Hi, hope no one requires smelling salts at seeing me post a blog entry!  Bionic just wrote to me asking how I was doing which was so kind I thought I'd mention why I was not present for the past few months. 

I felt funny, walking around kind of lopsided, or not being able to suck in my gut and walk straight. I assumed it was my weight and was trying to cut down and nothing seemed to work.

I went to a chiropractor and he took about ten x rays and pointed out how terrible my spine was etc...and when I tried to say, 'but I'm not in pain, I just have this funny thing...my abdomen is full feeling.'  but I didn't manage well.  I think seeing my body pointed out with this gung ho type of presentation and the price of the treatment for putting everything right...just floored me. 

About two weeks later, I went to the doctor for something minor and did a 'could you check this for me while I'm here?' 

Imagine my shock when the doctor began asking me about my cancer history and ordering tests and avoiding my eyes! 

Within a week, I was booked for one of the best hospitals in the country, about an hour away in traffic. I had different tests each day that revealed different things.  The worst case scenarios were pretty bad, to say the least.  With celebrity cases of ovarian cancer popping into my mind, I had several days to put ducks in a row, and prepare the surgery week.

My sister and parents made themselves available to come with me and stay down there nearby.  

Surgery went well, and my doctor literally wrote the book on this type of surgery.   Two weeks later the definitive reports were in, it was not cancer.

I had a hysterectomy and yet, as this was only step two of a pretty scary chain of things that it could have been, I am thankful that I'm ok.

I'm writing in pink today to celebrate Breast cancer awareness month, the month of my birth as well, as I was born the day after Sputnik was launched. Therefore my fiftieth is truly a celebration, but, I do not wish to let this pass without telling you all to get things checked out and take better care of yourself than I did! 

Many of my FT friends were informed, but I did not have time to inform everyone.  I truly am grateful to have so many people cheering for me. 

Best wishes for a healthy year and don't hesitate getting checked up for something...if I'd waited much longer, the doctor says that, it might not have been such a happy story.  I lost twenty five pounds immediately, so, you can imagine how this made me feel dumb!