Lisa Bonchek Adams

Thanks so much for all of the support and response to the announcement about the song release. It’s really exciting.

I know many of you were waiting for Six Minutes to be available on iTunes. Your wish has been granted. You can search for it with my name or Doug Allen’s name or use this link. It’s also on Spotify.

Yesterday’s post has all of the background about the song and its history if you missed it.

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Finally! After months of writing, recording and mastering, Doug Allen and I have released the song Six Minutes for distribution.

It is on iTunes here or you can get it here via CDBaby.

We are really proud of it and grateful to so many people who helped us with it… Donna Bonato at Silver Creative for turning one of my garden photos into the stunning cover art, Dennis Hrbek for his sound work, Anthony Radice for piano and some initial recording tracks, and of course our families and friends for their support along the way.

The background of the song as I wrote it for distribution is this:

I’ve been writing on my blog about my life for a few years and more recently about my diagnosis in 2012 with stage 4 breast cancer (6 years after initial surgery and treatment). Many of the posts I make are more poetic than prose lately. One particular one called “No room for that in this (Six Minutes)” seemed ripe for becoming song lyrics. I’ve never written song lyrics before and don’t even sing or play an instrument. But I did think the words had some potential to tell a good story, something I think is lacking in so much of modern music.

I’m a huge fan of Doug’s personally and professionally. He’s been teaching our son Colin to play guitar for a few years now. We’ve become friends and I love Doug’s sound. After hearing his latest album I knew he was someone who would be able to find the right music. I knew that on occasion he would co-write songs. I asked him, on a lark, if he’d consider working with me on turning the post into a song. He agreed.

We sat at my kitchen table and in that first session I turned that original post into the lyrics for “Six Minutes.” Doug almost immediately got the right feel and sound for the music and it just clicked. We both felt that while the original storyline of the song was about me, the song itself needed to be more universal. That’s why I made the chorus something so approachable, something everyone can relate to.

For me, the six minutes were ones of pain that I wanted to go by quickly. But I regretted that I was wishing my life away in these small increments. What Doug and I knew for sure is that we all can relate to the idea of “taking a trip inside your head” where you just check out during the day. That’s what he and I kept coming back to. Daydreaming, zoning out, whatever it is that helps you take a little break. So the chorus is about that, which is important because those are the words you’re likely to be singing to yourself again and again and need to be able to relate to.

The song came together very easily for us. The words really didn’t change after that first meeting. I think we knew we had the right music for it and the story is now there for sharing.

We hope listeners will enjoy it, we hope it will speak to them. This one is a true collaboration and I’m grateful Doug was able to share my words in a new way. After hearing it hundreds of times now I still find myself singing the chorus again and again at moments throughout the day.

You might enjoy seeing that original post and what the lyrics became in the final version…

Six Minutes 

The clock says it’s been six minutes now,
I’m glad that they have passed,
Then I realize I’ve wasted them:
Six minutes gone too fast.

I take a trip inside my head,
I don’t know where I go.
Somewhere else,
Anywhere else,
Far from things I know.

I try to forget for a moment now,
Focus on a spot on the wall,
I lose myself in the emptiness,
Such a painfully long way to fall.

So I take a trip inside my head,
I don’t know where I go.
Somewhere else,
Anywhere else,
Far from things I know.

I find myself in silence,
Tuning out the noise,
No room for anything,
But him, my girl and the boys.

And when I’m gone,
Just no way around it,
So many things they will miss
‘Cause when it comes to being fair,
There’s no room for that in this.

Gonna take a trip inside my head,
I don’t know where I’m gonna go,
Somewhere else,
Anywhere else,
Far from things I know…

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It’s Friday! I want to put a post up today because I know it’s been a while and people worry when I am not making posts. All is fine, it’s been a very busy week with a lot of routine medical appointments. Side effects from the new chemo are starting in and phrases like “mouth sores”, “high cholesterol,” and “follicular head pustules” make me certain that the person who called it “crazy, sexy cancer” was delusional about what cancer really is. There’s a lot that’s crazy but I don’t personally find a lot of sexy in it.

I’m getting help from my team in dealing with all of the side effects and have more appointments with more specialists in the next few weeks. For now things are stable and the next two weeks will proceed as planned. I’m still on Aromasin (25 mg/day) and Afinitor (7.5 mg/day). It’s the Afinitor that’s kicking in with my various problems. My tumor markers have shown a response to this combo over the last 6 weeks so we continue with it for now. I also received my monthly injection of Xgeva to strengthen my bones.

