None But the Brave

I've been smiling a lot more lately.

No, I'm not happier. I'm just more vain.

You see, if I'm smiling or animated, I like the way I look. But when I'm writing or reading or thinking or just sitting around doing nothing, the little corners of my mouth curl down into a sad frown. It's a very unattractive look that doesn't necessarily reflect the way I'm feeling.

Even the animated Ellen DeGeneres, who turned 50 this year, commented on how beautiful and serene a 20-something guest actress looked without turning up the corners of her mouth. "If I'm not smiling," Ellen explained, "I look sad or mad."

I was tired of looking sad or mad when I felt happy and serene. The solution was just a syringe of Radiesse away. My dermatologist used my face as a pin cushion and punctured my mouth area 40 times (yes, I counted) with the miracle solution. Some of the punctures were painless, others felt like gnat stings, and a few were like bee stings.

And they say cancer patients are brave.