Fifteen years ago, I had breast cancer. It was the toughest battle I ever fought. And it was a battle, with two major surgeries and seven ghastly months of chemo.
Now every time I go to the doctor–every single time–I break out in a cold sweat. Could that ache in my knee mean the cancer is back?
Yesterday, we learned that Elizabeth Edwards had one of those doctor visits every survivor dreads. Her cancer is back, and it’s bad.
So what should the Edwards do? Everyone in America seems to have an idea.
Here’s what I did: Ten days after major surgery, I went to a School Board meeting. I never missed another one, not through the long chemo sessions that sometimes made me leave the board table to be sick in the back room. (The great anti-nausea drugs came on the market about 15 minutes after my last chemo.)
Was it nuts? A lot of people thought so. But keeping my head up and moving forward was the only way I knew how to fight a disease that never fights fair.
That’s what Elizabeth and John Edwards say will work for them. Let’s keep them in our prayers. And then let’s all write a check to one of the many organizations fighting this damn disease.
Amen. And great job tonight “MCing” Janet’s event.
Thanks. Janet’s a great candidate — smart, hard working, very well qualified. Now we just need to buckle down and get her elected.
I appreciate you weighing in on this. My gut tells me that she’s doing the right thing for herself as she sees fit. My friend (in her mid-30s) was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. After a double mastectomy, she started chemo. She’s going through a lot and it seems like one of the things keeping her going is trying to maintain her regular life.
Staying active is what worked for me. Other people really want to curl up and focus inward. I try to remember that “not letting cancer win,” as Elizabeth Edwards puts it, takes many paths.