We Will Not Be Broken

Today’s is my 600th blog post, believe it or not. I know why I keep postin’ on and it’s for one simple reason: the badass melahomies I’ve been privileged to meet during my extended stay at The Hotel Melanoma inspire me. You may bend, but you never break under the burden of battling an unrelenting beast of a cancer. And I hope my lyrical efforts provide a few moments of respite from your battles.

For all who refuse to be broken, here’s an ode to melanoma to the tune of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Will Not Be Broken”…



Tan was then and pale is now
I found my way black and fears abound
Pray you'll someday let me go
I told you once, I told you so

Take me down
You can hold me but you can't mold what's within
Pull me 'round
Push me to the limit, maybe I may bend

But I know where I'm not going
I will not be broken
I will not be broken
I will not be

Someone other than who I am
I will fight to make my stand
'Cause what is livin' if I can't live free
What is freedom if I can't be me

Take me down
You can hold me but you can't mold what's within
Pull me 'round
Push me to the limit, maybe I may bend

But I know where I'm not going
I will not be broken
I will not be broken

I won't let you near it
I will let my spirit fly
Fly high
Oh, take me down

Take me down
You can hold me but you can't mold what's within
Pull me 'round
Push me to the limit, maybe I may bend

But we both know I'm not going
I will not be broken I will not be broken
I will not be broken
I will not be, no no Black C

Goin' Out of My Head

This past weekend I had the great pleasure of meeting up with some dear melapals at Miles for Melanoma Chicago. It was a joyful and sometimes raucous weekend, which included the group being ‘invited’ to vacate the bar area of a semi-famous chain steakhouse. But there were tearful times as well, because the folks pictured above run the gamut of the community touched, and often hammered, by the Black Beast. A couple of exceedingly fortunate, long term survivors of metastatic melanoma. Parents grieving the loss of a young son and a daughter grieving the loss of her mother. And badass melanoma warriors in the thick of battle with a seemingly unrelenting foe.

Now more than ever, I’m craving for a cure, sometimes to the point of getting just a little bit crazy about it. So until next time, I’ll sign off with a song for a cure, to the tune of “Goin’ Out of My Head” from Little Anthony & The Imperials…



Well, I think I'm goin' out of my head
Yes, I think I'm goin' out of my head
Over you, over you
I want you to haunt C, I need you so badly
I can't think of anything but you

And I think I'm goin' out of my head
Cuz I can't explain the tears that I've shed
Over you, over you

I seek you each morning
But you just mock past pleas, you don't even know that I exist

Goin' out of my head over you
Out of my head over you, out of my head day and night
Night and day and night, wrong or right

I must think of a way into your heart
There's no reason why my being fried should keep us apart
And I think I'm goin' out of my head
Yes, I think I'm goin' out of my head

Goin' out of my head over you
Out of my head over you, out of my head day and night
Night and day and night, wrong or right
Night and day and night
Wrong or right, day or night
Every day, every, every day

For My Melahomies

There’s no getting around the fact that living at The Hotel Melanoma sometimes just bites. But my life in the ‘scan lane’ has also been a time of bonding with some of the finest, kindest and most giving and supportive folks I could ever have hoped to call friends.

I’ll be blessed to travel to Chicago next weekend for a Miles for Melanoma Run/Walk, but the event itself will just be a minor diversion from something far more important-- getting to share some hugs, fellowship, and adult beverages with some of my melahomies.

With gratitude for all in the melanoma community who’ve made the journey down Melanoma Road anything but a solitary one, I’ll sign off with The Hotel Melanoma rendition of John Mellencamp’s “We are the People”…



If you're feelin' shut down
May my thoughts be with you
If you're a black ‘fan’ bein' beat down
And shoved all around
May my thoughts be with you

If your world's gettin' a little too tough
You know our thoughts are with you
Hey, I know that it's crazy in here
And my thoughts are with you

We are C people and we give forever
We are C people and our future's written
On the skin, on the skin

If you are one of the mole-less
May our thoughts be with you
If you are scared and alone
You know our thoughts are with you

If you are one of the fortunate ones
We all know it's lonely up there
We understand that nobody's got it made
So our thoughts are with you

We are C people and we give forever
We are C people and our future's written
On the skin, on the skin

See yourself as a leader
May my thoughts be with you
If you try to divide and conquer
We'll rise up against you

We know some of the strong won’t survive
But the meek will not bear it
So if you've got a coat of arms, oh friend
I suggest we wear it

We are C people and we give forever
We are C people and our future's written
On the skin, on the skin