Saradactyl.com

Encore...?

Oh. My. GOSH. You people are totally sick with me, at this point. And the LAST thing you want to see is me posting again. I can't believe that after 49 consecutive posts, I'm back here so soon. Eh. What're you gonna do? I'm suffering from RBS (Restless Blogathon Syndrome). I slept for about two hours, and I'm completely wired again.

Which is fine - that'll allow me to crash tonight, and be well rested for the "real world" tomorrow. Ugh. I HATE MOVING. The end result will be peachy....... but the whole process? Oi.

Anyhoo for you slackers readers who are just waking up or getting online for the day - there was a Blogathon that happened last night. All of the entries are categorized, and you can access all posts here:

Blogathon 2006

*BALLOON DROP*

Thank-you.....................

1. ... to all of my fabulous sponsors. Together we raised some money for a GREAT cause. I appreciate your support.... more than I can reasonably explain.
2. ... to Heather and the bSpies monitoring team! Y'all kept me sane and focused. I had a BLAST being a part of the group. Ready for next year?
3. ... to Dana for letting me scrounge through your archives and piggy back on your story to raise funds for YSC. I am so honored and BLESSED to call you friend.
4. ... to all my illustrious and splendifferous monitees!! You guys freakin ROCK. You made my "job" a total breeze, and I'm so glad I got to meet you all. Sleep well. You earned it!!!
5. ... to my all my faithful friends who stopped by and left comments to cheer me on. Minty fresh kisses all around!!!
6. ... to my family for letting me crash their weekend and infiltrate their house with all things Blogathon. I'm glad now that my internet connection crapped out. It was just WONDERFUL to be able to follow-through with this task... at the lake... in a cool house... surrounded by the people that love me most.
7. ... to Cat and Sheana and the whole Blogathon.org team. It is an amazing and life-altering experience to be a part of something BIGGER than myself - and I appreciate the opportunity and the efforts that you made to make this a whole operation possible!

And now? We sleep. Blogathon 2006. OUT.

PROOF!!!!!

Taken only moments ago by my Mom. Morning proof that I'm still here. Alive. Breathing. Blogging. Lounging. And that, evidently, I DO have monkey toes. This is where I have been most of the night. It's the best seat in the house, and verrrrrry comfy. It's amazing I only dozed off once, and even then - very briefly.

24 hours is a long stretch, no doubt - but these hours have just FLOWN by for me. I can't believe there's only one more post and this whole thing will be done and over with.

[sigh]

Feeling a bit nostalgic. I've made so many new friends that I wouldn't have met otherwise. My monitees have been a total dream, and I've thoroughly enjoyed frequenting every single one of their sites. They kept me busy and awake, and for that I'm truly truly grateful!

Y'all done good. And I mean that, from the bottom of my bare, southern feet.

The Questions that Don't Have Answers

... from the archives of Dana of Think Pink:

The Questions that Don't have Answers

Jamie (she of the soon to be shorn head) posted this for Interactive blog, but it's actually the direction I was going next, so I am going to answer it here.

They thought that it wasn't anything to worry about...what did they think it was? I've gone in and have been told "scar tissue" and such like that...now, since they thought it was nothing to worry about, but still had it checked out...well...I'm wondering, what was it that exactly got them to kick in and test it to begin with? Also...and this is possibly a very uneducated question...what causes it to 1) appear and 2) to grow so quickly, and 3) with your type of cancer...what makes it contained?

Let me give you a run down of what went down with my cancer:

• *In Dec. of 1995 I had a GYN appointment complete with breast exam. My dr later weny back and checked his records. His notes "No palpable masses or lumps"

• *Feb. 1996 In the shower I feel a lump while rinsing soap. It's at about 11 o'clock in the upper outer quadrant of my left breast and is hard and prominent like a marble. But it doesn't hurt at all.

• *Feb 1996 I see my primary care Dr. who looks at me for all 42 seconds and says sagely "yep, there's a lump there." (I kid you not). Referrals are written for a mammogram and surgical consult. The mammo is in a month, the consult in 6 weeks. At this point, no one is alarmed.

• * March 1996 Mammo and unltrasound.  My lump is there, big and bright as life (or death).  The repost reads: benign breast mass

• *April 1996 I meet with my surgeon for the first time. He takes a fine needle biopsy because he wants to know WHAT the mass is. This report will come back in 10 days. Results: benign

• *Late April 1996 My surgeon is not happy with the biopsy.  He wants to know what the mass is, and is not happy with a nebulous report. He has to really convince me that I need yet another fine needle biopsy. Finally I relent, and the biopsy is taken. Results: Benign.

• *Early May: still unhappy that he can't get any answers, my surgeon encourages me to have the mass removed. His argument, if I get pregnant (and we had been talking about it) ANY kind of mass will grow to enormous size. I am not happy, but the pregnancy argument sways me. An excisional biopsy is performed on Thursday. It is virtually painless, although it does require general anesthesia. I later talked to the surgical nurse and was told that my surgeon's words on incising the skin were "Oh shit" Gross biopsy performed while I was still sleeping off the meds shows aggressive cancer. The tumor is sent for extensive biopsy. I go home none the wiser.

