Cancer. No, not the astrological sign. The Big C. The death sentence. And I just learned I had it. Breast Cancer. As you go through life and encounter people who have cancer, you think about how you would react if it were you. There is no feasible way for you to know. My best friend's sister said she would get hysterical. She was referring more to the mastectomy than the actual cancer, and all I could think was I AM NOT MY BOOBS! There is so much more that I am than two blobs of tissue, designed to suckle babies, turn on grown men and sag in my old age. Why would I get hysterical over that? Woman have been stuffing their bras with tissues for years and I could certainly compensate in that manner.
But then there is the cancer part. Now that is a whole different story. I had found the lump with a self-breast check the morning I was to have a physical. Things moved fast after that. Mammogram, ultrasound, biopsy, surgery -- boom, boom, boom, boom. People talk about doing research, finding the right doctor, learning about the disease and talking to other survivors. Where do they find the time to do that? The main thing seemed to be to get the malignancy out and then we would deal with the rest.
I learned a lot as I went through chemo. I had a positive attitude and took it one day at a time. I have completed my treatments and have four more years of hormone therapy. I know I have a long way to go, but I know that I've got God on my side and we all know he never gives us more than we can handle.
Jackson, GA
