Happy Christmas & New Year!

It has been exactly one month since my last blog post!  I thought that I would turn this into a Christmas greeting as Chris and I have been very busy over the past three + weeks since I returned to London (and I am using the "cancer card" as my excuse for not sending out proper holiday cards)!  So instead, I am going for the holiday blog post.

It has been quite a year!  My cancer diagnosis at the end of February almost seems a lifetime ago.  As I settle back into life in London, I continue to feel extreme gratitude that my treatment went so well.  As I look back on 2015, I am thankful for so very much - my wonderful friends and family who have all been so supportive - the fabulous doctors, nurses, technicians,  and physical therapist who treated me in Santa Barbara - a wonderful nurse navigator and dietitian at the Cancer Center - and restorative yoga!

My first day of tamoxifen.

I am now a patient at the Cancer Centre of London, a private clinic here in Wimbledon.  I had my first herceptin treatment last week and all seemed to go fine. I will continue with these infusions every three weeks until early March.  I have also started taking tamoxifen - the drug that suppresses estrogen production which will help decrease the likelihood of recurrence for me since my breast cancer was so very strongly estrogen positive.

The Cancer Centre of London.

Chris with me at the Cancer Centre.

I am also back to work with the University of California in London - and it is wonderful to be getting back into the swing of things.  As you can see in the photo above, my hair is growing back - and I now look like I may have chosen a pixie cut (which is nicer than the chemo-couture bald look I had for so many months)! I have had a few people even tell me I should keep my hair short.  Actually, it is the perfect haircut for windy and rainy London - no hair in my face, no frizz, no need for styling.  Who knew?!

A profile on my yoga teacher Cheri Clampett in the Cancer Center Newsletter.

Chris and I are spending our first Christmas in London in 6 years!  We are just feeling so happy to be together and to have a few days to relax with each other (cancer treatment can be rather draining)!  As I look ahead to 2016, I feel excited about so much - getting back in shape, doing a bit of traveling to fun places with Chris, improving my cooking, and enjoying friends and family.  This whole crazy cancer journey has only further emphasized for me the power of love, hope and kindness.  Cancer reminds you that you really can't take anything for granted in life.

So for 2016, I hope to leave the cancer behind, but not forgotten.  I take with me, the tremendous support and care I was given and will endeavor to give back some of the love, hope and kindness I have received from all of you!  I hope that 2016 will bring all of you new adventures, lots of laughter and hopefully a little bit of happy dancing!

My first walk back in Wimbledon (left) and my last walk in Santa Barbara before returning to London (right).