Dear Breast Cancer,

Women’s intuition isn’t just a familiar phrase. It is a powerful tool to use when deciphering feelings you get when your body is trying to tell you things are not quite right. I had my mammograms like clockwork yearly because of a heavy presence of cancer in my immediate family. I lost two older sisters to two different forms of cancer, and a third decided on an elective double mastectomy when she was faced with breast cancer. During my mammogram I had prior to discovering I had cancer, I was about to be dismissed by the doctor when I had a very direct impression that they should look again before I left. Sure enough, a small lump, the size of a pencil eraser, was located deep within my very dense right breast. Immediately, that day, a needle biopsy was taken and the lump removed. I went home and awaited the verdict. Shortly thereafter, the results came back with a diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma. This meant that cancer cells had “invaded” my body and I would require both chemotherapy and radiation therapy, lasting the better part of two years, not counting the aftermath of neuropathy in my fingers and toes, constant dripping from my eyes and nose, heavy fatigue, and losing all my hair. I deal with some of these things daily still. During my battle, I learned of other women close to me whose results were not as positive as mine. One woman my age hesitated going to a doctor because her husband changed doctors and she lost her insurance. The delay in getting seen early resulted in a non-elective double mastectomy. Following her surgery, she failed to follow doctors’ advice on how to take care of her wounds and had to undergo even more surgeries removing skin from her buttocks to repair damage to her damaged breast skin. Another woman my age died unnecessarily due to delaying her mammogram and not acting early on her diagnosis. She was a beautiful and much-loved mother and grandmother and her little grandson latched on to me like I was her when he found out I had it. However, he was able to witness my positive outcome. Still, I am not her and could never replace her in his heart and life. So, my plea here to all women is to not leave it to others to urge them to be proactive in their own care of their bodies. Follow your own real instincts about your body and don’t hesitate to act on it. My treatment situation was pretty awful, as small as my lump was. Waiting only makes things worse, either by the pain and suffering and the aftermath of treatment, or the outcome that cannot be treated – an untimely and terrible death. Even though cancer can strike anyone and is not considered the “fault” of the individual, it definitely is that person’s fault if they do nothing to catch it early or to do what it takes to get help early. Yes, insurance is extremely expensive, but why take the chance of being saddled for the rest of your life with hospital and doctor bills and causing the suffering of family and loved ones who miss them? Follow what your body is trying to tell you! If something doesn’t feel right, check it out. I have an adult son, who, due to a traumatic brain injury, will need help for the rest of his life. Right now, that help comes from me. I have two other adult children and three beautiful grandchildren under 12 who I want to get to know and them me. I have a wonderful husband who I have only been with for 10 years. He would be devastated if things had not turned out like they did in my case, as I would be if anything should happen to him. Cancer affects so many more people around us than just us who have the disease. Deal with it for yourself and for them.

Yours Truly,

Joyce, 68