Yesterday I got a note from my friend Tonua with some unfortunate news: She has been diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and virulent form that must be treated aggressively. In her creative fashion, however, Tonua is making the experience wholly her own, using it to understand herself better and help others going through the same thing. In fact, maybe this is weird to say, but her enthusiasm is darn near infectious.
She has begun a blog, Taming the Savage Breast, specifically to record and sort out everything she’s going through, and she’s even working on a film documentary. She appears to be channeling the Manolo in adopting a “super-fantastic attitude” and the energy to match it.
On Friday she blogged about a day’s worth of having tests done at the hospital:
Today, I spent 5 hours at the hospital having tests run. But the tests were so cool, that it was like being in a sci-fi film… or the future. The future is now!
And here’s a tiny snippet from today’s entry on hair loss:
I’ve been planning to start posting video to this site. I’ll record getting my head shaved and make that my first post! Stay tuned to my blog for more details.
You may be moved to stay tuned; I certainly will, and will keep sending good vibes in Tonua’s direction. If you’re also moved (as I was) on this occasion to contribute to the cause of finding a breast cancer cure, Tonua is participating in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the Cure and you can donate here. You can also find a race/walk that’s close to you.
Thanks, Eve, for the post, the kind words, the encouragement, and the support.