May 6, 2025 – I love the gentleness of this new design written by Contributing Cardie Jessica Swaim. And the message rings especially true to me about now.
TMI, but two weeks ago I rushed to the ER to learn that a kidney stone had lodged in my left ureter, causing a nasty UTI. After two more ER visits, each followed by long weekends in the lovely confines of Mt Sinai Medical Center Miami Beach, I am feeling no pain and doing my best to lie flat until the antibiotics do their thing before the stent and stone can be removed on the 12th. And through it all, I’ve been chirping and squawking to Cardie Madeline Stockbridge.
Although we’ve never met, by being in Cardie Yoga together I’ve come to know Madeline as the kindest, most wise, witty, and positive person imaginable. She’s always great to Comment on the Cardie Newsetters, graciously sharing her thoughts and feelings with the community there. Beyond her engagement meaning so much to us, she expresses herself so eloquently that we now just file her Comments away for future use; otherwise, no other Cardie would have a chance to be featured in our Great Cardie Quote of the Week as we could run MadMessages each and every Friday!
It was in September of ‘21 that Mad first mentioned her health challenges. “Last week, I had my annual checkup at the Mayo Clinic to make sure colon cancer hasn’t reared its ugly head again. The day before my appointment, my anxiety was off the charts, but then I came to yoga with Paola and felt so calm afterwards. My tests came out clear and I write you with an incredibly grateful heart!”
When we responded with shock — as well as admiration for her candor — Madeline explained that, “I share my medical journey so openly because I want people to be educated about genetic links and advocate for their health.” Then she boldly and bravely told her cautionary tale.
“In 1984, I lost my 35-year-old brother to colon cancer,” she said, “the same disease that had taken our mother five years before. My brother made me promise, ‘Please get checked frequently. This isn’t a coincidence.’ After my brother passed, I took all my genetic link paperwork to a urologist who looked through it, then at me, and said, ‘You’ll never get bladder cancer; you don’t smoke.’ When I explained the family history, he insisted, ‘You’re perfectly healthy. And if you’re just going to worry about getting cancer, I can’t help you.’”
Yikes. “I left feeling like a hypochondriac,” Madeline said, “and I didn’t go back. But heeding my brother’s warnings about the genetic link saved my life. At 40, I had my first colonoscopy and, right away, precancerous polyps were found,” she recounts. “That was in 1991 and it was not until 2014 that the bladder and ureter cancers started. I can still hear the gastroenterologist saying, ‘It’s cancer, and it’s likely that your entire colon will need to be removed.’”
Part of every year in the decade since, amazing Madeline has been hospitalized for either more cancer surgery or treatments. Every year. And yet you can read into her every word the positive, joyful, and wholehearted way she lives. What a godsend to reach out to Madeline when I’ve had questions or felt bewildered or just plain down-and-out about this relatively small speed bump of mine. Her hard-fought ureter expertise and willingness to share it has helped tremendously, and to think it’s all due to the connection we share through this Cardie Community.
Only thing is, we live five states away from each other, and “how I wish we were perched side-by-side today!” Thinking that you have a so-close-and-yet-so-far friend or a few like I do Madeline, we’ll send you the new birdbaths card FREE when you use promo code: Birdbaths at checkout through the weekend.
I know how good it felt to open the card I received from Mad yesterday, the Passages beached teddy bear card in which she’d written, “Hope this card finds you sitting on the beach, gazing at the ocean, and feeling fit as a fiddle. There’s nothing like a hospital stay to really appreciate being home. Stay well!”
With thanks to a now cancer-free Madeline for living the new birdbaths card, and Jessica for writing it, I gotta say that it feels strange — but great! — typing to you about it while lying flat on my back with my head raised just enough to see the laptop inclined on the stand over my belly. A real Frida Kahlo moment! Onward & upward.
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
May 6, 2025 – I love the gentleness of this new design written by Contributing Cardie Jessica Swaim. And the message rings especially true to me about now.
TMI, but two weeks ago I rushed to the ER to learn that a kidney stone had lodged in my left ureter, causing a nasty UTI. After two more ER visits, each followed by long weekends in the lovely confines of Mt Sinai Medical Center Miami Beach, I am feeling no pain and doing my best to lie flat until the antibiotics do their thing before the stent and stone can be removed on the 12th. And through it all, I’ve been chirping and squawking to Cardie Madeline Stockbridge.
