What a weekend. I walked out of the office Friday and into medical leave...again. Thankfully the situation is a wee bit different this time around (though that will be its own post). I celebrated my 44th birthday surrounded by friends and family (except the many who were sick and loved me enough to keep away). I will spend today finalizing my pre-op chores and the real fun will begin tomorrow morning. Over the next 3 weeks I will have surgery number 12 and 13 (i think that's right), will spend 5 days in the hospital, be under general anesthesia for 10 hours, give or take, endure 4 drains (I LOATHE drains), have more scars, be a burden to my family for a few weeks...and for what? Not for boobs. I'm not going through all of this to  get a nice set (though my PS does fantastic work). It's not about vanity or feeling like a woman. I still go without the falsies and tell everyone my business. It's about getting something back. Cancer takes, and takes and takes. It has taken from me, it has taken from my family and friends, it has taken good people out of this world. I loathe cancer and everything it does. I'm going to endure this next phase of the journey and I shall not complain (except about the drains because I really hate those things). I don't want to look at the ugly scars cancer left behind. I don't want to be reminded of what was there and that it could come back. I want to make it through a day without being constantly reminded that I will forever consider myself a cancer patient. Cancer is my reality, like it is for countless others. You take victories where you can get them and I'm winning by taking my body back. Well, technically I'm not taking it back it's more like I'm renovating, but you get it. 😜