YABCB becomes YACB

Update (3 years later): Completed the brachytherapy radiation: uncomfortable, especially sleeping at night, but temporary (1 week, twice a day, and the team even came in one weekend so I wouldn't have to wait 3 days for my final 2 treatments). From there on, I had quarterly blood tests and checkups with yet another new doc, a medical oncologist. He prescribed a 5-year course of arimidex/anastrazole to reduce the cancer-facilitating estrogen in my body and thus prevent recurrence. A couple years later, in 2011, my oncologist noticed some higher than normal levels of a couple of cancer markers and ordered a PET scan. That in itself was interesting, I drank a radioactive liquid that would light up with the emissions from the machine, detecting hot spots which could indicate fast-growing cells which could be cancer. And guess what, a big bright spot right on my ovary. I got yet another doc, a gynecological oncologist, who came from the big city twice a month to our hospital to treat similar cases. Went to the big city hospital to have the surgery which was a hysterectomy plus the big ovarian mass (9mm). He told me how lucky I was to have Stage 1 ovarian cancer - he hardly ever gets to give patients that diagnosis because it is so hard to detect and is often not discovered until farther along. So my breast cancer, which was minimal and maybe not even cancer, nevertheless motivated the monitoring that uncovered the ovarian cancer, early. This time, of course, I had chemo - 6 treatments, 1 every 3 weeks, over 5 months, of spring semester, 2012. One week of feeling sick after the treatment, 2 weeks of feeling well enough to teach (and swim and walk). My wonderful colleagues stepped in to take classes during my off weeks. Ben shaved my head early on before my hair fell out. I had a wig made and wore it while teaching and other official occasions, scarves on off days, and bald at home. Last chemo was mid-May, hair started growing back a few months later. It turns out I like it short and have kept it that way. Once again, cancer-free, still on the anastrozole, still getting checkups every 3 months, and also getting an infusion of zometa every 3 months to counteract the bone-thinning effects of the anastrozole. During the chemo sessions I relaxed by listening to guided visualizations and my favorite music, napping, meditating, and reading. I even checked email - free WiFi. I tried to maintain a positive attitude throughout. I had wonderful support from family and friends - they made soup, brought me ginger and chocolate and tea, and walked and talked and listened and advised me through the whole thing. Ben was a trooper and I love him for it.