a moving vehicle with his off-key mother, when he said, “Mom, can you please sing inside your head?” That about sums up my talent.

My singing is important, though. It’s a sign that I feel good. It’s not just a good mood thing — it means I feel healthy and have extra energy to burn — and that’s not always the case.

While preparing dinner last night I was in fine form, groovin’ to classic rock and belting out some fairly horrific sounding notes. Then I considered my husband, working in our home office, and wondered if I was annoying him. How could he concentrate with my off-key chorus? But it felt too good to stop.

My precarious health situation this past year means that he appreciates just about anything I do, simply because I’m here to do it. That’s got to wear off eventually, right?

At dinner I asked the question. “How long will it last? How long will I be able to get away with making a racket before you quit appreciating my mere presence and ask me to cut it out?”

Thoughtful pause.

“I’d say pretty much for the rest of your life, babe. Sing all you want. I like to hear it.”

‘Nuff said.

I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2010. One year later I’ve completed aggressive treatment and, although my doctors won’t say for certain that I am cancer-free, we agree that I should live as though I am – and I do.

Read why femininity is all in your head…of friends and acquaintances…and the do’s and don’ts of dealing with someone else’s cancer: The Anniversary of My Survival: What Breast Cancer Awareness Means to Me

It appears that we’ll be announcing a print version of No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis sometime in November. That’s good news because lots of people aren’t ready to jump on the eBook bandwagon yet. How nice that we’ll be ready in time for the holidays (hint, hint).

Speaking of eBooks, I always have my Kindle with me because I spend a lot of time in waiting rooms. My Kindle almost always prompts inquiries from the curious. As much as I adore printed books, I am equally in awe of my Kindle. One of my biggest selling points is font size. (Full disclosure: I do not sell Kindles, have no connection to Kindle, and stand to gain absolutely nothing by talking about Kindle — unless, of course, you choose to download my book, in which case I shall be eternally grateful.) For readers with certain visual impairments, being able to increase the font size without special glasses or magnifiers is quite a relief. I swear my evangelizing sold a couple of Kindles in a waiting room earlier this week.

The book got a couple of lovely new write-ups recently, if you care to take a look:

As someone who has multiple sclerosis, Ann Pietrangelo of Winchester, VA, frequently answers questions from others with MS through Care2.com, one of the websites where she is a contributing writer on health-related issues. “I get emails all the time from people who are also dealing with MS. I always preface my responses by saying that I’m not a doctor, and that they should seek out medical advice for their specific needs and situations,” Pietrangelo says. “I can only share approaches that have worked for my husband, Jim, and me—lots of research, asking many, many questions and continuing to live life fully.” [Read: dis-Abilities Celebration Connection's Fall Edition, page 8: "No More Secs!"] And a hat tip goes to writer Carrie Smoot.

Ann Pietrangelo is the author of No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis. Making peace with multiple sclerosis, surviving triple-negative breast cancer, and continuing to pursue a career as a freelance writer … well, let’s just say she’s fairly stubborn and doesn’t lack a sense of humor. [Read: Morgen Bailey's Author Spotlight] Thank you for your generosity, Morgen.

In other news, I’m currently reading August Farewell by David G. Hallman. This memoir shares some themes with my own memoir — multiple sclerosis, true love, and cancer. It’s about saying good-bye and appreciating all that came before. I’m not quite half way through yet, but it’s safe to say I’ll be recommending it.

With my memoir, No More Secs!, out there doing its thing, the time has come to make my dream of writing a novel come true.

With three very different ideas swirling around in my head, I’ve finally settled on which one to tackle. Unlike some very talented writers I am privileged to know, I can’t work on more than one storyline at a time.

I’m very pleased with the idea and the amazing possibilities it presents. Next week I’ll begin the task of transferring that idea into written form, beginning with a broad outline.

Writing about yourself is quite a challenge. It is what it is. You can’t change what happens. Fiction gives me the ability to change anything and everything. I shall be all powerful. On the other hand, that may be even more of a challenge. It all hangs on my ability to put into words what my fertile imagination creates.

Now that I’m announcing this to the world, I feel somewhat obligated to see it through. Fasten your seatbelt, Ann, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Living with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
(#24 in a series)

What would you do if you found a lump in your breast? I called a doctor, but not everyone agrees that was the right decision.

Some readers said I shouldn’t have reached out to the medical community, shouldn’t have had surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. I say it’s a personal decision, one we must each make based on our individual case. I told my story but do not give medical advice, unless you consider my plea to check your own breasts or to at least talk to a doctor to be medical advice.

Read it: What would you do if you found a lump in your breast?

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Profiles
Carmelita P: Grieving Son Recounts Mom’s Battle with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Nancy Steiler: Searching for “Normal” After Cancer
Eileen Z. Fuentes: Living with a Grateful Vibration
Meagan Farrell: Cancer Survivor Says “Let Go of the Little Stuff”
Melissa Stukenborg: When Worst Fear Becomes Reality, Find Your Inner Strength

Related
Breast Cancer Awareness: Taking it Personally
Man with Breast Cancer says, “Don’t be embarrassed…it’s too important”
Living with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Series
My Video: What is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?
My Book: No More Secs! Living, Laughing & Loving Despite Multiple Sclerosis
Follow on Twitter @AnnPietrangelo

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I’m not asking you to buy or wear pink ribbons. Or pink hats or pink tee shirts or pink wristbands. I’m not asking you to post a strange status to your Facebook profile. I’m not asking for donations or for you to hang your bra out the window. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Whether or not you do any of those things, I hope you do something else to make it a little more personal.

Read it: Breast Cancer Awareness: Taking it Personally

Related:
5 Things about Breast Cancer You Should Take to Heart
Man with Breast Cancer says, “Don’t be embarrassed…it’s too important”
Video: What the Heck is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Series

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Profiles
Carmelita P: Grieving Son Recounts Mom’s Battle with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Nancy Steiler: Searching for “Normal” After Cancer
Eileen Z. Fuentes: Living with a Grateful Vibration
Meagan Farrell: Cancer Survivor Says “Let Go of the Little Stuff”
Melissa Stukenborg: When Worst Fear Becomes Reality, Find Your Inner Strength
Related Profile: Alyssa Phillips: Inspiration, Survivor, Miracle: An Amazing Life