It wasn’t until I started following interior design communities that I realized one could pull off an office without a standard office chair.
Say the words “office chair” and I think of something like this — big, black, bulky, on wheels.
I currently have an IKEA Gregor chair, because I thought it was a bit different from the usual office chair without being unreasonably priced. It’s cute, but not comfortable. It’s also worn down after only a year. Worst of all, my dogs like sleeping on top of the wheels — I frequently run over them accidentally. Yikes!
Lately I’m seeing a lot of the following. Can you spot the theme?
As you may have guessed, we’re talking big, comfortable, plush chairs in front of a desk. I love this!
My only concern is that I’m a swivveler. Yes, I’m one of those people who can’t sit still and has to move from side to side. I’m sure I can put this to rest for a comfortable chair that won’t roll over my furry pups, but it’s still a fact that I would need to adjust to a different type of chair.
What type of chair do you have at your desk? Are you comfortable with it?
While the phrase, “it takes a village” may seem cliché, there are moments in life where the meaning and roots of the saying convey so clearly what you are going through. On August 4, 2005, my daughter, Lily, came into the world after a relatively normal pregnancy. Throughout this transition in all of our lives, Lily and I had a “village” consisting of my husband, family and friends who were the supportive rock I needed. They were also there when the storm came.
About a month after returning back to work, I started feeling fatigued, breathless, and completely lacking in energy. Although these could just be signs of new motherhood, something felt off and I went to the doctor to investigate. Numerous tests later, we found out the culprit wasn’t stress, it was something much worse.
On November 21, 2005, just three and a half short months after Lily came into the world, I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. Apparently, I had come into contact with asbestos about thirty years ago as a child and now it was coming back to haunt me.
Without treatment, I was given fifteen months to live. My first thoughts weren’t about me, though, they were about my husband and my baby. The thought of them being alone made me determined to beat the cancer. Mesothelioma is a very deadly cancer and we decided to seek the most drastic treatment.
My husband and I sent Lily to live with my grandparents in South Dakota while we went to Boston, home to some of the best mesothelioma doctors I in the country. On February 2, I underwent an extrapleural pneumenectomy, a procedure that required the removal of my left lung and all of its surrounding tissue. This was the first in a long line of procedures. After eighteen days recovery in the hospital and two more months of recovery out, I was to start chemotherapy and radiation.
Being a new mother is difficult, but balancing that while staring mesothelioma dead in the face is a whole other level. I eventually made a full recovery and am currently cancer free, but I’m not sure that would be the case had I not had my “village” supporting me and helping raise my daughter. Seeing Lily’s first milestones printed off a hospital printer thousands of miles away gave me the strength I needed to fight.
If my battle with mesothelioma has taught us anything, is that life is fragile and must be embraced. Cancer is a horrendous trial to go through, but when you come out on the other side, you will love and appreciate life in ways you would never expect.
Heather Von St James is a 43-year-old wife and mother. Upon her diagnosis of mesothelioma, she vowed to be a source of hope for other patients who found themselves with the same diagnosis. Now, over 6 years later, her story has been helping people all over the globe. She continues her advocacy and awareness work by blogging, speaking and sharing her message of hope and healing with others. Check out her story at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog.
This blog entry was posted in Personal on Jun 22 2012.
