Best. News. Ever.

Ok, not really. I mean, being completely cancer free for the rest of my life would be the best news ever. But this is pretty close. I just received a catalog from Athleta which prompted me to check online to see if they have UPF clothing. And they do! And not just 2 styles of shirts like Brooks, but I see at least one hundred styles! And they aren't ugly like the UPF clothes by Solumbra! This may sound like a trite and silly thing, but when you realize your whole way of life has to change, and most clothes that you can now wear during the day if you are going to be outside between 10am and 4pm are hideous, it makes you really not want to go outside. Which may be the point. But I can't stay inside for the rest of my life, and I like to run outside, so it's a relief to know that I have (cute) options. And there is an Athleta store in Georgetown, so I'm going to have to check in out sometime in the next few weeks. Yay!

Cancer Ribbons

Cancer ribbons are ubiquitous. People wear them to support people with the disease and they wear them as proud fighters and survivors. Today I randomly decided to look up what my ribbon looks like.

It's black.

Um, really? How depressing is that. I get that there are only so many colors to the rainbow, but seriously? Black? Ugh.

Here is the basic chart:

I like the idea of this one, but orange is already taken...twice:

Then again, it really is just a ribbon. I might add one to my bag and maybe my jackets in the winter, but if I do I have to be willing to talk about it if/when someone asks what it's for. Am I ready for that? I don't know. I took a big step last week by writing that I have cancer in a paper that was shared with 15 other people,  and you know what? The world didn't end, I didn't get bombarded with questions, and life goes on. I still haven't shared the news with everyone, but I'm slowly talking about it more. It's a fact of my life now, and to ignore it does no good. I am almost of the mindset that if talking about it convinces one more person to wear sunscreen and prevents them from getting cancer, then it's worth it.  Almost. I'm still not ready to tell people who I never really see, i.e. high school and college buddies, but most of my good friends in DC know. Eventually maybe I'll get to the point where talking about it doesn't make me uncomfortable, but we'll see. For now my biggest focus is on not freaking out over the new moles that just keep popping up. I know they're not necessarily bad, but it still freaks me out when I see moles where I swear there weren't any the day before. Luckily my last biopsy was clear and my next visit is scheduled. So for now I'll focus on education and awareness. 

And try not to take the black ribbon as a bad omen. 

But seriously. 

Maybe a color change is in the future?