Rollin' On The River

These days, the good times are rolling -- I'm feeling strong, eating well, and healing quickly. Best of all, I'm getting used to this new and improved body of mine, a fact that is confirmed by little things. 

For instance, until this morning, I'd only been sleeping on my side. I hadn't dared to venture into the land of resting on the tummy lest it feel weird and bum me out. This morning, I decided it was time. I rolled on my side and continued the motion until I was lying flat, face down in my pillow. And despite the huge incision scar starting at my sternum, my belly felt fine. Now I can rest on my stomach and get a massage like a normal person. A baby step, yes, but a step closer to feeling totally and completely normal.

Another sign of my return to new and improved normalcy came in a non-obvious way -- on stage, singing my heart out with my OMM partner in crime, Tim. Today was Day 1 of O'Melveny's Third and Fourth Year Associate Retreat at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey. Despite the fact that I'm on medical leave, I'm still a fourth year associate and I figured retreating with my fellow associates would be awesome. So far, it has been. After a great dinner and first session, we were invited to do some drinking and some karaoke. I passed on the drinking, but Tim and I knew that we'd be on the hook for karaoke given the fact that we've taken the crown for Best Duet for two years running at our annual OMM Christmas party. We sipped some herbal tea (channeling our inner singing diva) and chose our song: "Proud Mary," the Ike and Tina Turner version.

Soon, we were on stage, being cheered on by our colleagues, and belting out the lyrics. Showmen that we are, we threw in some choreographed dance moves. I'll be honest -- we were really good. It felt great.

But it was more than just a fun time. It was a celebration of my reclaimed life. Last September, I rested in a hospital bed after a three hour surgery and was told that I had Stage IV colon cancer. My future was uncertain, and my chances at survival were not as high as yours. But I was determined to survive. I looked into the belly of the beast and I fought with all my heart. And now, miraculously, I'm back. And hamming it up onstage with my best friend.