Fainted at Oncologist Office 腫瘍内科で気を失う
The first thing first: I am FINE! I just fainted at a blood test. It was rather embarrassing!
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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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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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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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Pregnancy after Chemotherapy 抗がん剤治療後の妊娠について
(My hair has been growing into bushes. It's been 10 months since my last chemotherapy. I used to have very long silky straight hair, but now look how curly it is. I have no idea how to deal with this. It is always going so bushy. I don't feel this represents me and I cannot wait to have it grow much longer.) It depends on the types of breast cancer, but especially when one's cancer grows with hormone such as progesterone positive and estrogen positive breast cancer, getting pregnant raises some concerns. Chemotherapy let alone is a concern for damaging ovaries, there are other things to worry about, too. If a cancer patient is considering having babies after treatments, she should talk to doctors right upfront. This information is only based on my experience, please consult your physician when it comes to details and whether it can be applied to your case. Many cases, insurance companies may not cover this and it can be costly.
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Semi-Final US vs Germany Soccer in Montreal, Canada ワールドカップ女子 米VS独 観戦
The past Tuesday, US won the semi-final Women's World Cup Soccer against Germany at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. We were there to support the team USA.
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Happy Mother's Day 母の日
A happy mother’s day. My son left his mother’s day card that he worked…
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Attending Meetings ミーティングな一日 Pose #735
"TPO": Time, Place and Occasion. This is a made up acronym by the Japanese society and a widely used term today in Japan. It is used as TPO, as is in alphabets, in the Japanese language. That means people has to dress and behave according to a "TPO". It is used as "She was not considering the TPO for today's meeting." Either she dressed inappropriate for the meeting or used inappropriate tone of the language in the meeting. Some fashion magazines' editorials in Japan show a set of appropriate attires for a certain TPO, such as an office party TPO dresses, or weekend trip with a boyfriend TPO outfits.
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Teaching Wednesday 水曜日授業の日
This is my favorite wig. After all I have tried and spent some time on different wigs, there seems to be the favorite wig.
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Teaching Tuesday 火曜日授業の日
Each time I wrap into a turban style, it comes out slightly different, even when I try to do an identical style. Well, enjoy that! Today, I looked myself in a mirror and felt like I was in Aladdin, or in a story One Thousand and One Nights.
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Reconstruction in Progress 乳房再建途中経過
It was exactly a month after my reconstruction surgery that I had an appointment at the reconstruction surgeon's office. I don't have any more arm movements restrictions after a month of not be able to lift them no higher than my shoulders. I am set free!
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My Son's Presentation 息子のプレゼンテーション
My son's first Power Point presentation ever and I went to visit his classroom with this outfit. I had to think what I should be wearing for my head.
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Wrapping Style in Winter 冬のターバンスタイル
I did not realize how hair keeps my head so warm. After all those years with long hair I had, I feel cold in head this winter with newly growing very short hair. This wrapping style became my favorite for this season. It is warm, gives fullness and playful asymmetry design. I also like this pin (find it, it is at my forehead) I put in the front on the wrap, too. A part of it hangs down from the turban and it sways. It adds a little charm to the style. Because of the volume, my style does not speak out that I face hairless with cancer.
Read MoreDay12: Teaching Tuesday
12 Days after the 6th chemotherapy. Today was the last day of my Tuesday course for the semester and I gave the final exam.
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Day10: Massaging on my legs
Day 10 after the 6th and the last chemotherapy. A friend came over to do massage on my feet and legs. Kids, her kids and my son, had fun together in and outside.
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Day9: My Parents' Departure
Day 9 after the 6th chemotherapy. It was the time for my parents to go back to Japan. I am still feeling not fully recovered.
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