Taking care of someone else

Posted in After treatment, Bumpboobs, Food by

Today I’m taking care of a friend who doesn’t feel so well. She was great yesterday, but then for some reason came down with a fever overnight, and has been sleeping this entire morning in bed. Therefore, I’m whipping up a pot of always delicious chicken soup: the cure-all in a pot.

And, interestingly, beside me as I make this soup is a bag of chips (crisps) – which in my opinion go with soup like bread and butter.

Anyhow, this takes me back to late 2010 when every Friday following chemotherapy I had several bowls of soup and at least one bag of chips. It was healing for me then. Maybe it will be healing for her now? In any case, it feels nice (this is slightly selfish, I suppose) it feels nice to be taking care of someone else, rather than being the one who needs help. This is most certainly the better side of things.

Here we are outside of Budapest, at Zsolt’s sister’s house again. After a relaxing few days in Balaton and a relaxing few days in Pecs, we’ve come here to get our tourist on. As sure as she has recovered, we’ll be heading up to the Duna to take pictures and sightsee.

But until then Zsolt and I are resting on the porch as she (Cami) sleeps upstairs. The soup is on and bubbling. And of course there’s that ultimate medicine – time, and plenty of it, for her to recover.

Much love for the pretty bras

Posted in After treatment, Bumpboobs by

As you may know, I am not always a fan of mastectomy fashion. When I think mastectomy bras, I think of words like: practical, suitable, supportive. But, what I’d rather be thinking is: sexy, beautiful, fun. So, today, I’m going to share with you three people’s online projects – all created with the wonderful intention to support breast cancer survivors (and have a little fun at the same time), and all playing on the idea (what a realization!) that women like to feel pretty.

In today’s post, it’s all about feeling sexy; sexy is self-confidence. And looking beautiful, as you well know , instantly helps in feeling better.  Check out what these online ladies are up to.

Hot shop:

About a Girl – aka At Forty One – has been nominated for “New UK lingerie design 2011” (vote here, if you’d like to help them win). This is a fresh company on the scene and looking for support. I’ll tell you what – their silk bras are gorgeous. I mean, many mastectomy bras offer support and comfort, but these pieces offer style too. From cherry reds, lilac purples and champagne accents, my jaw dropped when I saw Amy’s (the creator) pieces of pretty. “Finally!” I said to myself,  or to the computer screen, depending on how you want to consider the scenario, “something other than beige!”

What also makes About a Girl so wonderfully exciting is that Amy (who has had a mastectomy herself, which was what kick-started her interest in finding better lingerie) actually designs her own bras and – AND – recruits hot bathing suit designers who agree to turn their designer bikinis and full pieces into mastectomy-ready wear (speaking of which, About a Girl has offered a kind 10% off any swimwear purchase made over the next week, so if you want to look pretty (and double breasted) by the pool, stop by and check out her shop. Discount code: BB080611OAS  ).

Being on the internet, About a Girl can ship worldwide – which is why *call out to any 34 AA women near Brighton in the UK* I’ll still keep waiting for their silk bras to be tailored for my small chest, even once arriving in Canada.  If you’re near their shop, At Forty One, and want to lend a hand, they’re looking for a model in that particular size to fit the bra.

Hot cause:

Bras for the Cause – Middle East.

One Wig Stand (who, by the way, oozes with creative bursts of awesome) has teamed up with Fustany to launch this bra design competition in the Middle East. It’s all about awareness, and (hopefully) will have pockets for your falsie of choice.

Good news: the competition is still on if you want to get involved, with voting to take place later this month. It’s a collaboration of designers, fashionistas, and simply anyone with a great idea. How could beautiful bras not result from this competition? (I’m freaking excited to see what get produced from this engaging initiative. What do you get when mixing creative minds with a good cause and a bra template? I don’t know, we’ll see.)

Better news: The bras should be available for international shipping, meaning everyone can look pretty.

