My first blog. My first blog entry.

Starting this particular writing process has been on my mind for a while. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in July I thought, oh, a little lumpectomy and a few nodes taken out, some radiation and I'll be good to go by Christmas. Maybe even trekking by spring. Ha! So I did not think other than keeping a simple journal that I would want to write about my cancer. But when the surgical pathology results came back, life took a different turn for me and instead of radiation, I have now embarked on what will probably add another year to the three months already taken up with diagnosis, waiting for surgery, surgery and now starting chemo.

Chemo is only one step but it is an important one that we hope will stop or at least slow the "constellations of cancer" that my breast surgeon calls the findings. For the past several nights I have dreamed about how to start the blog and how to write about it. Clearly I want to get started or so the dreams say. Mary has set me up with the basic tools here and she even came up with the name, "Breast Cancer, eh?" Very Canadian and right now I am so glad I am a Canadian and that I am here in Vancouver, BC with the best cancer outcomes in Canada. This is not to say that the rest of Canada is not as good (see, I am worrying about what people might think which I will need to just get over) but when our good Nova Scotia friend who is head oncologist in Cape Breton says it, well it does make me feel good!

The second choice for the blog name was mine: "Cancer--What the fuck!" but we decided the first is better. WTF will appear anyway as there have been so many WTF moments since July 18 and no doubt there will be many more.

Yesterday my good friend and neighbour (and fellow trekker) Cathy sent me this pink glove dance contest.

Mount St. Joseph Hospital is where I was diagnosed. This has already meant several visits there for mammograms, ultrasound, lots of tests, visits to my breast surgeon before and after surgery, my surgery and then a CT scan most recently. When I saw the entire staff doing the dance it was overwhelmingly emotional for me - tears just fell out of my eyes and even now they threaten. They all care! I worked at MSJH and it was a small, caring hospital then just as it is now.

Stay tuned for the next entry.