Sunday Sushi

You are in luck. This should be a short post. It's Sunday and I've had the perfect combination of productive and relaxing today. And now Brien and Roryann Clements are coming over with homemade sushi (theirs, not ours...and they're, you know, real chefs). I haven't actually had sushi since the ban went into effect (when chemo started), so I"m kind of excited about this. Thus, in keeping with the productive but relaxing theme I have going, I'm posting to the blog but keeping it somewhat short. After all, the photos sort of speak for themselves.

Breast Cancer As Seen Through the Hair:

January 24, 2009 (the night before surgery):
March 13, 2009 (Head shaved two weeks after first chemo):


Sometime in mid-May after last chemo, before hair started growing back: And finally, July 11, 2009: Making it's way back!!

A few things to note here--if you ask me, I look happier in the last photo then I do in the first three. And I am. That's because I'm all done with this cancer thing (you hear me you little bitch cancer? Done!). Also, the hair is definitely darker. Although, now that it's getting a little daylight exposure I can see that it might very well lighten up. Who cares? It's hair!!

Obviously you will also note the shirt! That is one of the shirts we had designed and made up for the Survivor party and are selling to benefit the new Breast Cancer Resource Center at the Inland Agency here in Riverside, California --and believe me, we need a resource center!! The shirts say "Out-Chemo, Out-Radiate, Out-Live." With the ubiquitous pink ribbon and "Survivor" emblazoned in the middle. There is also a turtle in the ribbon loop (turtle is a symbol for long life--and I happen to like turtles) and the palm trees along the bottom which will make you laugh, as it does me, if you remember this January posting: How Medicine Made me a Hot Babe. (You too can have a shirt--$15 each and available in men's or women's sizes (M to XXL), V-neck and crew neck, white or gray for the men, and white, hot pink or baby pink for the ladies; email me if you want one and you'll have to throw in a few bucks for shipping if I have to mail it to you. Hey, I have medical bills to pay for I can't be supporting the US Post Office too!).

Finally, I've mentioned before that there are cliques and "teams" in this breast cancer brawl and I seem to not ever get it right for the "pink" team, what with my whole refusal to cry, making jokes and continuing to go about my normal life (hence, my cancer Dork status). But occasionally I run into my people and it makes me happy when I do. So check out the blog of another woman who can laugh (and make you laugh) in the face of breast cancer. And given what her face has been through lately...that's saying a lot! (An example--she refers to surgery, chemo and radiation as "Slash, poison and burn" and yep, that about covers what we've been through!) We've been chatting and she also posted on her hair growth today. Meet my new blog friend Stephanie at Bah! to Cancer. (She's British...they talk like that.)

NOW I look like a Cancer Patient??

On Sunday evening we went out for a walk on the beach. We've been lounging around, writing, relaxing and spending way too much time on our computers, so we decided a walk would be good. Of course, when that's the kind of day one has been having one does not really feel like getting all prettied up. And then throw in the fact that I have no hair and no eyelashes and well...yeah, I think this may be the most I've ever looked like a cancer patient out in public (save perhaps, the white blood cell crash day--but I had hair and eyelashes then, so I doubt anyone was thinking "cancer." (They were just thinking "RUN!! I don't want whatever she has!) Putting on a wig to go for a walk on the beach seems just stupid, as does false eyelashes, or really, any make-up. So here was my look. And yeah, people stared a little (or I was paranoid; either one). But it was so nice to be outside and at the beach that I really didn't care. Oh, and I'm wearing the "Feel Your Boobies" t-shirt under the "Beagles for Boobies" sweatshirt so people could either figure "breast cancer" or "breast fetish."

We're winding up our La Jolla weekend slowly. Heading to the village for lunch and a stroll around (love the art galleries down here) and then up to VALERIE AND ANDY ZUCKER'S home in Murrietta for dinner. I'm telling you this "Cancer Wins/ Cancer card" thing comes in really useful. This was a nice weekend away where mostly I didn't feel like Cancer Girl. Special thanks to SUSAN MEDEL for the use of her beautiful condo! Wonderful, relaxing, cozy place! I even got an outline of the possible "Everything I needed to know about cancer I learned from my dog" memoir done. Sort of. We'll see--it seems a bit overwhelming at this point. A blog is different than a memoir. I'm way less self conscious about the blog (for better or for worse!).

I'm hoping that this week at work can also be a highly productive week--never mind the CT scan Tuesday morning and the blood test again on Thursday. I signed a lease to expand my office to more than double its current size and my first associate will be starting with me in just about a month. (Under the circumstances, is this crazy or brave?? Discuss amongst yourselves.) I've got to get my practice kicked back into high gear!! Enough of this relaxing weekend stuff! Well, until next weekend and the weekend of no restrictions debauchery. By the way, don't you think that post-cancer treatment the prize should be one of these homes? Just one. Is that really so much to ask??