Postcard from Japan
4.
Tokyo, April 8 2024.
LB is the breast I lost in my unilateral mastectomy on March 6. Rightie Tightie (RT) is the remaining (smaller) breast. Since the day before surgery I have been writing letters/odes to Leftie Bestie on FaceBook and transferring here to Substack. Read more eps here.
Dear Leftie Bestie,
I know, I know you would love to be on this trip with us. I remember how much we loved Japan on our previous journeys, especially bathing in the onsen with all the other many shapes and sizes of naked bosoms. It was like you finally found your tribe.
And so you don’t feel left out, here is our postcard to you.
But guess what LB, Rightie Tightie and I arrived in Tokyo by train not by plane as planned. The reason being, in a classic last minute Jetstar move, our Osaka-Tokyo leg was cancelled. No explanation, no hotel, no meal voucher. With all flights next day sold out, thinking on our feet, we decided to see if there was a slow train to Tokyo (6.5 hrs as opposed to the bullet train 3 hrs) so we could get some sleep. Went to JR Office at the airport and bingo, got me a ticket! Thought we’d be sitting up all night, and after the day's flight from Sydney wasn't looking forward to that, but to my suprise LB, The Sunrise Seto turned out to be a sleeper. Small space but so comfy, you would have loved it ... a traditional rice grain pillow and yukata (cotton sleeping kimono) and cosy douna. Oh LB, how RT and me wish you were here! Arrived in Tokyo at 7 am got the train to Ogikubo, met by my homestay host Jean at the station. Settled into our 16th floor room with a view and went walking with Jean to the local cherry blossom sites. A beautiful day, everyone out having bento box picnics under blissful canopies of delicious blossom.
Next day went to our appointment at the N2 clinic in Yotsuya-Sanchome and had the first part of my AIET procedure called aphresis, where they harvest your while blood cells. Met a couple of Aussies there having similar treatment for late stage cancers. Was great to swap notes and will see them again down the track. On the way back stopped in at gardens in Shinjuku and experienced the sakura delight all over again. Such pleasure is always so brief and fleeting as next day in the heavy rain the blossoms were washed away.
But a new experience awaited. The sardine peak hour crush, exacerbated by delays due to rain. I'm talking full body crush LB, as more and more people try to get on and we touch, chest to chest, nose to nose, armpit to armpit. You may have seen vids online, the guard in this case wasn't quite pushing people in, but def helping. Somehow all the young people managed to stay on their phones. Only lasted for a couple of stations but I got a taste for a moment of how awful it would be to die by stampede.
On the way back we got caught in an Escher like round robin maze of stairs and trains and kept ending up at the same station. All caused by delays on the Maranouchi line. Headed for Shinjuku spent some time searching for an adapter for my ancient Mac Air then took the JR Chuo line home. No delays there although my host tells me there often are due to suicides on the tracks.
Back home our room with a view delivered an extraordinary sunset and my host predicted we would see Mt Fuji next day, from the dining room window. And we did! It's been in cloud since I arrived. Now we have some time off while my white blood cells are being plumped up. We’ve been visiting local Shinto shrine and temples, places of peace and healing, blowing clapping and bowing again. Whispering prayers for your well being LB. Where ever you are, we miss you.
Follow my Leftie Bestie episodes to find out how after my mastectomy instead of opting for chemo and radiotherapy, I sought the advice of cancer adviser and advocate Grace Gawler, and travelled to Japan for AIET, a non invasive immune boosting therapy. Thank you to all who contributed to my cancer fundraiser and helped me achieve my current cancer free result.