Pulling the Cancer Card

(Disclaimer: totally stealing this blog post idea from Susan.)

You've heard of the cancer card, right? I first learned about when Becky had cancer, and we all laughed and made a big joke of it. You know, how you can get away with anything when you pull the cancer card? I've pulled it a few times in the last couple of months myself. Like when my dad made a special stop at Whitey's (my favorite hometown ice cream shop) and had a chocolate oreo malt put on dry ice and brought it to me. I've lived away from home for 17 years and not once have my parents brought me ice cream from home until I developed a craving for it several weeks ago. Or when I'm craving some random food item and Brian runs to the grocery store at all hours to get it for me.

And I pulled it again Monday when the house cleaner came (okay, that's pulling the cancer card to even have someone clean the house every other week) and while I usually have everything in tip-top shape for her so that she can concentrate on the deep cleaning basics, Monday I left the breakfast dishes (including the nasty scrambled egg pan) and two loads of laundry for her to do as well.

So I'm hoping none of you qualify for the cancer card, but let me just give you permission to pull whatever card you want today and give yourself a break. Just leave me a note and let me know what it is. I'll be reading them as I sit in chemo today. HA! Pulling the cancer card right now. :)

And in case there was any doubt that my eyebrows and eyelashes are gone and my skin has taken a nose dive, here's a little comparison for you. Picture on left is yesterday; picture on right is May. Make-up is not even worth it at this point, and I've decided my glasses help mask my missing eyelashes so I plan to be wearing these puppies alot more often.
comparison-web

And because I'm cheery and on a steroid high, how about a give-away? Leave me a comment and tell me how you're giving yourself a break today and I'll do a random drawing for a $10 gift card to Sonic . . . mostly because I'm craving root beer floats these days and they have 50% off their floats every night after 8:00. :) Give-away open until Saturday night.



Comments

Joy said…
Hmmm...how about a "can't get the errands run cause hubby's truck is in the shop and he has mine" card or "I'm not cooking for the next four days cause my MIL is coming to visit and she cooks better" card?? LOL! Thinking about plopping on the sofa in front of the TV and putting my feet up! : ) Either way, I would have to pass on the wonderful Sonic card since we live nowhere near one - sigh.

Good luck today - I am thinking about you!! You are WAY too hard on yourself. If I could look as beautiful as you do without makeup (or eyebrows) - I would totally stop wearing it. Your look may say "cancer", but mine says "zombie from Thriller video". LOL : )

Love you!
Rebecca H. said…
let me just start by saying you STILL look absolutely beautiful. i know you may not see it when you look in the mirror, but i look at that picture on the left and see amazing strength and determination looking back at me. big gigantic hugs to you as you go through your therapy.
as for me, not much of a break, but a little one before i get started on the 8 million things that need to be done. i started my day off with a little scrapping. i fed my kids, plopped at my computer, and did a whole layout start to finish without even a hint of guilt for it. :) now i'm off to mow the yard... the grass is almost dead, but the weeds have taken over and severly need to be cut down.
i'll be praying for you. keep smiling!
(and i did not post this comment so i could win the sonic thing... i'm not even sure that we have one near us... i just wanted to tell you how wonderful you are.)
First of all, I agree that the glasses help! Secondly, the picture on the left is you WITHOUT makeup??? Girl, your skin is flawless!

Okay, I'm pulling the "school doesn't start til next Tuesday and I am sick of my kids card" by letting them play Angry Birds on the ipod while I balance the checkbook and read blogs!
Monica said…
Ditto that you have flawless skin! I wear make-up just to make my freckles some-what match! You don't even have a knotty head!
But kudos to you for pulling the cancer card occasionally, and I'm sure the housekeeper doesn't mind occasionally washing dishes. And I can assure you, washing a yucky egg pan is a whole lot easier than dried spaghetti sauce. (Can you tell I had to pull pots & pans in the cafeteria at FWBBC too many times?)
Anonymous said…
Today, I'm pulling the...

"I have a 3 1/2 yr old son and a nearly 23 month old daughter" card.

Basically, that means for today....I'm staying in pajamas all day and we're having frozen pizza for dinner!
:) Renee Theodore
Karen said…
You still look gorgeous! I love your sense of humor, too. ;-) Let's see? I guess my break is not eating my regular diet program food today. That break, however, is become I have to go for an endoscopy and will likely have a sore throat. Not such a fun way to take a break, but we do what we must, right?! (((HUGS))) to you!!
Melissa, I think you look fabulous, even without hair and makeup. FABULOUS! don't count me in the giveaway as we don't have a sonic out here in HI. I'm glad everyone is doing extra for you, you deserve it. I pray this process will be completely successful and go by quickly. xox
Deena P said…
Melissa, you are beautiful hair or not, makeup or not, inside and out. With the kids starting school, I've been keeping a 20 month old in my home. Today, I was supposed to have an on-line/phone interview, so I couldn't even keep him. I'm having a break today. There are plenty of things I *should* be doing (mowing the lawn, for example), but right now, I'm just facebooking, checking emails, and playing around online. :)
OH, and drinking a Coke.
Amy said…
You do have the most beautiful skin, Melissa, and look stunning in that picture on the left. Seriously!! Everyone is not just saying that to make you feel better, you really are gorgeous! Okay, I'm pulling the "my kid doesn't sleep through the night" card and ignoring the mountain of clothes to be ironed and messy kitchen and sitting here with my feet propped up during naptime on the computer watching an old episode of Grey's Anatomy. Okay, wait a minute...I think I pull that card about this time every day! LOL! :)
Krista said…
I'll reiterate what everyone else has said - you are still beautiful!! eyebrows are overrated my dear ;)
Giving myself a break... well, I'm at work and that's kinda a break these day! haha! I will be going home and enjoying a nice glass of wine at 9pm...
Marci said…
I'm pulling the "I have 3 big dogs and one sheds endlessly" card. And even though I'm sayin' I'm pullin' that card, if I don't run the vacuum cleaner today, I'll be able to build a German Shepherd by tomorrow! Yes, I agree with everyone--you're STILL gorgeous. Try looking at a face that's 30 years older than yours without makeup!
KirstyB said…
You're still gorgeous!! Eyelashes or not! Hopefully chemo is going smoothly for you.

I'm not really pulling any cards today except for the no cooking card. Our moving truck is out front and all of our stuff is being unloaded as I type! It's been in storage for the last 6 months and we've been in an empty house for a month now! It'll be like Christmas tomorrow!! :) With that all said, I can't make it into the kitchen because of all the boxes...dinner out tonight for sure!! :D
Terrah said…
As you know, I think you are amazing! You are beautiful and amazing! I think you wear the bald look well.

I cant recall anytime I ever pulled the cancer card although I am sure I did ocassionally. I do, however remember randomly saying "I have cancer" at the oddest times just to see people's reactions (or maybe to cope). I would have a little smirk on my face when I said it. We were at dinner one night with my parents and siblings and I dont think my diagnosis had quite sank in yet. My dad said something to the tune of "help your mom clean the kitchen" and I looked at him with puppy dog eyes and said "but I have cancer". The room got completely quiet and no one could understand why I was giggling. No I dont think that cancer is funny but I think my family needed that little sick humor to release some stress AND it got me out of cleaning the kitchen. It became a running joke for a bit until my mom had enough. Eh, it was fun while it lasted.

My MIL still pulls the cancer card for me sometimes. I let her, theres no sense in making her feel bad right? Plus I love her cooking.

Keep your chin up...you are doing awesome!
Karen said…
I'm still pulling the "newly adopted" baby card, but she's been home for 3 months! I think I'm moving on to the "I have 4 kids card" now.

You look fantastic! Super cute glasses too!
Hey, does your dad deliver to NC? That malt sounds like the bomb! ;)
S said…
You are beautiful!! Today, I am pulling the "I've had this headache for 3 days straight" card. :o)
Heather Thomas said…
Melissa, I was so touched by your blog. You are amazing. Not only are you beautiful but you make God look beautiful.
My card that I am pulling is, "I finished the laundry and did the grocery shopping so I am taking the rest of the day off!"
Lots of prayers.
Heather
Brian Lewis said…
I pulled YOUR cancer card today, and got out of a long afternoon of in-service at school so I could pick you up from your treatment.

I love you!
Elizabeth Frick said…
I'm not going to pull any cards, but I have to say I love Brian's comment :)
Mayme said…
I'm pulling the card and skipping soccer practice because Emma didn't take a nap and I have been up around the clock on pee patrol. I just can't imagine sitting at soccer this afternoon:)

Girl, your skin looks amazing.
Wendy said…
You are gorgeous in both photos! I hope you feel as good as you look, too. Like Brian, I had an all-day in-service for school, so we are ordering Pizza King for dinner. And breadsticks!
Kerin in DE said…
I'm pulling the "it's just TOO dang nice out to worry about the dishes and the HEEEUUUUUUGE pile of laundry that are INSIDE while I'm outside enjoying what's left of the day" card. My porch swing beckons.
Susan said…
Okay, so I've admittedly been asking friends/family to open doors for me in public because my immune system is so low, I'm scared to get germs on my hands! I also made my sister touch the parking meter today because who knows whose grimy hands have been on it. She obliged, but not without teasing me first :P

My eyelashes are falling out too. It's actually more irritating than my hair because they keep getting on my eyeballs!

Your skin though? Still amazing! The stress of being sick has turned my skin into that of a 16 year old again.
Dina said…
I've been reading your blog for a long while and am embarrassed that this is my first comment, but you did play the cancer card. My hubby left town today for a 3 day fishing trip, leaving me home alone with our nearly 2 year old cutie, so I took a pass on cooking by heading out for "bap" at the local fake Asian restaurant.
Kelly said…
Even without hair, eyelashes and eyebrows you are BEAUTIFUL!!
Your skin is luminous and your blue eyes have such sparkle.
Looking forward to the day when cancer's butt is fully kicked, and your hair's vacation is over, but, until then, never forget how lovely you are.
You are amazing :) I don't need to be in the drawing because I live..ummm hours now from civilization :)

Today I pulled the "mom is about to lose her mind after 3 days of homeschool and seven days til intl student from Korea comes to live with us" card and my husband took the day off, drove 3 hrs each way so we all could go to the Children's Museum in Indy and bought me Starbucks chai on the way home. He deserves a reward!

Praying for you..keep going!! Smiling about the steroids right now :)
Anonymous said…
Your skin looks amazing even now--SERIOUSLY!! if i looked that good without makeup on, i'd be thrilled!!!!!

this week has been the "i'm on vacation" card. i have lots of cards, though, really. :O)
Marvetta said…
You are still the most beautiful young lady I know. And I had a Pampered Chef Party tonight that was so much fun. I can't remember the last time that I had people here. Your Mom was here also. It was a good time. Love you Melissa!
Kim said…
You look amazing and should throw all your scarves away!!! My break today consisted of my friend (Karen) and I went out shopping for a bit while her lovely husband sat with all 3 boys!!!! That was a nice break!
Janet said…
My break today? A trip to the library and Starbucks...by myself...before going to the grocery store.

I just had to laugh at this post. The cancer card should br pulled frequently. Mine was used for getting my house cleaned and other odd chores. I also used to have what I called "chemo brain" --- serious memory issues during my inpatient rounds of chemo. (I am sure it was actually the anti-nausea and sleep meds really, but that certainly sounds much more boring.). I could watch entire movies and not remember. Have full conversations with visitors at my bedside and not remember it. Since I could never really declare "pregnancy brain" (only pregnant once - ended in a miscarriage) I decided "chemo brain" was a lot more interesting and sort of a card of it's own...right?

You look great. Isn't it the oddest thing ever to lose your eyebrows and eyelashes? I always thought my face looked like a white dry-erase board...free of expression. I gave up on makeup, except the occasional lipstick or blush since I was super pale. I remember holding the mascara brush at one point...looking in the mirror...and laughing hysterically...where the heck was I going to put mascara? Duh me!

Hugs!
worldshine06 said…
I pulled the cancer card and still occasionally do...only out of necessity of course ;o)

Best cancer card pull? A yellow lab puppy I always wanted but my parents always said NO....we got her right after I finished my treatments, so every year she was alive was another year I was alive. I had to be monitored for 15 years because of the rarity of my cancer (vs. the normal 5) and I swear that she hung on to 15, as weak as she was, to see me through to that last year....

Most expensive cancer card pull? The horse in my backyard right now my husband didnt want - LOL. "I need(ed) him to help me rehab my broken body and head"....but hey, the horse does the job...
Uhm, I still think you look pretty amazing!!!

And I say pull the cancer card ALL. YOU. WANT. :-)
Melissa, I think you look beautiful in your newest photo, with or without the eyelashes. :) You popped into my head this morning so that's why I friend requested you on Facebook :)

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