Normal Nails Again (21 Months after Breast Cancer Chemo) 爪がやっと元に戻ってくる（抗がん剤終了から21か月）
After 1 year and 9 months from my last breast cancer chemotherapy treatments (ended in November 2014), I finally feel that my nails gained again the strength I used to had. Up to this summer, my nails had been chipping, cracking, and coming into multiple separated layers all the time. I could not grow them at all. But now I can!
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SHARE cancer support group website 米・乳がん卵巣がんサポートグループ ウェブサイト
I am so happy to see the photos from the photo shooting from 3 months ago came out great! I am on SHARE breast and ovarian cancer support group organization's website and it's Fall 2016 brochure. https://www.sharecancersupport.org/ Click and see, I am on the home page!
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PhD Graduation (with My Handmade Gown)! 博士課程 卒業式
I had a PhD graduation ceremony! I am even more officially, well... I had been since February... but, Dr. Yoko! I started the PhD program in 2001, that is 15 years of my work. I am so proud to be able to come this far. Thank you so much for supporting me, my family, friends, colleagues, my blog readers, and my professors. Along the way, I started to teach Economics at US colleges since 2004, got married, had a baby, had been raising my son in bilingual, got breast cancer, completed chemotherapy, finished reconstruction, completed my dissertation and the graduation ceremony was the closing of the PhD program!
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2nd Year Anniversary of Breast Cancer Diagnosis 乳がん告知から2年目
I marked the 2nd year anniversary of the cancer diagnosis on May 19. Today, 2 years ago, it changed me so much.
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Attending a Wedding in Japan 日本で結婚式に出席
I have attended a wedding in Japan about 2 weeks ago. My friends from high school were there and some of them, I had not seen them for 20 years. Many of them didn't know about my cancer.
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Support Group SHARE Photo-shooting! 乳癌サポートグループSHAREの写真撮影
I joined a photo session at SHARE -support for breast and ovarian cancer- yesterday. I only had one hour to be there and I had fun of getting some photo shooting done with other survivors and SHARE stuff members. These photos will be used for their publications. Look out!
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No more fussy hair after chemo, finally やっと抗がん剤後のボワボワ髪が無くなる
Since my last chemotherapy about 18 months ago, I kept cutting my hair because it came out so unevenly strong wavy. I used to have straight hair in natural, but it came out very very wavy. Finally, it looks like much more of the hair I used to have today! (This picture is just before cutting for the final time to say good-bye to my wavy hair.)
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Together, we are strong. 共に戦うから強くあれる
A dinner with two of my friends was a great time. Especially, when I did not have to worry about cancer nor dissertation! I am a super happy person!!!
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Feel Like "Normal" Breast ごくごく普通だと感じる再建後の胸
I was digging snow this past weekend and suddenly, I felt like "wow, it is really normal" about my breast, which had been mastectomy and reconstructed. I had no pain, and no pulling while shoveling the snow. I talked about the look of my breast in my last post. This time, I would like to talk about feel of the breast.
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Spring 2016 Semester Started 新学期の始まり
A new semester has started this week. I have full of energy to kick off this semester. (Wednesday was my first day of classes.)
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Dissertation Defense: Pass! 博士論文口頭試験 合格！
I passed my dissertation defense in PhD Economics last week! My husband and son celebrated my achievement with a cake and Champagne on the same day. It was a long, and sometimes rough, journey to come to this day. I still have to make some minor revisions, but the major parts are all done! A big relief! (Yes, this is THE big project I have been referring as a big project in this blog.) In the picture above, I took off my hat while defending it. I tried to look moderately stylish, but hopefully looked smart to defend a serious paper. How do you rate?
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Happy Halloween 2015 2015年のハロウィン
I remember the last year Halloween, I felt so sick that I did not even want to get up for bathroom. It was two days after my 5th chemotherapy. I had my nerve system started to be damaged, peripheral neuropathy, that I lost sensation with my finger tips and toes, and I could not walk uphill. That was an scary experience. This year, I was out in streets with my son, going along for trick-or-treating. I could not help but to think, "I could not even walk this street last year." I was happy to be able to do this again.
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Yes, my lost boob is finally back and complete! おっぱい再現 とうとう完了！
My very last procedure of breast reconstruction: tattooing areola is now completed the reconstruction on the past Friday. I did mastectomy on my left breast on mid June 2014. It became my routine to take a look at my left breast every time I became naked. I almost ignore my original right boob. I always look at my left breast for some moments, I mean, every day for the last 16 months.
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Family Celebration! 家族でお祝い
My family took me out to celebrate my completion of 1-year-long breast cancer IV treatments: Herceptin and Perjeta treatments!
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My last injection treatment is over! 最後の点滴治療終了！
I long waited for this day to come: my last injection treatment for my breast cancer is all done today! No more "chemo unit" visit every three weeks. I did it! (I did the chemotherapy from August to November, 2014. I had been on "targeted therapy" since then. The targeted therapy, the side effects are very minor. What I finish today is the targeted therapy.)
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US vs Japan World Cup Women's Soccer Final 日本ｖｓ米 ワールドカップ女子決勝戦
FIFA 2015 Women's World Cup the final match: US vs Japan. My husband and son were on US side, but I was on Japan side to watch the game. I did not expect any team would make 2 goals in the first 5 minutes at the final, but US did. The team USA was very strong!
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