NO LIGHTNING

Dear sisters,

So, lightning does not strike and divide up the earth when you get the diagnosis of breast cancer. Rather it is preceded and followed by waiting rooms in various pastel hues, Oprah's magazine telling you you can do ANYTHING you want, and many forms explaining your right to privacy as a patient. Your childrens still demand their chocolate milk and refuse to eat their vegetables. Your car could still do with a visit to the car wash.

It might be a good time to do it. It is practical and simple.

The sun does seem to shine a little brighter and the music definitely sounds a little sweeter, while I adjust to the idea of it all. I am that young mother with two young children. It really is me they are talking about. Reading is very enjoyable at the moment. The many calls of support do me good. I love A. and the kids more than ever.

I really have no intention of not getting well, so it is a question of getting through the treatments. Right? I am worrying about gaining weight and getting flaky skin, a common side effect, and I am having wild fantasies about the long blonde curly wig I will choose when I lose my hair. (One MUST always make the most of a situation). They advise you to get a colour slightly lighter than your natural (?) hair colour as the chemo does tend to make you rather pasty faced. I am familiar with that concept.

Anyway, it is the calm before the storm. The date for removal of the "lump" has not been set. It will be within the next week or two. We are going to get a 2nd opinion at a breast care center, just to hear a different point of view and maybe to move to a specialised center. In the meantime, I am ironing name tags onto Jip's new school uniform. He starts kindergarten tomorrow. We are sending him to the local Catholic school which is just two blocks down the road and has a large proportion of red heads enrolled. I tried explaining who God is, but I don't think I did a very good job. It didn't appeal to Jip much. Now I just have to get him to stop calling it the "God school" before tomorrow.


Love S1.