Breast Cancer Lottery Winners

Christmas 2007 I wasn't driving so I was picked up by a YSC member who lived in South Seattle. She had come to me in Woodinville via Factoria and we were going to Ballard my first YSC holiday potluck with a cutthroat, pink elephant gift exchange. It was snowing or raining or something that made the traffic really bad. All in all I think it took her 3 hours to get to the party.

I met K for the first time at that party. We were both examining the fare. She said, "Hi! I'm K. You're the new girl with mets right?" I am sure I answered in the affirmative, while secretly wondering what in the world I was doing at this party. "Yeah I have mets too." I had the right disease so I was in. Things were looking up. I just needed to learn the secret handshake and I was golden.

This small gathering of one boobed, two boobed, no boobed, foobed and pre-foobed gals with tram flaps and lat flaps and implants'o'plenty. These were my new peeps. You didn't even have to throw mardi gras beads for these chicks to show you their tits. I liked them immediately! They were loud and funny and drinking and eating. All things I was familiar with. I prayed they liked me too because the other support group of 50-60 year old women with breast cancer really wasn't a good fit.

K. came back and said something that has always stuck with me. You wouldn't think so but her words were so profound. She said, "So you know we're the breast cancer lottery winners right?" I paused.......Stage IV terminal breast cancer and somehow this little red headed sprite likened it to winning the lottery. I was intrigued. "Didn't know that. Never really thought of it as one for the win column." I replied. K. said, "Oh yeah! We won the lottery! We are Stage IV and we don't have to go through all the other stages. We won the lottery."

Now many people won't really understand this little anecdote and what she revealed to me about her outlook, her acceptance, her fight, her resolve and her love of life. I do. I get it K. You did win the lottery, you did. Your numbers came up and you were the winner girlfriend. I will never, ever look at this disease and this life the same way because you turned it into a win, a rebate of sorts. It is reported that many people win the lottery and then totally screw up their lives. Not K. she relished every minute.

This year at the YSC Holiday potluck cutthroat pink elephant party I ended up with the gift K brought. A matching pair of pink hats. I model it in the picture below which is not suitable for young children or the overly uptight. K. looking like a lottery winner next to me. I'll miss you girlfriend.