Peace be with you.

I had a perfect evening.

A friend came by after work and we had a late-afternoon mojito (part of my get fat quick plan), then after she left, we went out to dinner as a family at a lovely restaurant downtown - a gift from my brother and sister-in-law. As we were enjoying our meal, my husband asked if it was a Christmas gift or birthday gift or what, and I said, 'No, it's a cancer gift.' Since they live far away, they sent us a gift card instead of bringing us a meal like so many others have.

Afterward, we went to a Johnny Cash show - one of those imitation bands. It was a little late for the kids, but they know Johnny Cash, because I make them listen to him in the car when I get sick of listening to the Frozen soundtrack. Going to shows like this is not really my top choice of activity, but my husband really wanted to go, and I'm glad we did. I think the average age of the audience was, like, 65, though. LOL. The band brought A LOT of attention to the fact that we had brought our kids, saying how great it was that some parents were introducing the younger generation to the great musicians of the past. It was sort of embarrassing.

I absolutely love Johnny Cash. About 20 minutes into the show, I was overcome with an overwhelming sense of peace. Everything is going to be okay. I know it. I feel so calm, happy even.

I am so lucky. I have insurance, good insurance, and my husband and I have good jobs. We have money in savings, and what better use for it than life-saving medical treatments? I just ate dinner at a fabulous restaurant that someone else paid for, then went and listened to some of my favorite songs ever all night. Really, what is there to complain about?

I think part of the reason it has taken me so long to get to this point was just the horrible timing of my pathology report coming back when Dr. L was on vacation and I was getting ready to go on vacation. When I met with Dr. M just before leaving, he did encourage me to see a plastic surgeon ASAP and now I understand why. At the time, I knew this was tough but I didn't realize just how much easier it would have been if I could have met with a plastic surgeon before we left.

After I got home on Wednesday, I sent Dr. T a slight emo e-mail, letting him know how happy I was to get to meet him, that I had full confidence in him, and that he was the answer to my prayers. I thanked him for making an appointment I literally felt sick about into a very uplifting experience.

He replied early the next morning:

Waning,

Thanks so much for the email. I think it's unfair for women to receive news like that without an opportunity to discuss reconstruction with a plastic surgeon. So, I was very glad that we were able to meet after you met with Dr C. She is outstanding, by the way.

Attached is an information sheet that I put together based on some feedback from my patients. It will outline some things to consider when you get home after the surgery.

Please use this as a resource and reach out to me whenever you have questions and concerns.

Best,
Ty Tahm, MD

I feel so full of peace right now, I want to bottle the feeling up and carry it with me through the next few weeks leading up to surgery. It reminds me of my church-going days. One tradition in our church was greeting the people next to you with a simple shaking of hands and, 'Peace be with you.' They reply, 'And also with you.' So, dear friends, peace be with you, as it is also with me.