| My mom has cancer |
|
It was a late Tuesday night in June. My mom called to say she had some bad news. She had just been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Ductal carcinoma in situ. I was shocked, confused. There was no history of cancer in our family, my mom took excellent care of herself, and she had no stereotypical risks for the disease. We were all scared. A few days later, Mom underwent a quadrantectomy (partial mastectomy) to remove the cancerous tissue. And for the next six weeks, she drove herself 75 miles each way for radiation treatment five days a week. She started on a breast- cancer drug immediately afterward, which she continues to take daily even now. Every year when she returns for her annual checkup, we pray for her clean bill of health. I feel very fortunate to say that, God willing, my mom is cancer-free. The technology and powerful medicines she experienced enabled this to happen. She says she’s lucky that she was spared a far more devastating form of this horrible disease. I say I’m lucky to still talk every day to my mom, a breast cancer survivor. |
