This project is not an easy one to explain.  Let me start by saying that cancer isn't anything that any (sane) person looks forward to.  I'm pretty sure that nobody hears "You have cancer." and subsequently jumps about with glee.  Nevertheless, I am determined to make the best of my cancer experience.  Because of this, and taking into account my rather peculiar (some might say "wrong") sense of humor, I may appear to be inappropriately cavalier... this is not the case.  Of course I take cancer very seriously and of course I worry and of course I wish it hadn't happened to me... but if I couldn't laugh at all of this sometimes, well that would just be horrid.

When I first found out I had cancer I immediately went online to find out anything I could.  The results were very disappointing.  Nearly all of the photographs, especially, were deficient in multiple ways... usually the best you could find was a grainy, anonymous sort of 'before' and 'after' set.  There is a very understandable reason for this; a lot of women don't want to be photographed in any state of undress and especially not during a time when they're vulnerable and scared.  Most women don't think, "Wow, I have cancer - I need to take some pictures of this!"  Most people who have just been diagnosed with cancer are shocked and worried and have other things on their mind other than documenting the whole thing for other people.

So here was my opportunity to fix that.  Sure, there weren't easily accessible photos of what would happen to me during my mastectomy (and the following procedures)... but there will be for the next woman, right?  This is something that (I think) I can fix.

Keeping that in mind, there are surgery photos on this website.  They have blood and stuff.  This does not gross me out (I've even requested - and managed - to stay awake during some surgeries) but if it grosses you out, please don't look at it.  They're clearly labeled.  Seeing as how my particular brand of cancer happened in the breast region, there are also photos of (gasp!) boobies on this site.  I'm not shy.  If boobies and other naughty bits of the sort that don't usually dangle offend you, then (again) please just don't look.  On the other hand, since I'm not shy, feel free to tell anyone you know about the site.  Especially people who might need to know about breast cancer.  If you know someone who has to have a mastectomy, let them know they can see one here.  If you know someone who knows someone who might have to have a mastectomy, let them know they can see one here.  If you know someone that needs to learn a lesson about trusting internet strangers, let them know they can see boobies here.  They'll learn.

In case you didn't figure it out from the title, I'm not thinking of this as "sick time" or "unemployment"... this is just my cancer vacation and I'm going to enjoy it as best I can.