The Assertive Cancer Patient

Lobbing a Ball into Play

As I mentioned the other day, I have a new friend, a woman who just had a double mastectomy and is now facing both radiation and chemo. She has three adopted children, all from different foreign countries, and I adopted Older Son in Japan almost 25 years ago. 

So we have a lot in common, and we've been e-mailing each other every day. Sometimes there are several separate e-mail conversations going back and forth at the same time. I'm having fun, and getting to talk about issues that are very close to my heart as well. 

One thing I'm doing, since she is dealing with a lot right now, is generally not bringing up topics that she hasn't brought up. Once she brings it up, it's fair game, to my way of thinking. But if there's something she doesn't want to talk about yet, I want to follow her lead. 

But I broke my own rule today, and lobbed a totally new ball onto the court. We'll see how she plays it. 

Here's a version of the e-mail I just sent her, under the title: Have you thought about clothes yet?

I have a friend who makes clothes for women who decide they want to go back into the world without a prosthesis (or two). I wore a breast prosthesis for years and wasn't too bugged by it, although the cats killed at least one, maybe two, and they are expensive. But it always bothered my back, and my skin, and finally I wanted to do without it. 

Just at that time, along came Jacqueline. She has her own category on my blog, and I've visited her in NYC twice and stayed at her place. She made me some pretty fantastic, comfortable clothes that "embrace my new architecture" as she puts it. 

Jac. and I have been a bit out of touch lately, but she is wonderful and I'm happy to put you in touch with her if you would like that. 

See: Rebel Fashion

Oh, Jac. took me to Coney Island when I visited her in NYC. I had never been, and I loved it. Just loved it. There are some happy photos of us at CI in these posts. 

Here's the post about Jabba (my breast prosthesis): Retiring Jabba

Jeanne

See also: How Many Friends Do You Need?

@ Jeanne Sather 2010. 

Cast of Characters: Jacqueline

Jacqueline is such a good friend, she has her own "category" on my blog: Rebel Fashion. 

Click on that link to read all my posts about Jacqueline, who has been making my clothes since Labor Day weekend 2007, which is when I finally abandoned my breast prosthesis, Jabba. 

Jacqueline lives in Brooklyn, New York, in a loft with her husband and two very sweet cats. Well, "sweet" may not be the right word, but two very lovable cats. She's an artist, a breast cancer survivor, and she makes the most amazing clothing and jewelry for women who have had breast cancer ... Of course, you can buy her clothes even if you haven't had cancer, they are that great.

Her clothing line is called "Rhea Belle" (say that slowly. Now say it quickly. You'll get it.) and she uses "Rebel1in8" for her jewelry. Here's the link to her Etsy store: Rhea Belle

She's also offering to send postcards about her clothing to oncologists and others who work with women who have had breast cancer. The postcards are an easy way for doctors and others to explain her clothing. If you want some cards to distribute, go to this link.

Read more: 

Rebel Fashion

Retiring Jabba

Blogging From NYC

I'm writing this from a very elegant hotel in Manhattan, lying on the bed and dressed in only my jammies--my favorite way to blog!

I moved over here last night from Jacqueline's place, a loft in Brooklyn, after spending Sunday night with her. Monday afternoon I tried on all the new clothes she made for me, and then we took lots of photos for Jacqueline to use in her store.

She made me three beautiful new tops, all designed for my "one-breasted architecture," and they are GREAT. Great fit, great colors, great designs. I'll post a couple of photos here, and will add the links to the store when Jacqueline has these up for sale. Or if you're in a hurry, just shoot her an e-mail and tell her which top you want: rebel1in8@hotmail.com

My Etsy Store

Jacqueline also helped me set up my Etsy store, but no links to that yet, because I want to talk to a lawyer about trademarking my designs before I put them in the store. More on that soon.

Why I'm REALLY in NYC

The joke about this trip is that I made it on someone else's dime. I'm here to do a TV interview, but I'm not supposed to give details on my blog until the TV program I'm appearing on gives me the green light. But that's how I managed to make this quick, three-day trip to the Big City. Everything is paid for.

Pretty cool. The interview is being taped this afternoon, and then I fly home to Seattle. So I'm hanging out in the hotel room, trying to bend my brain around what I want to say and also to just stay quiet for the morning so that I don't get tired and run out of steam.

