Yet another chance to listen to Dr. Mark giving the her own brand of shame-free sex information on The Stupid Cancer Show; Monday, June 8, from 6-7pm Pacific.  The Stupid Cancer Show is the voice of young adults with cancer and Monday’s episode is all about sex!  For more information check out:  http://stupidcancershow.com

Cancer sucks.  Survivors rule!

I got my hair cut the other day. That may seem like a mundane act, but I celebrate every time I need a trim since chemo. During my first visit, while my stylist worked some magic on my budding follicles, I gave her the back-story on my cancer and how I managed to get through it all with my dignity and humor intact. In a few months she too would learn she had breast cancer.

Delivering the news of my own diagnosis to my mom was so painful that I couldn’t bear repeating it, so I compiled an e-mail list to communicate with my family and urban tribe. What started as a convenient way to keep folks up to date on my adventures in cancer land morphed into a therapeutic telling of what cancer is like on the inside. Now my life was an open book, and I shared parts of myself that had I kept hidden before.

Here’s an example:
After wiping away the initial tears, I have refocused my energy into making the best of these circumstances. Gathering with friends and family and creating silly celebrations like the Hairwell and Chemo Goodbye-O parties, sounds like a lot more fun than sitting around feeling sorry for myself.

Here’s another:
There’s no denying that you are a cancer patient when you have to go to the clinic every single day. I’ve joked about cancer being a full-time job, but sheesh! Can’t I just stand in front of the microwave with the door open for a while?

My candor about the surgeries, chemo, radiation, and my new “bionic boob,” made people laugh but also touched them on a deeper level. My tales of the highs and lows of treatment inspired a friend whose grandson was battling cancer and reminded her that it’s not an insurmountable task. Another friend was eager to help her neighbor with meals during chemo but didn’t know what to feed a nauseous person. My e-mails prompted her to freeze her best comfort food so it would be there whenever he was ready for it.

Unlike many survivors, cancer didn’t teach me how to appreciate the little things in life. Instead, it shined a light on my innate wisdom and left me with no excuse for keeping it hidden. Speaking my truth was meant to soothe my soul, but it had a ripple effect that I never would have predicted. Last week, my hair stylist told me she’s sharing her story with countless other women facing breast cancer. It makes me wonder, why wait until something like cancer strikes before unleashing your own inner wisdom?