Osiyo~

I have a special post today, by an even more special guest. Nope. No round pen for this heroine. Only a cushy rocker for her and her little shadow tyke will do.

As you all know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. This event repeats every year, thank God!

I know it, have driven blocks out of the way to avoid walker/joggers on the Susan G Komen trek, seen pink everywhere I look, hear about it on television. But oddly, I’ve never been more aware since reading one novella, self-published by a new friend. When she contacted me to edit her ‘story’ I jumped at the chance and am thankful I did. I wonder if I’ll ever read another story that impacted me more–doubt I will.

Where Would You Like Your Nipple is an account of one woman’s walk from dark to light that is breast cancer. I don’t know anyone going through this disastrous disease, only have ever met one person who had it and lost and I didn’t know her for very long so I wasn’t hit by her journey the way this one hit me. I’m here to tell you–if you have, or know someone who has/had breast cancer, heck even if you say no to both of these– This book will change your life. You won’t be able to help it. Even if, like me, you pay a little extra attention to your own body, get a mammogram, the book has paid for itself.

I’d like a big Ranch welcome and show of love for a wonderful woman, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, sister, daughter, romance author… SURVIVOR; Mackenzie Crowne.

Hair today, gone tomorrow.

If you’re a social media hound like me, you won’t have missed the recent, heart-wrenching posts of Kelly Pickler shaving her head in solidarity with her best friend who is battling breast cancer. I was in the process of releasing Where Would You Like Your Nipple? my survivor’s guide to navigating the breast cancer abyss at the time, and couldn’t help noticing the many posts. Like so many others, my attention was snagged by the pictures of the friends together. After all, they’re beautiful; two gorgeous women with nothing but a shadow of fuzz covering their skulls, ala Sinead O’Connor. And well, as a survivor who has experienced chemo, I’ve been there, done that.

But as I witnessed the furor over Kelly’s actions on social media, I found myself willing the millions of women touched by the stories to truly understand the scope of loss those pictures represented. Kelly’s friend is facing chemo, proving the disease has advanced far enough that radical measures are needed. No matter the stage, breast cancer is a bitch and survivors will carry the scars of battle, both physical and emotional,  for the rest of their lives. But early detection reduces the scars left behind. Catching breast cancer early lessens the possibility of body-altering surgeries and debilitating treatments. It eliminates the need for reconstruction and fear of developing new issues, like lymphedema. And let’s face it, ladies, average looking women don’t look like Kelly and her friend when they lose their hair. For months after chemo, I more closely resembled Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers movies than the lovely Sinead.

Sure, hair grows back, and considering all the crappy stuff a breast cancer patient deals with, a temporarily bald head is low on the list, but I’ll tell you this, the memory of crying in the shower while clumps of your hair clog the drain never quite fades away. There are many experiences from my breast cancer battle I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy – okay, maybe one or two, but the point is, I don’t want YOU to experience them.

So, what are you waiting for? Check those ta-tas. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

*whistling the theme from Jeopardy*

All good? Awesome! Now, don’t forget to check them again next month. You’ll be glad you did!

Thanks for being a shining inspiration. Love ya Mac.

Dodadagohvi~