I'm debating what to order for breakfast from room service, so that I don't have to shower and dress till the very last minute. And I LOVE room service anyway. When I was in Chicago for ASCO, I ordered garlic mashed potatoes (and a salad) from room service almost every night. 

Jacqueline came over to the hotel with me last night and stayed for a room-service dinner--that was fun.  

And I'll be wearing one of the new tops Jacqueline made for me during the interview and also the amber earrings that she made for me several months ago. 

See also: 

Rebel Fashion

Retiring Jabba

@ Jeanne Sather 2008. 

Gift From Jacqueline

Jacqueline gave me this stuffed bunny as a gift during her recent visit to Seattle. It's made from Japanese kimono fabrics, and she got it at a shop/gallery in the International District called Kobo. 

If you look closely at the bowl next to the bunny, you will see a bunny rabbit there too. I bought this bowl in an antique store in Kumamoto on a recent trip to Japan (well, three or four years ago now...is that recent?). 

I seem to have a rabbit theme going here. See also: 

Bunny for Zoe

Rabbits are Younger Son's totem animal. He's slept with his stuffed rabbit since he was six months old. (Rumor has it that he took Bun-Bun to the dorm with him, but this is unconfirmed. We do have photos of Younger Son and Bun-Bun riding the Bullet Train in Japan, but that was when YS was only 6.)

@ Jeanne Sather 2008. 

Heading to NYC!

I'm leaving EARLY Sunday morning (6:30 a.m. flight, which means up at 4:00, out of the house by 4:30 to be at SeaTac Airport by 5:00 ... argh) for a quick trip to New York City. 

I get to spend a day or two with Jacqueline, of Rebel1in8 fame, who is going to help me set up my own Etsy store. I'm excited about that and have been very busy making bracelets for the store. 

I'm hoping Jacqueline and I can get out one evening to see NYC in all its holiday glory, because it's my first trip there at this time of year.  She's also going to make me some new clothes--more fun. (We'll take photos.)

To get ready for the trip, I e-mailed Chez--who always cut my hair when it was short, and who appeared in a page one photo in the Seattle P-I about a year ago cutting my hair--and asked him to come over and give me a trim. Chez ended up not only trimming my hair, but also cutting Older Son's beautiful, thick Japanese hair, so we have a rare Older Son sighting on this blog! 

Chez and his partner stayed for dinner, and the four of us ate Japanese curry rice (kare raisu), one of Older Son's favorite foods since he was a toddler. 

See also: 

Rebel Fashion

Chez and Me in the P-I

Want Chez to cut your hair? Give him a call: (206) 283-0842.

@ Jeanne Sather 2008.

Jacqueline in Seattle

Jacqueline arrived in Seattle on Friday night, and, as it was dark and raining, I asked Car Guy to drive to the airport with me (to do the driving, natch, because I am a rain-and-darkness wimp when it comes to I-5, our local freeway).

Jacqueline arrived on time, and I’ve been keeping her busy ever since—talking nonstop, walking Connie in the park and picking up autumn leaves, going to a dinner with Car Guy and his son, and doing an interview with a South Korean TV crew on Sunday.

So Jacqueline hasn’t had a chance to do any of the touristy things yet: Pioneer Square, the International District, with a stop at Uwajimaya, and the Pike Place Market. I also want to take her up the Space Needle at dusk, and for a ride on a ferry. We’ll see how many of these things we manage to do.

Monday update

Jacqueline and I are sitting at the Comfort Food Café, taking advantage of the free wifi while we wait for our food: biscuits and gray for her, the pancake combo (pancakes, eggs, vegi sausage) for me.

Then we are heading to the International District and Uwajimaya, my favorite store in all of Seattle. It has Asian groceries and take-out food, gifts, plants, origami and other special papers, and a bookstore, Kinokuniya. I think we’ll bring home sushi for dinner and invite Older Son and Car Guy to join us.

See:  

Rebel Fashion

 

@ Jeanne Sather 2008. 

Jacqueline's New Slideshow

Jacqueline, my good friend in Brooklyn, has a new slideshow to highlight her Rebel1in8 clothing line for one-breasted women (also no-breasted, and she will sell clothes to women who have both breasts ... she doesn't discriminate, but I'm getting off topic here).

Jacqueline has a couple of photos of me in the slideshow wearing a beautiful shirt she made for me. The slideshow also stars Laurie and another woman named Megan who I don't know.

