It has been almost a year since I was diagnosed with breast cancer.Since that day in October, I have had two surgeries, been through 4 months of chemotherapy, and 20 treatments of radiation. I have lost all of my hair, a few bad friends, but gained a whole lot of perspective.

At first I had to ask myself " why did this happen, where did it come from?" and even though I live a pretty positive and healthy lifestyle with no history of breast cancer in my family, I was handed the cancer card.

After a lot of soul searching I know why I got diagnosed, and I can honestly say, I don't regret it. I am happier, calmer and healthier than I have ever been.

It is now time to celebrate life and celebrate me! A week ago I packed up my jeep, took along my dog and my downhill mountain bike and hit the open road for a west coast road trip through Canada and The United States. I have been to Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler and now Victoria British Columbia visiting old friends and taking in all that this beautiful world has to offer. Tomorrow I am going to get my very first tattoo from an old friend, signifying my journey and survival!

On Thursday I hop on a ferry and head down to Oregon for some surfing and exploring.

I will update this every day on my amazing adventures!

This is The Good Life!

Ally

Hi everyone,

I have decided to keep a video diary of my treatment.Filming this process has been very good for me and its helping me heal, laugh and come to terms with my situation.There are three episodes up right now on You Tube and I will put one up each week until the end of my treatment.

The name of the channel on You Tube is "thebizzybeaver" and the videos are called " CHEM-HO" My journey through chemotherapy.I hope you will check them out and also spread the word. I hope I can help other people who are going through this.

Thanks and check them out each and every week.

Lots of love,

Ally

I put it out to the universe that I didn't want to be self conscious of my body anymore and I wanted to meet a well established good looking man.... so the universe gives me breast cancer and puts me in the hospital where I'm meeting countless hot doctors and have to show them all my boobs! Be careful what you ask for!

I have gone through many stages during this process and its very similar to the stages of a break up, which I'm all to familiar with. The first stage was DENIAL. I spent the first few weeks thinking it was no big deal, treating it like a rash, making jokes, letting friends touch it ( HUGE MISTAKE! I felt like a grade 6 sex- ed experiment).
Then came the countless cards and letters and phone calls and both my Mother and Father flying in from Manitoba and my doctor saying..." This isn't funny. You have cancer" that I couldn't deny it any longer.

Then came the next stage FEAR. One day it hit me...  " Oh my god, I have cancer and I'm ALL ALONE".I'm single,I live alone, I have a dog I have to take care of, a business I have to run, events to organize, classes to teach, bills, a fence I have to build before the condo board sends me another threatening letter.....NO.....THIS ISN'T A GOOD TIME FOR ME!!! Why didn't I marry any of those winners that treated me sooooooo well! Now I have to take on another thing all by myself..geez! This sucks.
I need a man. I need a man to take care of me. I have never had a man take care of me. I have always taken care of them and where did that get me... they always leave when my credit card is maxed out, and so is my patience.....But what sort of man is going to want to meet a near cougar with cancer? Well I'm back where I started, I'm alone, and now I'm depressed.

I guess I'm going to have to tackle this all alone like everything else in my life. Can you see where this is going? The pity party is in full swing.Which brings me to the funnest stage of all BLAME. I started researching everything I could about breast cancer. Why did I get it? What did I do wrong? My doctor asked me if I drank alcohol? " Well duh... I'm single and I'm from Winnipeg". She told me to stop immediately. Your risk for breast cancer increases if you drink. Every book, brochure, website I went to said the same thing " limit alcohol to one a day". Oh okay, well I can do that. I'll just save up all my days and then go out on a Saturday and drink all seven. I was shocked to discover it doesn't work like that. I cried. Then I read that your risk to breast cancer increases if you have never been pregnant or breast fed. Check.Also if you're on the birth control pill .Check. ...and eat alot of soy. Check. My god... I am being punished for being single! And now...who the hell is gonna want me?? Did saving myself for the right man give me cancer?? Why didn't I give that guy a chance who couldn't afford bus fare to take me out? I am soooooooo picky!

Every doctor and nurse I talked to said the same thing " relax. no stress. meditate. be calm". Huh?? I feel guilty when I relax. How is anything going to get done? I tried to meditate once and I was making things to do lists in my head. How can you just sit there and chant? It doesn't make any sense.Over and over I was told to eliminate any stress in my life.But its my busiest time of the year...AHHHHH...I need a drink! and a soy burger.

