Momentous Occasions and Random Meet-ups

I graduated. Yep, my solo meeting with the oncologist went well and I've been moved to only needing to see the oncologist every 6 months. Of course, that's now off-schedule with the "every six-months" mammogram that I need, such that I will still be driving to UCLA every 3 months--next for a mammogram, then for the oncologist, then for a mammogram, and so on. I'm wondering if I can postpone the mammogram by 3 months to get on the same schedule? (I can almost hear you yelling at me). Okay, so probably not. More reasons to head into LA and perhaps the Beverly Hills Cheese shop.

Another little interesting fact about that oncology visit. While in the waiting room I met a woman who, as it turns out, had also driven in from Riverside and also was seeing Dr. Glaspy--only she's something like a 10 yr survivor. Then it turned out I knew her son--a stockbroker also here in Riverside--who was the one who drove her to her appointment. After a brief "so how are you" discussion we of course launched into just how sad it was that so many of us were having to drive so far to get good health care. Note that I won't even have my mammograms done here! I'm still going to drive to UCLA. Between us we knew 6 people who currently drive to UCLA from Riverside (60 miles each way) for cancer care. UC Riverside will have a medical school in the not-too-distant future; it's been a long time coming and can't get here fast enough. We sincerely hope that will help with our lack of medical care. I really wish there was something we could do in the meantime. Sigh.

And one more landmark event has occurred---my hair is now long enough to bother me!! I have to remind myself to be happy I have hair. But, it was 92+ degrees this weekend and my hair does sit on my neck and droop into my eyes and I desperately wanted to put it in a ponytail. It didn't really work. The ponytail was kind of pathetic. It's getting there, there's just no there there yet when it comes to my hair. Har. ;-)

We are now 10 days away from leaving for France, via a couple of days in Geneva, Switzerland. Really, really looking forward to this trip. Before I leave however (in fact, soon!) I will let you know about two "cancer" books I've read. I was given an Advance Reading Copy of Jane Green's "Promises to Keep" by her publicist (who is, clearly, scouring "breast cancer blogs" for likely readers). It a novel based on Jane's experience losing one of her best friends to breast cancer.  Right. I hadn't thought it through either, until I read the book. What the publicist is doing is actually a little cruel. I have to assume she hadn't thought it through either. More on that later. The other book is "So Much for That" by Lionel Shriver (who is actually a woman; she wrote "We Need to Talk About Kevin"). It's a cancer book, but mostly it's a screed about our health care system...well, our insurance system...and the toll major medical problems can take on a family. Having said that (because I'm sure I just made that sound like the most depressing novel ever), it's extremely well written and at times even funny. They are somewhat opposite books. We shall discuss.