• *May 9: Follow up check up from surgery. The surgeon begins feeling in my armpit as soon as he comes in the room. I suddenly want to throw up. Up until now I had been obliviously happy. My surgeon sits down in his stool. Takes off his glasses and wipes his eyes. I start to cry. Not sobs, just tears rolling down my cheeks. Now I am shaking. "Dana, you have a cancer", he says.

• May 11: My 23rd Birthday.  I celebrate by cutting my hair short so there will be less to shave later.

• May 15: Second surgery. Marginal Biopsy and axiliary dissection. This is to check that the cancer did not escape from the tumor, and to see if the cancer had escaped into the bloodstream (we would later find out it had)

• June 4: First Chemo

To answer Jamie's Questions: Why did my surgeon push? Had to be a God thing--any other surgeon in his right mind would have just waited and watched because of my age and no family history. I still visit my surgeon. He is one of my heroes.

Jamie--as to your other questions--if we knew those answer, I wouldn't have to be here blogging. Why did it start? i don't know and no one does. Why was it aggressive? I don't know and no one does.

I wish I had more answers.

---

And this is the part of the program where I'm an emotional wreck. The enormity of this Blogathon project hits me like a ton of bricks. See, Dana's story is NOT an uncommon one. And YSC not only funds advocacy and education programs for women, but also for PHYSICIANS. One of the most sobering things I've learned about breast cancer in young women, is that It is SO SO SO SO SO important to catch it early - and awareness, even among the medical community is very dim. If you're already a sponsor. THANK-YOU!! Together we've been able to raise $95.00 for YSC! If you haven't, please consider throwing a few dollars their way. Every. Little. Bit. Helps.

[dramatic entrance music]

Wonder Woman (or man), Wonder Woman(or man).
All the world's waiting for you,
and the power you possess.

In your satin tights,
Fighting for your rights
And the old Red, White and Blue.

Wonder Woman(or man), Wonder Woman(or man).
Now the world is ready for you,
and the wonders you can do.

Make a hawk a dove,
Stop a war with love,
Make a liar tell the truth.

Wonder Woman(or man),
Get us out from under, Wonder Woman(or man).
All our hopes are pinned on you.
And the magic that you do.

Stop a bullet cold,
Make the Axis fall,
Change their minds, and change the world.

Wonder Woman (or man), Wonder Woman (or man).
You're a wonder, Wonder Woman (or man).

---

Yes, yes you are.

CAPTION IT

COME ON PEOPLE.
Look alive out there!
Don't make me go all
JAZZ HANDS
on your ass.

Leave a caption for this
picture in the comments.
Pleaaaaaaaase.
I am NOT above begging.

Lo........

The day is upon us daughters of the lake dwellers of houses in the subdivision of assets and property rights of the people are swarming to their beds are soft and welcoming of warm cookies fresh out of the oven is so freakin hot water will burn your fingers are worn to the bone that you were choking on your own spit is gross and full of germs are disgusting and every where you look all you see are these short distances to drive make for shorter relationships really are the best way to go is I-40 to California is in the Pacific Standard Time is bloody standing still this day will not end no matter what I say it's just never really good enough of everything is kind of dulled and fuzzy sensations mingled with tingling limbs are absolutely heavy LADEN with seasonal wardrobes are a total waste of money will be the death of me so that You can live.

Bwahahahaha-hahahahaha

*wipes tears of glee and delirium* I don't care WHO you are, frozen underwears is the funniest thing everrrrrrrrrrr. It totally worked. And yes, I'm alert.

SURELY you.. jest?

Nope. Thems some panties. Mid-freeze. Desperate times call for desperate measures, people. Told ya - I don't play.

Nip Head

... from Dana of Think Pink:

I bet you never thought you'd see this did you? 

Yes, that is exactly what it looks like.  A nip.

I think this nip is symbolic of everything a cancer patient deals with. It's ridiculous. It's almost beyond the realm of comprehension, and some of it is so out there you have to laugh or have a nervous breakdown.

I got this nip from my wonderful, quirky, talented, fantastic sistah Larissa. A couple years ago, Larissa had a unilateral masectomy, meaning she lost one breast. She wore a "form" which is a synthetic breast that fits into a special masectomy bra. The only problem is, the form really doesn't have a nipple. Tired of walking around with "one headlight on, the enterprising Larissa did the only thing she new how to do. She searched the internet. Apparently transvestites face nipple dilemmas often, and have prosthetic nipples to make themselves, ummm, more aesthetically appealing.

And lo, she solved her problem.

Larissa had a new breast made early this year, and once her nipple was reconstructed she had no need of the tranny nip. But because she loves me, and because I had ENDLESS fun with the nip, she gave it to me.

And thus I bring you.......

NIP HEAD!

---

ROFLOL. I love Dana. And I'm at the point where I'm so sleep deprived, that I can't feel my own face - so I went trolling through her archives to see what I could find. AND LO! The infamous NIP HEAD! No Blogathon would be complete without it!!!!!

Remember the point of all this: Young women can -AND DO- get breast cancer. Support YSC, and throw some pledges my way! Thanks to my newest sponsors, Cheri and Jason. Keep in mind - sponsorships will remain open for a couple of days after all is said and done - so, you STILL HAVE TIME!!!!! Thanks for your support...........