Yesterday's Pro Bowl was the last game of the season for football fans. I'm not an avid football fan, but it does remind me that I haven't written about the Super Bowl yet. Why would I even want to? Well, for the commercials of course! Isn't that what everybody, except the playing team's fans, watch it for?

(Watch out. I'm getting up on my soapbox again ... )

I have to say I was less than impressed. Sierra Mist had a couple of good ones. And I have to admit I didn't see much of the second half. Bedtime for the kids! There were a few that totally disgusted me.

One was our local but unnamed brewery that had to flaunt its "twins". I commented out loud about how I hate the way looks are so emphasized as the way people should be. My daughter came back with a quick, "But Mom, we know that it's what's on the inside that counts."

Maybe as a bald woman with no eyebrows or eyelashes I'm a little oversensitive to the issue and have harped about it to my kids a little too much. But at least I know it's sunk in!

Since our kids were watching with us, it reminded me of how that "beauty" message is pushed upon kids at a very early age. Young boys watching were fed a message that gorgeousness is where the fun is. Boys aren't the only ones fed the message, obviously. Is there any wonder why bulimia and anorexia are such problems in teenage girls? I don't mean to pick on the Super Bowl, but it is known for its commercials.

The thing is, what to do about it. We could all write letters and stop drinking certain beer. But that doesn't usually do much unless there's a large movement to do it.

What every one of us CAN do is teach our children that true beauty originates on the inside. So when my children (and yours for that matter!) see me without any hair on my head, or someone else with a large burn scar on their face, they won't cringe in disgust.

And so you don't think I'm a complete commercial hater, there were some I actually liked were around Christmas time. Black and Decker made commercials with a senior woman using power tools and two senior guys admiring her. Yes, sex was still used to sell, but it wasn't pushing on our society womanly figures that the majority of us will never be able to achieve. It showed that a woman can be sexy no matter what her age or appearance. What a concept!

Okay, I'll get off the soapbox now.

I had great news this week. My second PET scan showed NO tumor activity anywhere in my body!!!!! If I could have I would have jumped up and down with joy. I did say a long prayer of thanks, knowing that God was answering the many prayers being lifted up on my behalf! My treatment can continue as planned with a treatment of Taxol tomorrow and another the first week in March.

I still can't believe the time has gone this fast. And I'm constantly thankful that my side effects haven't been bad. After my second Taxol treatment I was afraid the numbness in my fingertips was going to worsen, but in fact, it has gotten better. So at present, I don't even have any side effects. I do have a cold which has kept me from sleeping this past week. But even with that, I was the last in our house to get it. Not bad for having a compromised immune system. I tried to be as careful as possible and washed my hands probably 50 times a day! But I'm not too surprised it caught up with me. I went to my doctor on Thursday and got an antibiotic, and I'm already on the mend.

Last week we got a card from a former neighbor who wrote to say she also has breast cancer. She's got a great outlook and is doing fairly well after one chemo treatment. But it never ceases to amaze me how many women this disease affects.

Aside from the prophylactic measures high-risk women take, I don't know what one can really do to keep from getting cancer. But if you're one on the list to get it, you can be proactive and do self exams and mammograms and ultrasounds and catch it early. Breast cancer doesn't have to be devastating news. Just look around at all the survivors.

So, are you getting to know your breasts?

Until next time....

Pam Daale
The Happy Cancer Patient