The wind in my hair...

Today was the first day since July that I was able to go out with my head uncovered. Very reminiscent of Annie Lennox circa 1983. :)

Newsworthy...

It was my great pleasure to speak with Mutsumi Takahashi about this blog. Check it out:

http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120120/mtl_newsmaker_cancer_chic_120120/20120120/?hub=MontrealHome

Bring on the parties!

I made it to the end of a gruelling six months of chemo!

I had great support...

great medical care...

and great fashion! ;)

I am a nerd...

But, I am a nerd who is almost finished her chemotherapy treatments! Just look at the clear statistical difference depicted in this graph. 21 down and 3 to go.

Survival of the fittest?

My dear friend sent me a t-shirt with this picture, the epitome of survival. In many ways, I am also a picture of survival. Each day I put on my gorgeous hair, fill in my brows, create the illusion of lustrous lashes with make-up, and dress myself in something fashionable. I head out into the world behind this veneer of health and vitality and I seem to have everyone fooled. I take pleasure in the fact that no one offers me a seat on the metro and that perfect strangers stop me in the street to ask me where I get my hair done. I get my new chemo treatments on Mondays and I always go in looking my best. Though I get a lot of positive reinforcement for my appearance, I am starting to question whether projecting this image is respectful in an environment where so many great people won't survive. It is ok to survive, but is it ok to flaunt it?

Life, accommodated.

My daughter in her support bathing cap

Clearly, I am no blogger with my posts coming at a pitiful rate of once every 8 weeks! But, here is your bi-monthly update:

I did shave my head. It was not as empowering as it looks on tv. I cried and my daughter gave me a lecture about how hair is not actually an important body part (and is certainly nothing to cry over). I was surprised that she didn't have a powerpoint prepared to support her convincing argument.

Though we went back to the basics in many ways (like having to focus on eating, sleeping, and hand washing), we still managed to live our lives. We had an activity-packed summer during each of my off-treatment periods of two weeks. My favourite excursion was a stay at the airport hotel that has a water slide. We changed in our hotel room and wore bathing caps and goggles so that we would seem like an intense swim duo instead of people dealing with cancer. It was during this trip that my daughter coined the term "support bathing cap."

My best update of all is that I just had my last A/C chemotherapy treatment! I honestly can't believe that I made it through. I wanted to quit so many times. I am starting a new treatment that will apparently not make me spend my week camping out on the bathroom floor. Yay!

The Mia

The pixie pioneer

The last two weeks have gone much better than the first week. Thankfully, the vomiting stopped after week 1 and I was able to deal with the exhaustion by napping or watching a show from my growing arsenal (it turns out that the best thing that people can do for me is bring over complete seasons of the shows that they are watching). I have ploughed through Californication, Gossip Girl, Parks and Recreation, The Big C, and I just started Mad Men. I feel less lazy (and like someone who has actual goals) when I watch something from start to finish. In my opinion, you should really watch The Big C, it is a non-saccharine yet touching depiction of cancer and life (http://www.sho.com/site/thebigc/home.sho).

My version of the Mia

I have also lost a lot of hair in the last two weeks; I inherited a ridiculously thick head of hair so it has been a very drawn-out process. I have dealt with my hair loss in stages. I started by buying a really gorgeous wig (what would I do without Etsy?) that was cut to look like my old hair. I went on to get a  really nice pixie hair cut which I managed to keep for a week! And, today, I am going for the full on shave, from Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby to G.I. Jane. I will let you know how it goes!