Boob-Voyage!

When I found out about having breast cancer, I got pissed as well as sad. I was mad that now I'd have to tell people close to me I had cancer and was going to have this awful surgery--then I'd get the sad looks and the "oh, I'm sorry!" I didn't want to be sorry and sad, I wanted to be positive and creative.

I started to do a lot of research about the various things that would make my recovery from surgery easier. As I was perusing the various websites, looking at the pillows and creams and nightgowns, etc that other mastectomy patients had recommended, I mused that people who get a cancer diagnosis should be thrown a Cancer Shower...much like pregnant folks get a baby shower. Why shouldn't we be showered with gifts and pampering that would make our lives during treatment easier? When I mentioned it jokingly to my co-workers, they jumped on it. Why not they said!!!

Ok, so I then started to feel pretty tacky thinking I was going to throw myself a shower and expect gifts from folks. That just wouldn't do. So I decided to make it a fundraiser for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, which another of my co-workers does every year. The evites went out requesting no gifts, but for people to bring a joke and some money to donate to the Walk.

When you get some creative ladies together and give them something called a "Boob-Voyage" to plan--boy do they ever plan!!! Nina was going to make the boob cake, Mireya was going to plan a surprise, and about 35 people said YES of course they would come!!

Shopping for the party was so much fun--our decorations? Why bras from the dollar store, of course! And purchased boob balloons from some kind of bachelor party store online, indeed. Boob-shaped pasta? Certainly!

Here's Emily with one of the boob-shaped balloons. Don't worry, the kids weren't around for the adult-themed party.

My co-workers Nina and Mireya....they were AWESOME!!!!!!!! Gotta have good friends to support you through this process...

That tree is an angel-tree. On those little pieces of paper are little services or tasks that Mireya and Nina wrote down that they thought might help me while I was recovering. Things like "come over to wash Sarah's hair" or "take Sarah's kids for a playdate" or "make a meal". Wow, that was amazing. People would take a paper just like they take an ornament for a needy family off an angel-tree at church. I gotta tell you--it was the washing my hair that was the BEST!!! I couldn't reach over my head to do that and man was I stinky and greasy after 4 days in the hospital!!

The spread included pink dishes and boob-themed food items.

I of course had to make a speech about my story and how important the Avon Foundation was and why I was having a party...

The fabulous boob-cake made by Nina.

Our Avon Walk reps--oh and I almost forgot! I asked people to invite breast cancer survivors to come to the party to celebrate survival!

We played boob-themed games (of course-it was a shower after all!), such as how many euphamisms for boobs can you come up with and also match the boob-related quote with the movie it was in.

I decorated with various inspiring and funny quotes.

There are the boob balloons and bras we decorated with.

A great pillow that everyone signed by the end of the day.

Our "Booby-prizes" for winning our games. They are boob-shaped stress-balls!

My silliness that day...

Next we asked everyone to read or recite the joke they brought (boob related or not) on tape so that I could watch the video of it during recovery--laughter being a great medicine, you know!

At the end of the party we counted up the funds--over $500 was donated to the Avon Walk that day! And I felt so loved. I also felt like I gave a little F-YOU to cancer. Like hey, I can have cancer or go through treatment and still be awesome and have a good attitude. The support helps. I'll talk in later posts about ONLY being positive or up-beat. Doesn't quite work like that...but for now, I'll just end with great memories of a fabulous Boob Voyage Party!!