Let me get my hands on your mammary glands...

...a line, of course, from The Smith's song: Handsome Devil. And a weird one to be going through my head as I had my annual diagnostic mammograms today. Nothing much to report other than there's been no updates to Providence's absurdly small changing area since last year. But the ladies of Diagnostic Imaging were as lovely as ever. And the films showed nothing to worry about. Mind you, they showed nothing when I had a 2.1cm malignant tumor but I really can't feel anything unusual and it would be very unlucky less than two years after treatment.

And let me get your head on the conjugal bed. I say, I say, I say....

She came from Greece, she had a thirst for knowledge..

The title of this blog post is, of course, the first line from the song "Common People" by Pulp. It played over and over in my head throughout my recent two-week sojourn on the island of Rhodes. I think I was mentally rehearsing in case I had to perform Karaoke. My sister and brother-in-law (who live there) are avid fans of the "sport." Luckily for me, I managed to avoid this humiliation.

And I got through the whole two weeks without any kind of health issue (other than some wine-induced indigestion.) In fact many in our party (and there were many - we were there for a wedding) came down with a nasty cold.

Vitamin D, I tell you.

Now I'm back I have a lot of health stuff to catch up on. No one has contacted me for my annual mammogram so, as usual, I have to chase down some preventive health care. That's cool. I am, as I've always said, my own best health advocate.

Birthday

And so, it was on this day 45 years ago, that Rebecca Mary Armstrong was born in a maternity hospital in Tunbridge Wells, England.

Not much is known about Armstrong's early years. Reportedly she didn't learn to walk until she was two years old, causing her maternal grandmother, Doris, to exclaim, "There's something wrong with that child." She was, however, an early talker, able to conduct articulate and rigorous debate well before the age of two. And, anyway, why walk when you can ask people to do stuff for you.

15 years later, Mount St Helens erupted.

Random thoughts on the eve of turning 45

God, I'm tired.

Why is my husband watching a period chick flick starring Jessica Lange?

I do like Brussels sprouts.

But they're so expensive out of season.

It's annoying that my health insurance will only allow for a prescription refill every 30 days.

My dogs are funny.

How cancer saved my life.

Well, in truth, I guess its too early to say. But I haven't smoked a cigarette in two years, I've rectified my vitamin D deficiency, I'm on blood pressure medication, I make a concerted effort to eat more healthily and I pay better attention to lumps, bumps, fatigue and random pains - all as a result of a cancer diagnosis.

Maybe this will pay off in the end?

Coming Soon...

I'm being encouraged to pick this up again by recently diagnosed friends who'd like to know more about recovery from treatment as well as treatment. So, expect more insights, observations and bon mots from me soon.

Really?

I drove out to 139th and SE Stark this morning for a consultation with the endodontist that took less than a minute. My gum tissue looks fine. And that's all he wanted to see. But they'll need to see me again in six months for a check up.

I also scheduled my six-month check up with my regular dentist.

So.....looks like I now have a team of dentists. Much like my team of doctors.

Next appointment: Dr. Bader, the radiation oncologist, on December 7th.

It would be soooooo great to go a year without having to see any doctors.  But that's soooooo not possible after one turns 40 apparently