I May Never Wear A Wedding Ring

*Originally written Nov. 2011, updated Oct. 2015: I am in a great relationship now (going strong for over 2 years) but this issue of wearing rings - and not wearing rings - stays on my mind. Breast cancer and lymphedema changed my life in so many ways. Sigh...*

New normal after diagnosis just ain't the same...

I call breast cancer the gift that keeps on giving. (laughs) I say that very tongue-in-cheek because I am always finding new surprises around the corner that breast cancer has gifted me with.

You know that I wonder about love and dating and marriage a bit... But the other day, in the midst of a conversation with some friends online I had a startling revelation:

I may NEVER wear a wedding ring.

*gasp*  Clutch your pearls. Swoon. Faint. Get some smelling salts... did I really say that? Yep. I sure did. But that doesn't mean that I won't fall in love, get engaged or get married... I mean very specifically... I won't wear a wedding ring.

Amazon.com Gift Card with Greeting Card - $50 (Wedding)

You know how we (okay some of us - ME!) get all giddy and giggly at the thought of having the love of our lives gift us with the most perfect expression of his love? How we dream about and drool over these shiny little baubles? Well, I'm not the biggest jewelry lover. I like jewelry, to be honest. But I don't like a lot of jewelry and I'm pretty particular about what makes my heart beat faster and what is just... well, nice but not my taste.

I have lymphedema...so I'm super sensitive about coping with this condition

So, here's the revelation I had... I have lymphedema. (But you knew that, right?)  And my lymphedema is in my left arm. And lymphedema brings its own challenges (cuz... breast cancer is that gift that keeps on giving)  Some of the challenges are interesting. I have to be very cautious about protecting my arm at all times. I am cautioned to avoid insect bites, bumps, bruises and such. I can't have needles used on that arm. Neither can I have my blood pressure taken with that arm. Those are tolerable nuisances.

*though that mosquito avoidance gets real tricky in August*

But guess what else? I'm not supposed to wear a watch, a bracelet or ... *drum roll*... a doggone RING! So, I'll never get to experience that exhilarating moment when the love of my life presents me with the ultimate gift -- that the whole world is supposed to use as a barometer to measure our love. (laughs -- we are so primitive sometimes)

Pretty cake topper. Yes, you can buy it.
Just click the picture to learn more.

Add this to the "man of my dreams" list

Honestly though? I just added another line to my list of "it would be nice if he..." qualities that I hope to find in the man I've been waiting for.

The new addition to the list is..."it would be nice if he was a creative thinker and could come up with an expression of love other than an engagement ring" because while I'm all about being a rebel and bucking the system... I'd hate to get a ring and never be able to wear it because it aggravated my lymphedema and my fingers swelled up to look like mini bratwursts or something....

Maybe I'm overthinking this... but I do think about it

Just another day in the life of a sexy, single, childless, still dating (though dating stinks), funny, sensitive breast cancer survivor.  *wink*

Any suggestions for other ways that my love-to-be can lay claim to me so that the whole world understands that I'm taken? I'm thinking perhaps a lovely necklace or a ring on my right hand. What do you think?

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