I met with my family doctor today, the lovely Dr. Daverne. It was such an uplifting conversation. Her first words to me were: "You look good!" My response: "I feel good." Despite everything I've been through over the last three years or perhaps because of everything I've been through, I'm happy. To feel good is to be good.

I love having Dr. Daverne as my primary care physician. She is down-to-earth, empathic, authentic, balanced, positive, funny, and optimistic while being realistic (which is my favourite combination).

We talked about my recent colonoscopy, which was unremarkable—the best outcome from a screening or diagnostic test. We briefly chatted about blood work to stay on top of non-cancer issues, such as thyroid, cholesterol and B12.

I talked about my bilateral mastectomy and breast reconstruction, the complication that led to the removal of one implant, and the feeling that I have one foot in the boat and one foot on the dock (referring to my one inflated breast and my one deflated breast).

I showed Dr. Daverne my knitted knocker. She had never heard of a knitted knocker, saying that it looked more comfortable than a silicone breast prosthesis. I imagine that it is, though I've never tried the latter. A few days after the explant of my right breast implant, I contacted a local store that sells breast prostheses and was told that they wouldn't even consider a fitting for 4-6 weeks. They made no suggestions on alternatives in the interim. Perhaps they don't tell callers about knitted knockers for fear that these people will find them to be a perfectly acceptable solution and decide not to buy a silicone prosthesis from them a month or two later. Indeed, that's exactly what I concluded. Dr. Daverne said that no one would know I was wearing a knitted knocker, nor that one of my breasts was inflated while the other was not (an observation I think you will share by looking at tonight's visual).

She asked me if I would be undergoing breast reconstruction. I said that I would. I explained that I feel like Goldilocks in the middle of the story. My left inflated breast feels too big, so I call it "Papa Bear." My right deflated breast feels too small, so I call it "Mama Bear." I'm hoping that my new "Baby Bear" breasts—to be constructed from my own tissue—will be just right. Dr. Daverne laughed at this analogy and said, "You must be one of the most resilient people." She noted that I am doing what I can to positively influence my future, including availing myself of genetic testing, having a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy and just generally staying on top of my health.

I do feel resilient. I keep living, writing and baking. In fact, I took Dr. Daverne a little package of chocolate chip pecan cookies that I made this morning.

I have so much to be grateful for: a body that heals well and allows me to play, exercise, organize, cook, bake, shop; healthcare professionals, including Dr. Daverne, who help me deal with issues as they arise (such as ovarian cancer) and to reduce my risk of other issues before they occur (such as breast cancer); and family and friends who support and cheer me on, including my mom who made my knitted knockers (see below).