Watch: Rebel1in8/Rhea Belle slideshow

New Earrings
Jacqueline is making me a new pair of earrings in the same style as those pictured here, except with amber beads in place of the turquoise. I wear the turquoise ones almost everyday, and when I was in New York with Younger Son a couple of months ago, Jacqueline restrung them for me, just to be safe.

Go to Laurie's blog: Not Just About Cancer

Read more on my blog about: Rebel Fashion

I haven't worn my prosthesis, Jabba, since I first visited Jacqueline in New York last fall. I don't miss the squishy little guy at all, except when I had my first date with Car Guy

I spent hours debating with myself--should I, or should I not, wear the prosthesis? I put it in. I took it out. By the time I left the house, without Jabba, my back was killing me from the tension and the fidgeting.

Car Guy never even noticed that he was out with a woman who had only one breast--not until I told him, anyway. What a guy!

Footnote: Jacqueline will be doing a trunk show of her clothing and jewelry when she is in Seattle for the Cancer Bloggers Reunion in late July. E-mail me if you would like to come: jeanne.sather@gmail.com

@ Jeanne Sather 2008.

What I'm Wearing

Yesterday, when I was out having my adventures (ah, hem) with the car, I was beautifully dressed in a gray cotton wrap that Jacqueline of Rebel1in8 made for me.

See the top: The graceful wrap

I'm traveling out to New York (by Amtrak!) with Younger Son to see Jacqueline later this month, and I will take this top along. I need to get Jacqueline to teach me all the ways to wrap it, because it looks quite different depending on how you wrap and tie the long front ends.

I really love this shirt. I wore it yesterday with an olive vest and my gathered Japanese pants (photo to come, soon I hope), and I looked great.

@ Jeanne Sather 2008.

"Red, Red Shoes ... "

Sing the above line to the tune of "Red, red wine ... " (Who sings that song? Anybody know?)

I just noticed as I was unpacking after my trip to Tucson (OK, the trip was three weeks ago, but that's how long it takes me to unpack. Live with it) that I now have three pairs of red shoes. Well, two pairs of red shoes and one of red sandals.

When did this happen? I don't think of myself as a red shoes kind of person, but somewhere along the way I guess I became one.

I also have a red car--the Corvair--and gorgeous red earrings, a one-of-a-kind pair made for me by my friend Jacqueline of Rebel1in8.

Then there are the one-of-a-kind clothes that Jacqueline has made for me. I love having clothes that no one else has. I was never a clothes horse either, and don't think that I'm one now, exactly. I just like being unique.

Read more:

Tucson

The Red Corvair

Rebel Fashion

Here's the link to get Rebel1in8 earrings:

Rebel earrings

@ Jeanne Sather 2008.

Cancer Bloggers Reunion: Jacqueline (Rebel1in8) is Coming!

I am so excited! Jacqueline, the only one of you cancer bloggers that I've met face-to-face, is coming to the Cancer Bloggers Reunion in July.

I visited Jacqueline in New York over the Labor Day weekend, and she made me some fabulous clothes and earrings. I just got another pair of earrings from her in the mail on Friday, which I had ordered through her online store. I will try to put up a photo of these soon.

The turquoise earrings she made for me earlier have become my signature earrings--no one else in Seattle has a pair. The coral ones are very similar, the same length (to the shoulder), which works really well with short hair like mine--although my hair is getting longer. I have abandoned the buzz cut for now. And my hair is curling at the back--which is new. Chemo hair, I guess.

Jacqueline and me on Coney Island, Labor Day 2007.

I'm going to see Jacqueline again in New York in March, this time with Younger Son in tow. I asked him if he wanted to make a trip during his spring break, and he chose New York. We'll also stop off in Ohio to see one of my oldest friends, who is Younger Son's de facto godfather. And see Amorette as well, I hope.

Go to this link to see all my posts about Jacqueline and her great clothes and jewelry: Rebel Fashion.

To order clothing, contact: Jacqueline@rebel1in8.com.

The Roll Call
The Cancer Bloggers Reunion: The YESes: Jacqueline, Amorette, Teri, and Lisa.

The DEFINITE MAYBEs: Sara, Debs, and Carver.

Read more: Cancer Bloggers Reunion.

Support this blog:

@ Jeanne Sather 2008.