Welcome to Laughter and Cancer

Some things just naturally go together: salt and pepper, butter and popcorn, cake and ice cream.  You get the idea and possibly the munchies.

Other things may go together, but are not to everyone’s taste.  For example, not everyone would pair fried baloney and peanut butter, but some people swear by it (not me).  The same is true for laughter and cancer.  Some people will agree with this pairing and others won’t. Those people who have never had cancer, or are newly diagnosed and still adjusting, may find this pairing beyond comprehension.  To me, as someone who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, laughter and cancer are not only a natural fit, but a necessary one. While laughter is not the cure for cancer, it makes the journey a lot easier.

Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t get the diagnosis and then laugh all the way home thinking, “This is awesome,” unless it was in a sarcastic way. For me, getting a diagnosis was actually a relief after months of wondering what was going on. I liked the certainty of an answer, although it wasn’t the one I wanted. Fortunately, I have an interesting sense of humour and it turned out to be a great asset to me. I instinctively found the humour in things. Who knew that my fake boob collection (about five) and my wigs (two) would be great sources of laughter? Here are a few examples:

• I had a fake boob that would slide out of position until I weighted it down with a roll of coins.
• I had a bald spot in one wig and had to wear a hairband underneath.
• I sometimes misplaced my boob (the fake one). I would put it someplace discreet and then forget where I put it. Apparently discretion is not always good.

And, fortunately, you don’t have to have cancer to laugh. There are a lot of good sources in everyday life. It doesn’t have to be something big to make me laugh. Years after my sister-in-law’s graduation, I smirk when I think of the silence in this large auditorium and how loud it sounded when my brother struggled to get the foil wrapper off a protein bar. We tried not to look at each other so we wouldn’t laugh, but trying to keep that laughter in check made tears roll down my cheeks. Laughing with someone (or trying not to) is the best feeling.
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I hope you can get that feeling from my blog. With my quirky sense of humour, I can make even boring information funny. Since laughter is contagious, I’m hoping you’ll share the stories from this blog so that others may laugh. In fact, I’m hoping you’ll share your stories with me.  

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