Cancer and other hilarity

I'm a happy wee Tigress at the moment :)

Not that I'm not normally a fairly jovial person, but a phone call yesterday morning gave me reason to feel just that extra bit spiffier.

You see my tit seems to have stopped trying to kill me.

Back in October of 2010, things were a tad different. At the age of 36 I was diagnosed with a Grade II invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast: ie breast cancer.

I wasn't amused.

And I mentioned this to the registrar who was enlightening me of my plight. I stipulated before they even had a chance to present the options that I would like it removed at the earliest opportunity thank you very much indeed. Yes I'm happy with the risks surgery...no I don't give a rat's ass that there will be scarring (hell I wanted something to show for all this!). Just get it out. Now.

They were most obliging and whipped the offending ball of cells out nary a week later. (Didn't get the boob job I wanted though damn it. You know, the nice sheepdog operation: rounds 'em up and points 'em in the right direction...*sigh*..oh well lol) But they were efficient and I like that in a hospital. And none this having to be insured business...this is New Zealand...it was free...well a-la the New Zealand tax payer type free anyway.

What I also liked was that because my tumour was caught early (I didn't want to get out of the shower one morning so examined my boobs for a bit...smart move as it turns out), I only needed radiation and no chemotherapy....I have hair past my shoulder blades...and was fully resigned to lose the lot, so, yeah, was pretty chuffed about that.

A wee word about radiation by the way...if you've got sizeable tatas, they're gonna burn. And we're not talking a gentle rosy glow here; we're talking blistering and raw by the end of your six weeks fun and games. But there is no point letting such things dampen one's spirit...and to be honest, the shock value is awesome!

"Oh, hey, how are you?"
"Aw yeah, not too bad."
"So where are you working now?"
"Oh, I'm not working at the moment, I've just had breast cancer so just doing the radiation and stuff."

(Y'know..casual as...but then - they pick their chin up off the floor - you can go in for the kill with the visuals. It was summer at the time I was having my treatment so just strappy type tops were the go. And they didn't start trussing me up like a turkey till right at the end so all I had to do was lift my arm and you could see some of the fabulous effects of the radiation down part my side.)

"Oh wow!! That's major!! How are doing with all that??"
"Ah, it's a pain in the tit t'be honest..here, check this out."

The facial expressions were brilliant. Best part of the whole cancer I'd say. Can't say I'd recommend the complete experience though - give that a miss if you can...what with the whole life-threatening component and all. I tried it, didn't like it, sure as hell don't plan on doing it again.

But it does change you, something like this. Here I am, 16 months later, damn lucky, with a whole new respect for life; I am much more forgiving and don't sweat the small stuff nearly as much as I used to. But that's not to say the small things don't matter too. Indeed the smallest things you say and do may also be the most powerful, and you just never know when karma is gonna cock her eyebrow at you and call you on one of them.

For example, I used to frequently gasp: "I'd give my left one to see that!"

I don't say that any more...

You know...just in case.