I haven't been there, but I am intrigued about it. I go to Katie's a couple blocks heading downtown on Iberville, which is pretty good. There's also Liuzza's on Bienville just a block away from Katie's (on Bienville, obvs.)

If you go to Redemption, let me know how it is!

That is excellent. And both kitties were SO well-behaved! As befits royalty.

Aw, thanks!

Wow, I haven't been to Liuzza's in years, with those frozen mugs full of root beer.

We are good to go for Redemption. I will report back!

So, I can't post this to Facebook, because I don't know that my parents have managed to get a hold of my brother. I thought I'd post it here. I'm not really looking for hugs.

My mother called on Wednesday night, and I missed the call (we’re not a phone call family). I texted her on Thursday: “Sorry I missed your call. What’s up?” She said that she was in the middle of things and would call me after class (not a good sign. She usually emails me, so something that she wanted to actually talk about, and wanted to talk about after class, even worse). So, after class, she calls and tells me that she’s been diagnosed with (early, and the least-bad of all possible types of) breast cancer. She’ll be having a lumpectomy on Tuesday and may only be off work for a couple of weeks for treatment. Assuming that the lymph node biopsy comes back clean, everything should be fine. I made a joke about doing anything I could to help but being unwilling to buy pink things (Dad is with me on that one). It sucks, but it’s fine. There’s nothing to be done at the moment.

Now for the selfish bit.

1) My paternal grandmother (who died when I was in 4th grade of heart issues) had a mastectomy due to breast cancer 2) I, myself, went in for a biopsy of a lump maybe 4 years ago. It was nothing (as the doctor was pretty sure it would be). So, the first (completely selfish) mental loop I've got going on is that my risk, statistically, is now at least 25% (this, by the way, is greater than the risk of lung cancer for smokers. Let me tell you, the Google rabbit hole I’ve been down over the past day has not been healthy. Is it not relevant, Mr. Risk-Calculator, that I only have 1 female first-degree relative at all? What about my having family history on both sides? No, it is not sensible to try to have a baby before I turn 30, even if that does improve my odds. Besides, there aren't enough months before my birthday.).

Anyway, I have an appointment at the campus clinic on Wednesday, as Sense Of My Own Mortality has decided to invite itself over for tea. I am skeptical that they will be very helpful at all, though I am kind of hoping for a referral to someone whose practice isn't mostly pap smears for college students. (I recognize that this is a bitchy statement. I'm leaving it anyway.)

Right, so, having killed the thread, let me say that I recognize that A)Several people on the board have had and are having experiences with (Fuck)Cancer that are far more serious. B)No, there's not really any particular response that would be helpful.

So, ummm...my cat seems to have a fondness for both toast and tortilla chips. This strikes me as strange.

No, it is not sensible to try to have a baby before I turn 30, even if that does improve my odds.

Not a great reason to have a baby, I will offer. Unless you name it something like Improved Odds. Imp would be cute though.

I think your cat is comfort eating carbs.

And I am sorry for the stress of it all.

Right, so, having killed the thread, let me say that I recognize that A)Several people on the board have had and are having experiences with (Fuck)Cancer that are far more serious. B)No, there's not really any particular response that would be helpful.

I have been finding that Bitches moves pretty slowly, and I think folks are in transition from work to home or have started their weekends already. So I say {{Debet}} that seriously and massively sucks.

I would be FREAKING OUT in that situation, so don't be so hard on yourself for being scared. Much ~ma to you and your mom and your whole family. Let us know how her procedure goes next week?

my risk, statistically, is now at least 25%

That's not exactly true. Current research puts the relative risk of a person with a first-degree relative with cancer at 2.1, which means, in essence, that you have twice the risk of a woman your age without close relatives with breast cancer. That would put your risk between age 30 and 39 at about .9 percent. The exception would be if you tested positive for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

Your lifetime risk to age 90 would be about 25%, about double that of a person without a family history. Seventy-five percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. The comparison with lung cancer doesn't really work, because lung cancer is considerably more fatal.

I hear you, Debet. My mom had breast cancer at 40, so it's something that kinda freaks me out. But I think I am generally pretty good at denial, and at assuming that even though I have not had a baby before 30 or breastfed or whatever else is supposed to be helpful, I la la la la la not going to happen to me!

I hope everything works out great for your mom! (Mine is fine, 25 years later--and her cancer treatment was 25 years ago, imagine the strides they've made!)

Not a great reason to have a baby, I will offer. Unless you name it something like Improved Odds. Imp would be cute though.

Still not a good idea, what with the whole "grad school" thing, the "no money" thing, etc, etc.

I think your cat is comfort eating carbs.

I'm choosing to blame the butter on the toast and the salt on the chips. Cats Iz Strange.