Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Fashion & Beauty Week Runway Gala Recap

 
Last September, I posted about my obsession with the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show (Can Elvis Cure Cancer?). Well, last night, I had a crazy fan dream come true. At the fabulous Fashion & Beauty Week's Runway Gala to benefit the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, the cast of the program was in attendance, with Danielle Monaro emceeing the event. And it gets better... my new friend Stella, who invited me to the event, had preferred seating for the runway show, and those seats just so happened to be directly behind the cast!
 
After the runway show, Danielle came over to her husband and colleagues, and I nervously told her that listening to her every morning has been a wonderful distraction from thinking about cancer and my treatments. And that I love her laugh; it lifts my spirits every time. We both got a little emotional, and we hugged! And Stella snapped this pic. Seriously, when I was young and saw clips of the Beatles' fans going crazy, I thought the girls were ridiculous. Now I'm just as bad. I don't care. It makes me happy.
 
Shelley with Danielle Monaro of Elvis Duran and the Morning Show
The runway show was fantasic, and at least 60% of the outfits I wished I could take home with me. The designers who presented were: Monique Lhuillier, THEIA, BCBG, Jay Godfrey, Melissa Odabash, Naven, Sue Wong, Adrian Alicea and JS Collections.

I had a great time with Stella. We met through her husband, Razmik. They own Magique Studios, a wedding and fashion photograper, and they're working on a project with me about my self-image issues while bald, specifically showcasing my hat collection. The story will first appear in the June edition of (201) Health, a special publication of 201 Magazine. The genesis of the project is to help other women who are now going through the self-image issues associated with cancer and chemo. Razmik and Stella's positive outlook on life has been inspirational for me.


 

Monday, March 4, 2013

StupidCancer Adult Cancer Workshop - March 16

The John Theurer Cancer Center is hosting a young adult cancer survivor workshop on Saturday, March 16th. If you're in the area, and part of the club, I hope to see you there!

For details and registration, visit Stupid Cancer Northern New Jersey Young Adult Cancer Workshop

I will be one of the panelists on the Survivorship Panel at 2:15pm, and the below is a short piece I wrote about my expectations for the day, which the cancer center has posted on its CancerPerspectives blog.

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Each of us is a cancer fighter; Together we are an army

StupidCancer Northern New Jersey Adult Cancer Workshop – Saturday, March 16 @ John Theurer Cancer Center (Register Now!)

Each of us is a cancer fighter. Together, we are an army. And, just as importantly, we’re a group of friends, who can laugh together and support each other. As young adult fighters / survivors, we face a doozy of a list of cancer complications, which span from mouth sores to reservations about dating to finding a way to pay the bills. It’s not been easy for any of us, but we can make it just a little bit better for each other. I hope you join those of us who’ve already registered for this event.

You may be wondering what to expect. Based on my experience at a StupidCancer conference last fall (for which all slots filled, so register early for this workshop), here’s one vision for how your day may go: