Last year around this time, I wrote about my friend Cindy who had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. I found out about her diagnosis just after I had posted about having had my annual mammogram and was complaining how much it I hated it and how much it hurt. I will return again this month for my annual check. I will be sure to take some Tylenol before my appointment.
I am happy to say that Cindy has finished her chemo and her hair has grown back long enough for her to color it. She looks fabulous. She has been so positive through the entire process. I never heard her complain about anything. I wish I had that kind of strength.
Another friend Kathy, got a great report from her doctor last month that she was cancer free. She had started chemo for breast cancer just a little before my friend Cindy. Kathy's mom, Betty, was diagnosed last month with breast cancer. Betty is the sweetest person in the entire world. She truly never complains. I pray that her treatment will go quickly and that she will not have any complications.
Last week my friend Lisa, told me she was diagnosed in September with breast cancer. She will start her chemo on Tuesday. She has a plan to be cancer free in at least ten years. What a great warrior she is. She has planned her attack and set a goal.
It feels like an epidemic. We need to take a pro-active approach. Self breast exams and yearly mammograms are two of the most important things we can do. If you have a relative who has had, it seems to run in families. Every female in my step daughters maternal family has died of breast cancer. Their paternal grandmother, the mother-in-law I never met, also died of breast cancer. In my family there is very little cancer, but that does not mean I should not be on the alert.
I am thankful for my health. I am thankful that I have medical insurance that offers me the opportunity to have a mammogram that is paid for. I am praying for Lisa, Betty, and Kathy as they continue to manage their treatment and followup. God please give them strength and keep them healthy. God, make us always thankful for the blessing of our health.
