Breast Cancer Awareness Part 1

This month is, as I’m sure you are all aware, Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I write a lot of blogs with humor and random craziness but this is one time I’ll be serious.  It could not be more important to each and every woman on the planet to know their own bodies and be fully aware of their breasts.  Oddly enough some women still find it uncomfortable, even weird to talk about it, but it could not be more important to know each bump or oddity in our own breasts, so we are aware when something new appears.   Take the 60 seconds in the shower while your hair conditioner is doing its thing.  It truly can be the difference between life and death.  Early detection truly does mean early cure and I can prove it.

My mother in law is the single most amazing woman I have ever met in my entire life.  She is the matriarch of our family and has an amazing ability to keep everyone in contact and, in doing so, keeps us all one big, close and happy family.  I am not close with my own Mother or Father so in marrying my husband I got the parents I always dreamed of, they are the ones I call Mom and Dad.

Moving on, a small lump was located in my Mother’s breast and, after a series of routine tests, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Here’s one of the kickers.  My Dad has a chronic lung condition and was in the hospital for one of his major surgeries while this selfless woman sat by his bedside telling us nothing of this.  She never takes attention on herself, never will, and uses all her energy and attention focusing on others.  After his surgery was over she let us know that she was awaiting tests to find out if she had breast cancer.  This amazing woman kept to herself that she was scared to death, waiting for news that she might have cancer, and just kept taking care of everyone else, as always. The week we waited for this news was one of the longest of our lives

She and my Dad didn’t leave the house for the entire time they were waiting for the doctor’s call with either good news or bad news.  They finally went stir crazy and went to one of our nephew’s basketball games.  She got the call at the game.  It was bad news…yes, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.