Chi-Chi-Chi-Chia!

I'm a Chia Pet!
Two weeks ago, my hair started to hurt. What hair? A bit of my hair survived eight rounds of chemo, but not enough hair to sport the
G. I. Jane look.
The sensitivity was annoying and I attributed it to another weird Taxol side effect.
Wrong!
My hair's coming back in true Chia Pet fashion. Except it's not green and leafy. Oh, and the doggy pictured here has way more "hair" than me.
Do you know how many famous Chia Pets there are? My head will join the ranks of icons like Homer Simpson and even President Obama!
My family is enjoying watching their Chia Pet's hair grow. Too, I have my own secret formula that I spray on my head and "watch it grow!"

Drowning In My Gene Pool

Let's say you woke up this morning and remembered, "Hey! I have distant family members who are of Jewish heritage." You might think, "How fascinating!"
Or, in my case, after drilling down on the details of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene, the response might be, "@%*#*!!! I might be at risk for both breast and ovarian cancer!"

I'm drowning in my gene pool!

My old friends, Anxiety and Obsession, keep me company while I wait at least two weeks for the scheduling and results of a blood test for these mutated genes.

These genes cause 7 to 10% of all breast cancers and are a high risk for ovarian cancer. They are inherited from both mother and father. My gene inheritance comes via my father's father, the source of the Baer in me.

It's just one more thing to add to my pile of worries.

What really bugs me, besides the complete lack of control and uncertainty, is that if I have either of these mutated genes, my kids do too. It will add the specter of medical surveillance to their lives.

It also ramps up my rant. I can't believe the lack of information sharing from our medical professionals! This information has been available since 1995!! I've never had a medical professional make inquiry. Why?

When breast cancer organizations talk about awareness, it means more than the gentle reminder to get your annual breast exam. They are the source of essential information.
Information is power.