Boobalicious! - (that's what my daughter, Kate, labelled this photo! - ha ha!)

April 27/12.

It's the one year anniversary of the day I had breast cancer surgery at Princess Margaret Hospital.

Maybe I should wear pink today.

This pic was taken by my cousin, Marilyn, one day before the lumpectomy. (If I had more guts, I'd show the whole shot)!

Thank you to everyone who played a role in helping me survive. Glad to be here!

Starstruck

March 29/11

From the time I was seven years old, I was in love with TV stars.

As a kid, I always wanted to look exactly like Connie Stevens,

     or Sandra Dee,

or, (if you can believe it), like "Marina" (the puppet), from the supermarionation show, Stingray!


 Stingray - Marina's theme - (I couldn't get enough of this pretty, but sappy song). I never even realized till years later that the face of puppet "Captain Troy Tempest" was modeled on James Garner, even though he looked exactly like him! Guess I was too busy studying Marina's exotic makeup so I could copy it!
I was just crazy about Johnny Crawford, ("Mark McCain") of Rifleman,

Bill Bixby, on left, ("Tim O'Hara") /My Favorite Martian, 

Don Grady, ("Robbie Douglas") /My Three Sons 

and Roger Moore ("Simon Templar") /The Saint.


Hey, hey, they're the Monkees!

Later, as a teen, The Monkees stole my heart, (especially Mickey), and I couldn't get enough of Bobby Sherman, ("Jeremy Bolt")/Here Come the Brides (sigh). I watched more TV than any kid I knew. It should have come as no surprise that I wanted to enter the field of entertainment reporting and meet the stars. Over 30 years, I've interviewed thousands of celebs. Anyone and everyone from the world of television, film, theatre and music. What a blast. I was always professional, but never tried to hide my enthusiasm when meeting my faves. Afterwards, stars often told me it was a pleasure to be interviewed by someone who knew so much about them and was actually a fan. That love of celebrities has never left me to this day.

Bobby Sherman was my ultimate teen idol!

Years later, as a very young radio reporter, I got to meet and interview Bobby. (and yes, I'll admit at age 22, I wasn't as professional as I might have been!) I also interviewed him again several times during the years at Global Television.  While at Global, I had the opportunity to interview Davy Jones & Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees! (if someone had told me as a teen I'd be sitting down and talking with my idols, I never would have believed it).

Even now, as I think about what lies ahead on this journey into the world of cancer, I find I'm inspired by many stars.

Robin Williams, (here showing off his surgical scar following heart surgery in 2009).


In 2007, Regis Philbin underwent heart bypass surgery.


David Letterman came through emergency quintuple bypass surgery in 2000.  I admire David Letterman, Robin Williams and Regis Philbin, all fabulous entertainers, who were brave enough to go very public with news of their heart surgeries. They inspire me with their courage and also because they found ways to use humour to plow through their challenges and help others face the same issues. Letterman has become part of my coping mechanism after the cancer diagnosis. He's hysterically funny and honest with his feelings and comments and there's just something so calming about him for me. He's always there, ready to talk and make you laugh.

Robin Williams - Never a dull moment!

 As for Robin Williams, he’s the all-time best interview ever! I don’t think he could give a bad one if he tried. Again, funny and honest. One time on a junket in Los Angeles, I was talking to him about Patch Adams, in which he played a doctor who uses comedy to try and make people feel better. I asked if he truly believes laughter is the best medicine. His answer surprised me.

He started off by saying, “Yes, I basically do believe that theory, but there are limitations.” He went on to talk about his dear friend, the late Christopher Reeve, and how he would visit him after the riding accident which left him paralyzed, and do everything he could to lift his spirits. Robin became quite emotional as he explained that even he had trouble believing laughter could help when Chris was in so much pain. I’ve never forgotten that, and recall departing the hotel room interview set, walking down the hall into a stairwell exit and crying. Robin usually leaves you doubled over in guffaws, but not on that day.

I often find just thinking about a star like Christina Applegate, (who had a double mastectomy), makes me feel, if she can do THAT, then I can do THIS.

Jaclyn Smith, Olivia Newton-John, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Suzanne Somers all faced their fears and came out winners. 

Here in my own hometown of Toronto, Dr. Marla Shapiro, Beverly Thomson, (CTV) Wendy Mesley (CBC) and Cynthia Mulligan (CityNews) are just a few of the incredible women who have made this journey. I only hope I can conjure up the kind of courage that they were able to find within themselves.

Bad news

March 9/11

Got into see my GP just before 6 p.m. It had been 33 days since I first discovered the lump. At long last, she had the written pathology report - a copy for her, a copy for me. We looked at it together. Already knew, the mammogram showed NOTHING. The ultrasound was inconclusive. But the core needle biopsy indicated two samples showed nothing, and the third showed carcinoma. That was the only word I could see. CARCINOMA.
I asked, "So I have breast cancer?"
My doctor said, "Yes." I sat in shock, knowing I was about to embark on a whole new journey, one I really didn't want to go on, but HAD to. We talked for quite a while. I broke down in tears at one point, when I told her the pieces of my life finally all seemed to be coming together. I was slowly coming to grips with the loss of my Mum and my Uncle Ev, we were working on clearing Mum's house, hoping to put it on the market soon and I'd even been thinking of trying to go back to work after more than six years, and now, this.

She suggested a breast surgeon at Women's College Hospital, but I told her I needed time to research and decide the best surgeon for me. She said I could get back to her and she would refer me to the doctor of my choice.

Sam and Carrie were at home, desperately waiting to hear from me. Called Sam from my car. He always hates it when I tell a long story, asking me to "put the lead up front." (once a newsman, always a newsman). So I thought, OK, will do. I simply said, "I have breast cancer." I knew he was shocked and devastated. Told him I was coming home. Then called Carrie and told her the same news. I felt so sad to have to tell her. We're so very close and I knew she'd been praying the lump would be benign and everything would be fine.

When I got home, I was greeted with hugs from Sam. Max was asleep on the den couch. I wandered in, he woke up and I told him I didn't get the best news. After hearing it, he just slumped over onto the couch. So very sad. I told him we'd get through it. He hugged me. Kate was out for sushi with a friend. She called to ask what happened. I told her, and she said she was coming home immediately. She did, and we had a long hug.

Sam and I sat down to talk about what to do next. No one else in the family knew about any of this and it would be hard on me to call each person to let them know. Sam suggested I send out an email message to all the family members, telling them what's going on and what the next steps will be. I sat down to write it and hit send. Minutes later, phone calls came, lots of tears (mostly from me), and offers of help from all sides. As I said at the very beginning of this blog, I am very lucky. I have an extremely loving and supportive family.