Sunny side: Do you have a beard?

09 March, 2013

Do you have a beard?

I did not think that women had a beard, but boy I was wrong.

I've got a beard! I often say that I should let it grow, so I can be Santa next Christmas.

The secret lies in a pill called Medrol, a cortisone / steroid we get, we who have cancer of the head. If you are so unfortunate that you forget to put it in a gelatin capsule, you have a metallic taste in the mouth the rest of the day. Heavy!

The drug is on the WADA doping list, and is probably not used in the sport, because here is revealed, out of the side effects, it is a known phenomenon that the hair grows in the strangest places, and your face will swell. Cool, huh?

Since I find it a little embarrassing to walk around with a beard, it was now time to remove it. Again. I found a cream that is quite gentle on the skin. An affordable, pink box from Vita, "Andrea Visage Clair - Gentle hair remover for the face." In the picture you can see how beautiful you have to be in 8 minutes while the cream works. Gorgeous!

But if you need a Santa, so remember to speak out in good time, because this beard does not grow very fast.

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Preface

This is the English translation of Anja Merete's blog “Solsiden”, originally written in Norwegian by Anja Merete and myself, her husband.

“Solsiden” means “The Sunny Side”, and was started shortly after Anja Merete was diagnosed with breast cancer. The name of the blog was meant as a contrast, irony towards the “verdict” from the medics.

The choice of top picture strengthens the irony, the catastrophe. It's a part of a publicity still from the Roland Emmerich movie 2012 (Columbia Pictures), with sunrise over the end of the world.

At first the blog was thought to serve as communication towards friends outside the near family. Anja would call the closest ones with news. She would keep on as long as she would endure, given the present situation. Then, the rest could get some details further than a simple status on Facebook.

It did not take much time to reach new contacts aswell; People with experience of breast cancer in near family. Other breast cancer patients. Nurses. Medics. More and more professionals and professions would use the blog for educational purposes. Media would contact Anja Merete for expert advice and fact checks and quotes.

All the while media, especially TV news broadcasts, have full focus on breast cancer, on how treatable it is, how many get cured, almost nobody dies from, and the huge problem being the low priority public hospitals give breast reconstruction (while private practices were, was and are busy repairing healthy breasts).

It is important to remember breast cancer still kills. It really seems like it is not. The “almost nobody” who dies from the disease is, among others, my wife. She is not “almost nobody”. Not even close. Not yet. And for some, she will never be.

This is the story of the patient who never played along with the rest of good statistics regarding breast cancer in the 2010's. It is presented in blog form. In reverse order. Back dated.

Be adviced: Blog entries are published as soon as they are translated. It will take quite some time to get up to date with the original blog.