Although we’ve never met, by being in Cardie Yoga together I’ve come to know Madeline as the kindest, most wise, witty, and positive person imaginable. She’s always great to Comment on the Cardie Newsetters, graciously sharing her thoughts and feelings with the community there. Beyond her engagement meaning so much to us, she expresses herself so eloquently that we now just file her Comments away for future use; otherwise, no other Cardie would have a chance to be featured in our Great Cardie Quote of the Week as we could run MadMessages each and every Friday!
It was in September of ‘21 that Mad first mentioned her health challenges. “Last week, I had my annual checkup at the Mayo Clinic to make sure colon cancer hasn’t reared its ugly head again. The day before my appointment, my anxiety was off the charts, but then I came to yoga with Paola and felt so calm afterwards. My tests came out clear and I write you with an incredibly grateful heart!”
When we responded with shock — as well as admiration for her candor — Madeline explained that, “I share my medical journey so openly because I want people to be educated about genetic links and advocate for their health.” Then she boldly and bravely told her cautionary tale.
“In 1984, I lost my 35-year-old brother to colon cancer,” she said, “the same disease that had taken our mother five years before. My brother made me promise, ‘Please get checked frequently. This isn’t a coincidence.’ After my brother passed, I took all my genetic link paperwork to a urologist who looked through it, then at me, and said, ‘You’ll never get bladder cancer; you don’t smoke.’ When I explained the family history, he insisted, ‘You’re perfectly healthy. And if you’re just going to worry about getting cancer, I can’t help you.’”
Yikes. “I left feeling like a hypochondriac,” Madeline said, “and I didn’t go back. But heeding my brother’s warnings about the genetic link saved my life. At 40, I had my first colonoscopy and, right away, precancerous polyps were found,” she recounts. “That was in 1991 and it was not until 2014 that the bladder and ureter cancers started. I can still hear the gastroenterologist saying, ‘It’s cancer, and it’s likely that your entire colon will need to be removed.’”
Part of every year in the decade since, amazing Madeline has been hospitalized for either more cancer surgery or treatments. Every year. And yet you can read into her every word the positive, joyful, and wholehearted way she lives. What a godsend to reach out to Madeline when I’ve had questions or felt bewildered or just plain down-and-out about this relatively small speed bump of mine. Her hard-fought ureter expertise and willingness to share it has helped tremendously, and to think it’s all due to the connection we share through this Cardie Community.
Only thing is, we live five states away from each other, and “how I wish we were perched side-by-side today!” Thinking that you have a so-close-and-yet-so-far friend or a few like I do Madeline, we’ll send you the new birdbaths card FREE when you use promo code: Birdbaths at checkout through the weekend.
I know how good it felt to open the card I received from Mad yesterday, the Passages beached teddy bear card in which she’d written, “Hope this card finds you sitting on the beach, gazing at the ocean, and feeling fit as a fiddle. There’s nothing like a hospital stay to really appreciate being home. Stay well!”
With thanks to a now cancer-free Madeline for living the new birdbaths card, and Jessica for writing it, I gotta say that it feels strange — but great! — typing to you about it while lying flat on my back with my head raised just enough to see the laptop inclined on the stand over my belly. A real Frida Kahlo moment! Onward & upward.
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
What a story for both of you. Good health prevails today and that is clear. Still picturing a very Frida Kahlo moment with you typing away. XXX 000
Holy cow, Jodee, you said you were mentioning me but I didn’t realize how much space you’d devote to my story. It’s good to bring awareness to being one’s own advocate. If you didn’t know my history, you might not have thought to reach out when all this happened to you. It’s always reassuring to have “company” when going through a scary situation. I’m so relieved you are feeling better and the worst is behind you. As that lovely birdbath card reads, I wish we were sitting side by side but we definitely are in spirit.
To put a spin on the line from the movie Elf
“Santa? I know him!”
I will say “Madeline? I know her!”
and that makes my life magical.
I read this when it came out last week and while I have thought about you and kept you in my daily prayers, I was too busy to sit down and write this note. I do hope that all went well with the stent/stone removal!! I do appreciate you and Madeline being so open and willing to share your health stories. They are reminders to all of us how important it is to take care of ourselves – and each other! Thank you – and here’s to good health!