Lights, Camera,,, Circus?

More insanity at the circus. The powers that be at the University of Maryland Medical Center Breast Cancer Center somehow got it in their heads that I would be a good subject to make a TV advertisement about. Okaaaayyyy... The weeks approaching the shoot were rather hilarious. My super-wonderful colleague in charge of the shoot, Denise, informed me that I would be given several questions about my experience plus they would film me doing an activity that my recovery is allowing me to do.

Hmmmm. What in the world do the brand ta ta's enable me to do now. I joked with her for weeks that now I can enter wet tee shirt contests or take up pole dancing. But I'm not sure the head of the cancer center would appreciate that hobby. Oh! Sailing!! Now I can go sailing again. That's perfect. But the shooting schedule didn't allow the camera crew to drive an hour to get to the boat let alone the time it would take to go out on it.

Denise kept probing, "What other activities do you do?" "Well, I walk the dogs." She just looked at me. "Hey, if you knew my dogs, you'd understand that it's a complete workout!" Again, logistical issues of time and travel were an issue. Moving on.

I like to garden. Again, not something in which I actively use my breasts, but it's physical. Great. We are in downtown Baltimore and the only acceptable green patch is in front of the medical school. I think if I moseyed up and started digging up their tulips I'd probably be arrested. Next.

"Hey, I knit! And I've gotten really fast since my surgery!" I've never seen anyone roll their eyes that far back in their head. "Great! Your 40 and we have you knitting, Grandma. This is supposed to show how you've gotten back into activities. You know; like being active." Oh dear.

The problem is I was only cleared last Thursday to slowly resume lifting and activity. Yea, finally! But I haven't exercised or lifted since November, and now that I am cleared to do so I really see how much strength and flexibility I've lost. I've never in my life been this out of shape... No exaggeration. So much so that I'm not sure where to start without really hurting myself. Ah ha!!! That's it. I'll get back to doing yoga! It's been a while but it is self-paced and you do what you can and it builds strength and flexibility. Perfect. Denise loved the idea.

So once they have the commercial edited (a few weeks or so) I'll see if I can add it to the blog. You'll be able to see my best (albeit shaky) tree pose and warrior stance. Still workin' out that charlie-horse in my calf though.