I hate to ask for these things, but I got some bad news yesterday and my first-cousin could use some good thoughts.
She has just been diagnosed with breast cancer.
She's my age, 40 in a couple of months. She has 2 young children, a wonderful husband, parents who adore her, many friends and family members who care deeply about her, and lots of lives she's touched as a teacher and a person. She also has a lab and a cat.
She is the only daughter of my father's older brother. In that generation, there were three sons (my dad is the middle of them), all of whom had only daughters. There was also an elder sister (my aunt), who had 4 children, 3 daughters and one son. My aunt was diagnosed with pre-menapausal breast cancer in her 30s and died of it at the age of 38 after an agonizing battle. This was 30-plus years ago. Her mother, my grandmother, died of post-menapausal breast cancer at the age of 72. This was almost 20 years ago. All six female cousins have lived with this shadow of increased risk (both pre- and post-menapausal cancer) for all of our adult lives, and we all get regular mammograms (and started getting them in our early 30s).
Cyndie is the first of us to actually face the monster in reality. It's a scary feeling from my perspective. I can only imagine what she's feeling.
I know that detection and treatment have advanced considerably since both my aunt and my grandmother faced their battles. I hope that all the best that medicine has to offer can help and cure Cyndie. But if you can spare a good thought or two for her, I'm sure it won't go amiss. Thanks.
She has just been diagnosed with breast cancer.
She's my age, 40 in a couple of months. She has 2 young children, a wonderful husband, parents who adore her, many friends and family members who care deeply about her, and lots of lives she's touched as a teacher and a person. She also has a lab and a cat.
She is the only daughter of my father's older brother. In that generation, there were three sons (my dad is the middle of them), all of whom had only daughters. There was also an elder sister (my aunt), who had 4 children, 3 daughters and one son. My aunt was diagnosed with pre-menapausal breast cancer in her 30s and died of it at the age of 38 after an agonizing battle. This was 30-plus years ago. Her mother, my grandmother, died of post-menapausal breast cancer at the age of 72. This was almost 20 years ago. All six female cousins have lived with this shadow of increased risk (both pre- and post-menapausal cancer) for all of our adult lives, and we all get regular mammograms (and started getting them in our early 30s).
Cyndie is the first of us to actually face the monster in reality. It's a scary feeling from my perspective. I can only imagine what she's feeling.
I know that detection and treatment have advanced considerably since both my aunt and my grandmother faced their battles. I hope that all the best that medicine has to offer can help and cure Cyndie. But if you can spare a good thought or two for her, I'm sure it won't go amiss. Thanks.
