September 16, 2015

In thirteen days Amelia and I have had to become breast cancer experts, specifically my cancer. Amelia knows cancer, but not breast cancer.

My nature is to learn. The minute I got home I started Googling: DCIS, IDC, micro calcifications, macro calcifications, necrosis, high grade, 11 centimeters, cancer genes, HER2+, mastectomy, reconstruction, no reconstruction, chemotherapy, radiation. There is so much information out there. Better yet, there are forums of real people talking about their experiences, particularly at www.breastcancer.org. The forums on that site are a wealth of knowledge. Women (and men) sharing their stories, diagnoses, surgeries, what works, what doesn’t work, stages, and everything in between.

One in eight women will get breast cancer. You know eight women. Think about it: one of them most likely will have to deal with breast cancer. These are things I already thought about before I was diagnosed. I’d be in a room full of my favorite women and morbidly think, how many of us are going to get cancer? It’s a sad fact.

I hereby grant breast cancer asylum to seven women.