Rambling about breast cancer issues.

I've been wanting a picture of me in red to use on Facebook, because it's easier to see where my posts are if I've got on red. Anyway, I asked Don to make several pictures yesterday, so that's why it looks so much the same as the last picture.

I remember that Mom would never wear any open neck clothes because it showed her caved in chest. She never wore a sleeveless blouse because it showed her fat arm. You'll notice in the picture that my fat arm just gets to be there and so does my caved in chest. Maybe you wouldn't notice if I didn't make a big deal of it, but for anyone who goes through breast cancer, these are issues. I want to encourage folks to go ahead and be comfortable, as much as possible. You can see that the right side of my chest is not tanned because that's the side that they radiated and I keep it covered when I'm sunning. So the left side is tanned, and that exacerbates the concave look. My left side is more concave because the lymphedema keeps the right side swollen. Mom had only one mastectomy, so I'm sure the contrast of the concave side and the side with a remaining breast was really obvious to her. She was constantly aware of the lack of balance in her own breast and her prosthesis. I guess that made a big impression on me because I did NOT want to be left with one breast. I wanted to at least be level. I have no regrets. I remember reading several years ago about a lady who had breast cancer and a double mastectomy. She said it was wonderful looking like an 8 year old, again. I enjoy that, too, and reading her story helped me to be prepared when I faced breast cancer. Around the house I don't usually wear any prosthesis and I often run out to the store or post office and forget all bout wearing boobs! Ha! I think people are more shocked about my knee bands than they are about my flat chest!

I thank God for the opportunity to have had boobs, but I thank him also for the opportunity to be flat chested, again. I thank Him for a husband who loves me even flat chested. Most of all I thank Him for another chance at life. I still think boobs are way over rated. Life is the real treat.