Cancer Burns

Dear Friends,

A lovely dinner with Auntie Mary, Mom and Regina.

Everyday I feel a bit stronger and more myself.  I am steadily making my way through radiation treatment.  I have just 10 more radiation sessions to go - I finish on November 13th.  I have treatment every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday - with a break at the weekend.  I am also in a well-fit class for cancer patients at the Santa Barbara Athletic Club two days a week and going to physical therapy two days a week.  So I am staying busy!

The radiation therapy staff have been great and the treatments effective - as is evidenced by a solidly red square of skin - it runs from my right collarbone into my armpit and then down below my right breast and then into the center of my chest.  It is a little itchy, swollen and sore, but I am hanging in there.  It is not nearly as challenging as chemo!  My tips for getting through radiation include:  using Miaderm lotion (specifically designed for radiation patients) a few times a day, Elta melting moisturizer and then when you get really red and itchy, 1% hydro-cortisone (the petroleum based version seems to be more soothing than a creme base).  I will spare you the photos of my red skin!

Chris looking dashing in pink!

Our friend Stefani and her son Luke joined us on the walk!

Chris was here in early October and we enjoyed participating in the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara's 5k walk.  Thank you to everyone who supported us in the walk! We ended up raising $4000 for the Cancer Center (I was one of the top 5 fundraisers - thanks to all of you!). As promised, since I made my fundraising target Chris put on the pink wig!

Darian was also walking in honor of our friend Spencer!

My friend Darian - another cancer survivor!

I also enjoyed a great visit with my mom and Great Aunt Mary in mid-October.  It was so nice to have their company (and help)! 

It is hard to believe that I will be back in London in one month.  The excessively hot weather we are having in Santa Barbara is actually making me feel pretty OK about returning to London for the winter!  Hmmm, will I say that after a few days of cold rainy weather you ask?? Well, I do think I will still be saying that I am happy to be home (but may be less enthusiastic about the temperature)!

The interview and therapeutic yoga video I did with the amazing Cheri Clampett is now up on the Yoga Anytime website.  There is also a 15 minute interview that she did with me and Francine, a fellow breast cancer survivor.  I think that you can view a short bit of the videos without joining Yoga Anytime. Actually, they have a wonderful selection of videos and I am looking forward to using these yoga videos when I return to London.

Finally, I was terribly saddened to learn that my dear friend and mentor Lena Astin passed away earlier this week.  She was a fellow cancer patient, who was battling pancreatic cancer.  Lena was a very special person to me.  I had the good fortune of having Lena as my Ph.D. advisor at UCLA and she was one of the first people I contacted when I found out that I had breast cancer.  She was a true trailblazer, a nationally recognized scholar in higher education, a change maker, and visionary.  She led with great intellect, unbelievable warmth and good humor.  She saw so many possibilities for change and acted upon them.  She was a phenomenal woman and I will be eternally grateful for the time I had with her. 

My last visit with Lena and Sandy in Malibu.