Those comments though brought me to stage four GETTING RID OF TOXINS. For the most part I eat pretty healthy and I exersize every day but I decided to put nothing but healthy things into my body, and that includes energy. I had to say good bye to some people in my life that made this diagnosis about them. I don't have the time to make YOU feel better.For once in my life I have to focus on me. That includes an ex who choose to call me for the first time since we broke up, to ask a favour. I told him I had cancer and haven't heard from him since. Wow, can't believe I let that one go.

I have had so many friends and family members step up to the plate and help me out. It has been overwhelming. Even people I have just met, have bent over backwards to make things easier for me.I realized there is no shame in asking for help. There is nothing wrong with saying " I can't do this by myself". Every day something magical happens which makes me grateful for the life I have. I realized I a not alone.I am surrounded by love and even though a man with rock hard abs and a stable job would be nice, nothing compares to this.

Tomorrow I go see the surgeon to find out the results of my surgery ( I had a lumpectomy on November 17th and my lymph nodes removed under my right arm) and the next steps to my treatment. I am not going to lie, I am scared, but know I've got a village of people behind me.

Standing tall boobs and all,

Ally

Thats right, its my battle with the boob. My right boob in fact. On October 5th I was lying in bed-ALONE, which is always a treat, feeling myself up, which is an even bigger treat, and I felt a lump on my right boob. The next day I was at the doctors office, which began a month long process of showing everyone, my boob.

Why is it that over thirty something years no boyfriend has ever expressed interest in being served sunny side up, and now all of a sudden, everybody has touched my boob. Its the most action I've had in eight months! And some of these doctors are cute! Would it be inappropriate to hand them my card? Or ask them to put on leather gloves and wear a studded collar? Light some candles? Play Zamfir? I mean, when in Rome!

So over the course of two weeks, they sent me for a mammogram,(which is like putting your boob in between a George Foreman Grill)  then an ultrasound, then a needle biopsy. If I knew my boob was going to get this much attention I would have gotten a nipple peircing..or put on fake tanner, or tattoed my phone number.

After three weeks of the boob tour across Calgary, on October 29th, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.Yep, thats right people, I've got cancer.

 I am overwhelmed with all the support, prayers,generosity, and love I have received my family and friends. Wow! What can I say, people love my boobs!My Mother has been visiting me and helping me out- walking my dog, cooking and she even re-arranged my closet by color, complete with post it notes"Don't wear this with jeans".

I will record my process on this blog, so stay tuned. If you are a woman, I don't care what age or whatever you family history may be, start touching those boobs.I am so glad I did.

Keeping strong,

Ally

Ok everyone, the show was awesome, I was hot and none of my ex's came to heckle me or ask me for bus money.I was disappointed. If I had sold three more seats, I would have had a sold out run, but there was an old woman who took a nap and used up those extra seats, so yes, I had a SOLD OUT RUN!

The show was a  45 minute stand up/ storytelling routine about the past year of my life. Last summer I got dumped and went through a 12 step program of getting rid of dating wankers. Some of the most memorable steps are " getting drunk" "rebound sex" and the one I'm most proud of....."stalking".
FFWD magazine called my show " an absolute riot and funny all the way through".

I can't believe a year ago I cried so much my neighbors sent a compliant about my winy dog to the condo board.One year later,I'm able to look back and laugh.

What struck me the most is how many people the show resonated with. I spoke to many people afterwards who said to me that it was like watching themselves up there, that I made them feel that they weren't alone.Ya ,but did your date not show up tonight because he couldn't afford bus fare? I didn't think so! ( true story people. Boy, have I grown).

So I want to thank everyone who came out and laughed with me or at me, or just fell asleep. I also want to thank Tanya, Amanda, Janet, Greg, Kevin, and all the people that have helped my bring my story to life. And most of all, thanks to all the wankers I have dated that made me realize for myself, that I am one awesome babe, and you're not worthy of a sex machine like me!!

If you didn't see the show, it will run again in November as part of a Sex and The City Festival featuring strip fit by Carrie Schiffler.Stay tuned for show dates and times.