History blog from Pat Camalliere Books- Staying Alive Is a Lot of Work: Me and My Cancer now available from Eckhartz Press October 24, 2024I’m so happy to be able to tell you that you can now order Staying Alive Is a Lot of Work: Me and My Cancer, through Eckhartz Press! The QR code at the bottom of the page will take you … Continue reading →Pat Camalliere
- New Memoir Will Be Available Soon September 10, 2024You are receiving this notice for one of two reasons: You are one of my blog subscribers, or you have met me at a recent event and asked to be notified when my memoir is available. That day is fast … Continue reading →Pat Camalliere
- For Halloween: The Ghosts of the Quarries! October 26, 2023Halloween is almost here! A good time to rell you about the Ghosts of the Quarries! Ghost hunters sometimes describe a phenomenon called the “stone tape theory.” The theory proposes that certain rocks have the ability to imprint—or “record” —energy … Continue reading →Pat Camalliere
- Submarines on the Chicago Sanitary Canal – No kidding! September 18, 2023My last post revealed some amazing information about the building of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. If you missed that post, you can read it here: The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal | Pat Camalliere – The Cora Tozzi … Continue reading →Pat Camalliere
- The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal August 6, 2023In last month’s blog, I spoke about the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal and its tremendous importance to not only the Chicago area and Illinois, but to the opening to settlement of the entire United States west of … Continue reading →Pat Camalliere
- Illinois and Michigan Canal Celebrates 175th Anniversary. July 6, 2023In April of 1848, the I & M Canal officially opened. From April of 2023 through March of 2024, the I & M Canal Corridor Association is having a year-long celebration of this event. Continue reading →Pat Camalliere
- The Des Plaines River June 6, 2023I get excited when I talk about Lemont’s waterways, because they are so important not only to the growth of Chicago, but to westward expansion across the entire continent. The only place all these important waterways come together is Lemont. … Continue reading →Pat Camalliere
- Train Wreck in Lemont, July 1905 May 9, 2023Last month’s post was about a train wreck in Lemont on the Alton-Chicago Railroad in 1873. Today we continue the subject of train wrecks with the Santa Fe derailment that also occurred in Lemont in 1905. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa … Continue reading →Pat Camalliere
- Lemont Train Wreck: August 16, 1873 April 17, 2023Is history repeating itself? Continue reading →Pat Camalliere
- Admiral Dewey and the Battle of the Sanitary Canal March 1, 2023The I & M Canal had been a tremendous success in opening up shipping and transportation between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. However, during dry periods the level wasn’t sufficient to float the barges and boats, and during heavy … Continue reading →Pat Camalliere
- Staying Alive Is a Lot of Work: Me and My Cancer now available from Eckhartz Press October 24, 2024
Author Archives: Pat Camalliere
My Personal Journey Through Head and Neck Cancer – #5 – Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy/Immunotherapy My oncology team recommended, in addition to thirty-five radiation treatments, eight infusions of Cetuximab. Cetuximab is not the only medical (pharmaceutical) option for treatment of head and neck cancers. Other agents, such as Cisplatin, fluorouracil, Paclitaxel, and more, are … Continue reading
My Personal Journey Through Head and Neck Cancer – #4 – Radiation Therapy
Radiation Therapy What treatment options were there for my cancer? Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are all used to treat cancer. Surgery removes areas of cancer directly by cutting them out, but what if the area is hard to get at … Continue reading
Posted in Head and Neck Cancer
Tagged Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer, personal cancer experience, Radiation Therapy, Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer
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Head and Neck Cancer: A Personal Journey #3 – Cancer Treatment Begins – The First Two Days
Head and Neck Cancer: A Personal Journey #3 – Cancer Treatment Begins – The First Two Days On January 2, my husband, Chris, drove me to Rush University Medical Center for minor surgery, an exam under anesthesia and biopsy. I … Continue reading
My Personal Journey through Head and Neck Cancer – Getting Ready for Treatment
Getting Ready for Cancer Treatment Due to surgical scheduling availability and other factors, I could not start treatment for my cancer until January 2, but then things would move very rapidly. I would have preferred to begin immediately for peace … Continue reading
My Personal Journey Through Head and Neck Cancer
I’m taking a short break from writing about local history while I complete treatment for recently-diagnosed head and neck cancer. For the next couple of months I will be writing instead about my experiences with cancer, hoping that some of … Continue reading
Posted in Head and Neck Cancer
Tagged Cancer, cancer experience, Cancer of tongue, cancer patient, Head and Neck Cancer
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Extraordinary Native American Woman – Marie Rouensa – 1677-1725
Do you know Marie Rouensa? No? Maybe she’s more familiar to you by her Native American name, Aramepinchone? You don’t recognize that name either? Marie is a woman well worth knowing. Marie Rouensa was born in 1677. Her … Continue reading
Posted in Illinois History
Tagged American Indians, Extraordinary Women, Fur trade, History, Illinois, Kaskaskia Illinois, local history, Marie Rouenza, Marie Rouenza Aco Phillipe, Native American Women, Northern Illinois, women
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Three-year-old Elsie, 1893-1896
Three-year-old Elsie, 1893-1896 The first permanent settlers came to Northern Illinois in the 1830s and by the mid-1800s many nearby towns had grown to be of significant size. On 127th Street in Lemont is St. Matthew’s Cemetery. Cemeteries like St. … Continue reading
Posted in General History, Illinois History, Lemont History
Tagged cemetery, Chicago, Chicago history, childhood hazards, childhood mortality, children, History, Illinois, Lemont, local history, Northern Illinois, young girls
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America’s Love of Air Racing – 1930s – Rudy Kling, “Speed King”
With the Chicago Air and Water Show about to begin, I thought it a good time to tell the story of a giant of Air Racing and local boy made famous! In the late 1920s and the entire 1930s, America … Continue reading
Ghosts of the Quarries
Many ghost hunters describe something called the “limestone theory,” holding that paranormal activity is more frequent in areas where there are large amounts of limestone. One possible explanation is that the chemical makeup of limestone is similar to that of … Continue reading
Have Yourself an Early Illinois Christmas!
When I found out my writer friend, Diane Andersen, had written about historic Illinois Christmas traditions, I invited her to write something for my December blog, and she graciously accepted. By way of introduction, although exploration and fur … Continue reading
Posted in Illinois History
Tagged Christmas, Christmas carols, D. L. Andersen, early Illinois, History, holiday decorations, holiday meals, holiday traditions, Illinois, Stephenson House, traditions
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