I wish you all a good Memorial Day weekend, especially our military personnel and their families.

The photo above is from 2002 by the way… where have eleven years gone?

I also want to mention that my last post, “There’s No Room for That in This (Six Minutes)” is the foundation for what is now a song titled “Six Minutes.” Over the past few weeks musician Doug Allen and I have been working hard on it and we’re almost done. I wrote the lyrics and he found the perfect music to bring those words to life. We are both so proud of the song and will be sharing in the future. His latest CD is available now and I just love it; it has two songs that have been on movie soundtracks… who knows where “Six Minutes” might land! More to come on this project.

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I get a lot of emails and comments with questions about cancer and how to help those who have it. Let me say clearly that I never think I speak for everyone with cancer. I do believe that asking questions is good, and even if you don’t think my answer is right for you, at least you might look at the issue a different way and clarify your own thoughts.

If people like this format I may continue to post letters/responses more often. I have often thought we need a grief/loss/illness etiquette column and I’ll gladly do my best to help.

This week I received the following excellent question.

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Hello…

I’m a 31 yr old only child whose mother was just diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma a week ago.

I’m going home for the first time (parents in WI, I’m in IL) since the diagnosis and after reading this blog, I’m not sure what I should say to her. She is a pessimist by nature and already saying she would refuse chemo (the details of her condition and treatment plan are still in the works) so my dad and I need to figure out a way to keep her positive so she can indeed have the support she needs to fight it. I bought some colored paper and was going to list “reasons why you are a fighter” as well as post some motivational sayings/quotes on their bathroom mirrors, but the ones that came to mind now seem like the ones you SHOULDN’T say “you can do this,”,”stay strong,”

Do you have any suggestions on what I could write? Please keep us in your prayers, I am obviously terrified of the road to come.

—– J

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My response:

A few quick thoughts for you, J. I am so sorry about your mom’s diagnosis.

My first thought is that you all need time to adjust to the news. The way you react initially is not always the way you feel once you get your feet back under you. She needs a bit of time to not only adjust to the news but also to make this treatment plan. She doesn’t even know yet what she will be potentially recommended for treatment and yet you are expressing desires to coach her on how to feel.

Being supportive does not necessarily mean keeping her spirits “up.” Maybe what she needs right now is support for how she actually feels, not pressure to be acting a certain way. The best way to support her is to listen to her, and not try to tell her how she should feel. Let her adjust. And most importantly, respect whatever she chooses.

We love our families more than anything, but it’s her choice to make how she wants to live her life and how she wants to treat her cancer. It’s enough to deal with these diagnoses without feeling you are carrying the emotional burden of your loved ones on your back too. It will mean that she will know everyone rises and falls on her actions. That’s a huge weight above and beyond the physical and emotional toll she will be going through.

One of the most important things to do is to ask her how she thinks you could help her the most. I have a feeling putting up signs is not it, especially if you say she is a pessimist by nature. Signs around the house won’t change her attitude if a lifetime of experiences haven’t. Loving her, spending time with her, helping her with things that she might have trouble doing… those might be better. The key is to ask, really listen, and then respect what she says. Her needs might change (doesn’t want or need help now but needs it in the future) so you have to ask again during treatment.

If she decides to refuse chemo it will be tough, but it’s her choice. Chemo is very hard and is a quality of life issue too. Depending on what they are recommending and what the ultimate details of prognosis are, it’s important to respect what she opts to do while still encouraging her to see the benefits (as described by her doctor).

Those of us with cancer know everyone wants us to be “strong” and “positive” but it’s what we need to hear the least. It’s not like we haven’t thought of that already; it often just makes us feel like people are telling us how we should act because it makes it better for them if we act that way.

Negative emotions are normal with cancer, especially only one week after diagnosis… how could they not be? Not feeling free to express them may just be one more way she feels burdened by this disease right now.

Clearly you love her and want to help. The fact you are concerned with the best way to support her shows wonderful affection. The best way to do that right now, so soon after diagnosis, is to ask, and then respect what she says… That’s my best advice right now.

She will need time, but ultimately I think that she will be grateful for being allowed to express her emotions both negative and positive. I wish you all the best. Please keep us posted.

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