My cousin lost her breast to cancer and surgery.
Last time we spoke, she was jealous of my pregnancy. She and her husband, a doctor, had been trying to conceive for over a year. I’ve been putting off calling her since I heard the news. I had a lot of opinions, fears and feelings, none of which I wanted to share with her.
Everything she went through during the past month was a path I chose not to take over five years ago when I found a lump in my breast. My doctor advised me to get a biopsy. Unlike my cousin, I refused it. I monitored this lump often; it grew larger and more tender on some times of the month, and receded on others, but stayed more or less the same size. I did herbal cleanses and alternative therapies focused on making this lump disappear. Recently while breastfeeding my baby, I noticed that the lump in my breast is gone.
Today when I called my cousin, I was afraid I would sound smug and self-righteous. I, with the breasts and the baby, did the right thing. And she, boobless and barren, should listen to me.
But as soon as I heard her voice, I found myself listening more than talking. She wasn’t defeated. She was positive and strong. She can handle anything that her upcoming chemo treatments can throw at her.
I think she’ll be fine; and I’m always right.
There is also the possibility that your conditions – lumps – were not the same. The biopsy is merely a test to see what sort of tissue mass a lump is, it is not a diagnosis. Lumps can be caused by all manner of things. However, they most definately should be monitored. Positive thinking and stress reduction can help as well (most women experience a LOT of stress when it comes to finding a lump in their breasts and that can lead to fear and negative thinking that lowers the immune system further).
As your cousin faces her challenge ahead, she needs to focus on the hear, the now, and the positive belief that she is indeed going to be one of the many who go into remission and do indeed face and beat this thing. Focus and win.
Congratulations on the pregnancy. Keep yourself and your baby . . . happy, centered, and well. Breathe in, breathe out, and let all the stress melt away as you focus on the wonderful experience of motherhood.
All the best,
Brian
Thank you!