My Mom’s Breast Cancer in the 1960’s: The Untold Story

I wanted to share a personal story with you, which shows the long history of breast cancer. So often we forget to share the stories of yesterday which have helped to map out today’s path. We need to know about those brave doctors and women of our past who pioneered the way for today’s fight against breast cancer.

When I was in the 2^nd Grade (1964) my mother, Juliet, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her doctor had lost his wife to the disease and checked all his female patients for it. When he discovered my mom’s lump, he sent her to Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California for a biopsy. When the results came back they were inconclusive. Refusing to accept this as an answer, he had the pathology sent back east. The results came back… Mom had a radical mastectomy. Her lymph nodes we removed and she was carved from her neck bone down. In those days this was the only option and her scaring was severe.

I was 7, my bother Tom was 6, and my sister Susan was 2 years old. We were so young and the operation was so extreme that mom could not take care of us. She and dad needed help.

My mother lost her mom (Ana, my name-sake) when she was 18, so they sent for my dad’s mother, Anna from Brooklyn, New York. To make room for her, my siblings and I had to share one room. I can still see the set up: 2 twin beds up against the side walls and a crib next to the closet. In my mind’s eye I remember sitting next to my mom on her bed as Grandma changed the bandages. Grandma lived with us for a year during my mom’s recovery. It was a hard time for my parents but it gave us children a time to get to know our NY Grandmother (another story for another time).

Flash forward to 2009… I am proud to say because of that doctor’s persistent efforts, my mom celebrated her 85^th birthday in August. She has seen her children grow and prosper and in May of 2010 she will see the last of her 7 grandchildren graduate from High School. Mom never talks about her ordeal; but every once in a while will say “I need to get a new boob, this one sprung a leak.” Then she is off to get fitted for a new prosthetic and new bras.

Juliet Aboussleman - a 45 year Breast Cancer Survivor!

On Friday, October 2^nd, please wear your denim jeans along side Christina Applegate and help support all breast cancer survivors and patients in Lee National Denim Day. For more information please visit: www.denimday.com

Megan Has Been Making Talk Show Circuit

Well, our Megan has been living in North Hollywood for three weeks now, job hunting and making the rounds to all the talk shows.

Last week she went to the season opener of The Ellen Degeneres Show. After the show ended Ellen came out and told them to sit tight because Friday’s guest segment with Katherine Heigl was going to be taped. So, like a good Mom, I DVR both shows. As Ellen introduced Katherine, the audience went crazy and, as the sound died down, whose “Ya Hoo” did I hear? You got it…Megan’s. Like any mother lion, I can always pick out my cub’s roar!


Another week passed, no luck with the job-hunting, so, off to the Chelsea Lately Show. With Chelsea Handler’s book, Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea in hand, Megan and her roommate, Laurel, went to the show.

Again, I could pick out Megan’s laugh from the audience. As the show wrapped up, Chelsea walks over to Megan to sign her book! Yes, there she was, right in the front row, shaking Chuy’s hand and Chelsea’s hand after she handed the book back to her!

Hmmmmm, that girl is making the rounds!

“SCRAPBOOK PAPER IS FOR THE BIRDS”

MAX: “TAILS” from a Crafty Dog

& His Animal Friends:

“SCRAPBOOK PAPER IS FOR THE BIRDS”

MAX has a new friend…only this one has wings! Meet SKY. He is a grade school dropout (that means the teacher couldn’t keep him in her classroom any more). So…Cindi (WCK’s Associate Producer) came to the rescue. Long story short, Sky’s new home is in her Studio.

I can hear Sky’s tweets, real ones, on the speakerphone when Mom (Ana) is having conference calls with Cindi. Sky is tweeting in the background…something about scrapbook paper. Mom and CIndi are laughing and I can almost make out what he is tweeting about (tweets are a little harder to understand than barks)… something about paper… wait… OH, it’s scrapbook paper. Sky’s Mom lined the bottom of his cage with left over scraps of scrapbook paper! He loves it; but now he… well you know… doesn’t want to mess it up!

I see some scrapbook paper on the floor. I think I’ll take a nap!

Paws and Licks, MAX

MAX: "Tails" From a Crafty Dog & His Animal Friends

Please meet my friend "Ike", yes I know that he is a cat; but that's alright he is pretty much in the same predicament that I am. You see his mother (Cindi Bisson) is a "crafter" too! Here is his advice for me:
"When my mom is in one of her creative frenzies and not paying enough attention to my handsome fabulousness, I find that sprawling my 18 lbs. of bulk on top of whatever she is working on works well.”
Hummmmm that could work but I only weigh 6lbs!
Licks and paws,
MAX

The Game Is On!

When Creativity Knocks has been nominated for American Express and NBC Universal's Shine A Light Contest.
The top 150 nominated small business stories will be evaluated by Diane Von Fursenberg, JJ Ramberg and Ellen Degeneres.
The winner will receive a grant for there company!

Could you please log in and vote for us:

http://shinealight.ivillage.com/sbo-profile/?ProfileID=1447

"TAILS" From Max the Crafty Dog & His Animal Friends

Life here in the WCK Studio can be a bit challenging! Leave it up to Mom (Ana) to turn a embarrassing time in any dog's life into a craft project!
Yes, you got in when I went into get the doggie snip-snip she took out her Painters and turned my dog cone into a FISH BOWL! She thinks she is so, funny! Mom even told people that I was "the piranha."

One of the most interesting episodes that When Creativity Knocks has done is the Monarch Butterfly Show. I wanted to share some be hind the seen photos that were taking during the taping of this show.

This photo is of Chris, Nature Bridges CA State Beach Ranger & Megan. He shared some great facts about the Monarch Butterfly with her.

Fall and Spring Migration Patterns (I thought it was interseting).

Monarch Butterflies just hanging out! The photo does not do them justice.

The wool felt butterfly in it's natural habitat?

We taped the How-To on a picnic table with the ocean in the backgrond. Here is the Butterfly layout of the project.

So, we (me) think it would great idea to do the opening of this episode walking out of the ocean.
It took way to may takes.... in this photo Megan leaving me to take the hit from the wave!

Why is Ana laughing? What you don't see is the poor pelican that is swimming up side down as a crowd gathers.

At last a great walking out of the ocean photo! It is a very beautiful place.

You don't get to see much of Scott... he's the brains behind the camera and website!
THAT'S A WRAP!