Baring My Bikini Body

Today was our last day on Waikiki Beach, and we soaked up every last bit of it. Lots of quality time spent on the beach, in the pool, laying out, and -- my favorite activity -- enjoying the beautiful Pacific Ocean on a catamaran. As every other day on this vacation, I spent the majority of my day in my bikini, flaunting my incision scar the only way I know how -- with a proud smile on my face. I caught a couple of people giving me a couple of extended looks, but I didn't mind them. I also had to endure a totally obnoxious teenager in the jacuzzi talking about all the people she knew that were "dying from cancer" but I shut her up quickly by simply standing up nonchalantly, baring my midsection that she gaped at with a half-opened mouth. On the catamaran today, Will took a picture of me in my swimsuit in front of all the other tourists on the vessel. After the picture, I was approached by one of them. 

"I couldn't help but notice that amazing scar you're showing. I'm in the medical field. What is it from?" I told her enough to elicit genuine good wishes from her. She called me a survivor. I believe she was the first person who I didn't know personally that had called me a survivor, and it was probably the best compliment from a stranger that I've ever received. 

You may think that putting my foot-long incision wound on display for several hours a day could be a nerve-wracking or intimidating experience, but it wasn't. It was totally and completely empowering. I know I look great and, even more importantly, I feel great. And most importantly of all, I earned every last inch of this scar and every last moment of this vacation, and I intend on enjoying them both.