ON MY Plate

There are very few traces of breast cancer left in my house since completing all of my treatment one year ago.

To the average person, there would be no signs. I have a full head of hair; I have put on the weight I lost during treatment. My one daily reminder that I had cancer is my bottle of Tamoxifin, which sits on my bedside table, pills that I take nightly and will for the next four years.

Last year, my husband flushed all the contents of the prescription medicine bottles that were lined up like a combat force on my bureau, anti-nausea, antidepressant, pain medications. It was like a victory in the battle. I gave away all my head coverings.

But the ultimate good-bye happened last night when my 5- year-old daughter, Elena, looked for a Band-aid. In her search, she ended up finding one of the cosmetic purchases I had made to help manage the hair loss that comes with intensive chemotherapy, a set of Revlon false eyelashes that would make Tammy Faye Baker or any drag queen proud. She is as tomboy as you can get, except every once in a while she gets “fancy.” This time, she insisted on putting them on immediately. She even begged to wear them to school (She loves to shock). She then disappeared for awhile. She came out all lashes and fully clad in her pink polka-dotted Easter dress and in my makeup and jewelry. She then partnered with her brother Sean, who is 7. They took every pot in the house and turned it upside down to make a killer drum set. They cranked up Elena’s new Hannah Montana CD and put on quite a show.

Who said cancer isn’t fun?

It led to this fabulous performance. Sean eventually couldn’t resist the eyelashes either (could you?) and decided to make a moustache out of them. It was hilarious.

Revlon, you helped us rock it out!

Finally, I think that just may be the last remnants of my cancer props. It was a fun way to celebrate the last traces of treatment and say, “good-bye cancer.”

Jennifer Palmer is a full-time sales rep for IBM and a two-year breast cancer survivor. She lives in Belmont with her husband, Arthur , and their children, Sean, 7, and Elena, 5. Writing was very cathartic during her year-long treatment for breast cancer. She hopes to one day publish a story about her family’s experiences.

What’s on your plate, moms and dads?

baystateparent is accepting essays on family life (your family life), and you don’t have to be a published writer. We’re looking for parents who want to share an experience, story, thought, or viewpoint…funny, serious, happy, sad… To be considered, email your writing to editor@baystateparent. com, and it could appear in a future issue of baystateparent. All essays will be edited for clarity and length.