The truth is, there's been not much going on.
I've been going to my doctor for my appointments, taking my Tamoxifen and dealing with the hot flashes it causes, and struggling with my weight. Apparently - hormone therapy makes it hard to lose weight. That and my incipient laziness.
So I've started training for a duathlon the weekend of 6/6... and will try to do at least one 5k in May (probably the Emerald Crossings Trail Run).
The thing is, the last month has been a crazy month.
So - the big news is that, apparently, despite a high tolerance for Irish Whiskey and an undying love for the Cleveland Browns -- the old Crowley genetics also have a predisposition towards cancer.
My dad was diagnosed a couple weeks ago with prostate cancer.
He'll be having surgery in a couple weeks to remove his prostate, and you can imagine my distress when I went to visit MY oncologist last week. I believe what I told her was that my dad had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and that, I suspected that meant things weren't going to end well with me.
She agreed -- and told me to contact my GP for a prostate check.
Shit.
In other news not related to getting a finger shoved up my ass...
I have been working closely with Komen of Northeast Ohio. In fact, I helped them out by writing their nominations to the national affiliate for things like affiliate of the year and volunteer of the year. As a testament to my writing skill -- or at least my willingness to actually write the darned things - Komen NEO was named Affiliate of the Year for all of Komen nationally.
Kind of cool.
I've also been working on their Education and Communications Committees. What I thought was going to be learning to speak 'Komen-ese' and helping out with some public speaking, turned out to be something completely different. I'm onthe actual committees and helping define policy and Komen NEO's plans for the year.
I'm in a bunch of meetings with people like the Executive Vice President of Women's Health from the Cleveland Clinic and the president of University Hospitals.
You can imagine my discomfort when I showed up in jeans, a Night of The Living Dead t-shirt under a long sleeve black button up, and my ubiquitous Maxpedition Kodiak bag slung over my shoulder.
But it's cool because I'm actually using some of my communication experience and actually making a difference in my small part of the world.
It's gratifying.
On other fronts - I got a call last week from Tova with Komen and they asked if I'd help them out on Mother's Day. She said she was asking because of my help with the nominations, but also to raise awareness of male breast cancer. She want me to come down to the Mother's Day Indians game at Progressive Field because it's their Breast Cancer awareness celebration with the Tribe. To that end -- they've asked me to throw out the first pitch. Let me say that again they want me to throw out the first pitch!!!
So - set your Tivo's! On May 9th - I'll be throwing the opening pitch at Progressive Field and trying to raise awareness for male breast cancer. I'll probably be wearing a pink shirt -- and will try valiantly to NOT throw the ball like a girl.
Seriously. That's a concern. I noticed this winter that I can't throw like I used to because of my mastectomy. I noticed it when my son and I were trying to peg my daughter with snow balls. So -- I'll have to ask the boy to play catch a few times over the next month. Let's hope I can get it over the plate. (Please please please let me get it over the plate and not embarass the hell out of myself!)
Finally - I just received a Facebook invite and an invitation to the Art Show in Baltimore I was asked to pose for. If you'll remember, I was contacted by a graduate student named Michelle Renay Wilson from the University of Maryland for a photoshoot. Her final project is a photographic exploration of male breast cancer. She came into town in December and took several shots of me. The show is in Baltimore on 4/28 - 5/17. Afterwards, the photos will be posted on line and I'll make sure I update with a link.
In the meantime, I've added a copy of the invitation. On the off chance that I have any Baltimore area readers -- check it out (I do know I have a cousin living there). You'd be supporting the arts and awareness of male breast cancer.