I love these sort of things. They build awareness, and improve my wardrobe.  Click here to check this out for yourself.

Hot alternative:

Because sometimes one breast is all you need. Cathie in France has developed a new kind of bra for the beautiful Amazonian women, Souti1. She’s been working hard to make this possible, and the result is a lovely, lacy number that will support your remaining breast (if you had the other one removed). It’s a single cup sensation.  Now, at the moment, her bras are all handmade – so you know the quality is high (which also corresponds to the price). Check it out and see what you think. And keep watching this space, because you never know what may develop in the land of single sided bras.

Cathie was one of the first women I met through the internet. She left a lovely comment on a guest post I’d written, and I was so happy to have her support over the months of recovery and treatment. Even though she’s all the way in Paris – that never hindered her ability to drop a kind word. See, that’s the internet used well.

*

How’s that for a slice of international pie? England, France and the Middle East. And it reflects a worldwide shift in after-surgery lingerie. Mastectomy (bi lateral, lumpectomay, etc) no longer translates into ‘boring, practical, and beige’ (am I harping on the beige too much? Well probably, it is very practical. I just think  if you’re going to offer me a variation between black and white, give me blue, or purple or yellow or – goodness me – pink!). And so, we can feel pretty in our under things as we pose and twirl before our mirrors.

If you know of any more great shops/products/causes that help women feel beautiful within themselves (e.g. look good feel better workshops) please don’t hesitate to let me know.  Here’s a quick list of today’s mentioned sites. Why not treat yourself to some virtual browsing (and maybe some creative thinking for Bras for a Cause)? Can’t hurt, can it?

http://www.aboutthegirl.co.uk/

http://www.fustany.com/brasforacause/index.html

http://www.souti1.com/

I’m no tourist, baby

Posted in After treatment, Bumpboobs, Canada, Finding Home, Food, Life, Love, Travel by

Ever since reading that green tea helps fight cancer, I’ve been sucking it back on a daily basis. But, now in Hungary, my Anti Cancer regiment of ass-kicking foods has been challenged, meaning that I had my green tea around 9.30 PM, instead of 9.30 AM today. This explains why Zsolt is in the bed beside me with a pillow over his head, and why I’m still here at the computer clacking away on this large keyboard.

So, that’s the explanation. Not that it helps anything, because I still don’t feel like hitting the bed.

My CAN friend is here and it’s been such a surreal experience – a wonderful experience, of course, but surreal to mix worlds together. In my dreams, worlds are constantly overlapping (Zsolt at my elementary school, my parents at a house party, etc) . . . but in the real world they’re rather well defined. Canada has my family and close (currently visiting) friend. England has my English (and international) friends, Hungary has my other family (Zsols’s family) and my Hungarian friends. These people do not mix and meet. Ever. With three exceptions: my wedding, my BC bullshit, and right now.

Watching Cami (alias suggested by a website called Rum & Monkey, a page forwarded by another, non-visiting, friend from Canada – so Cami is now short for ‘my friend from Canada who is visiting’) mix with Zsolt’s family is so much like my first time in this country. There are the wild gestures, the miscommunication, the repeating “jo” meaning good, and “egan” meaning yes, etc. And seeing this helps me appreciate how far things have come. I’m no longer the guest, I’m the daughter in law. Their conversations do not allude me (not entirely) and I can actually contribute with my barrel scraping knowledge of the language. No one minds when I wash a dish. And most importantly, Hungary isn’t  a place to visit, it’s a place to go home.

So here I am at 11pm, household sleeping all around, typing in my Hungarian bedroom, waiting for the tea to wear away. Thank goodness for this blog. She keeps me company no matter what time of day (or night). And thank goodness for green tea too – despite the buzz, because it’s helping fight a good fight.

But now I’ll post this and get off the computer. Zsolt must be going bonkers with all this clacking at the keyboard. Tea or no tea, it’s time to sleep.

Good night!