Family is everything
Hearing a family member has breast cancer is one of the scariest moments a person can experience. It doesn’t matter the age or how the family member is related to you, it still comes as a shock and an overwhelming sense of sadness.
My great aunt, Neva, was diagnosed with breast cancer, and although I was extremely young at the time, I still playback the memories from the day of her funeral.
Seeing what Neva’s death did to my grandma, her sister, still haunts me to this day. My grandma was never really the same person after that. I never saw someone cry that hard until that moment.
Breast cancer is something that all women have to be aware of, and unfortunately breast cancer has a trend in my family. There are many types of cancers that are unique to the female body, which is extremely terrifying. I always make sure to check for bumps and make sure to take care of myself, because someday, the fears of getting breast cancer could become a reality.
This is not something I’m saying to sound bleak, but it is the truth. I am aware I am not invincible, nor am I immune to cancer. It’s a scary thought, but it’s a reminder to take care of myself.
My mother, one of the strongest women I know, is a nurse at the University of Michigan hospital. She has always been tough on me, but she definitely reminds me to recognize when something is wrong, and when something is not. My mom went in for her yearly mammogram, and she always had a normal result. A couple years ago, the doctors found a cyst. Knowing about the signs of breast cancer, a cyst can be the beginning of a cancerous growth.
The doctors remained calm and asked her to come back in to check and see if it was cancerous. Luckily, it was not.
Breast cancer runs in my family, so when my mom told me they found a cyst in her breast, it was extremely alarming. Thankfully, my mom has lived a happy, healthy life since then and continues to be healthy.
Cancer is the worst kind of evil that has come to our earth, in my opinion. Unfortunately, it is something we have to live with and it is something we have to fear. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it is very important for women to be aware of their bodies and take the extra steps to detect the disease at an early stage, if it happens.
Life happens fast, and the best thing someone can do is to be one step ahead if possible. Everything happens for a reason, even when it is unclear why devastating events happen to people.
