Long day at the ‘office’ yesterday. Early morning blood tests then, with a three-hour wait before the consultation, I played truant and headed off to the nearby shopping centre for a change of scenery, some retail therapy and to inject some normality into an otherwise pants day.
Refreshed I then headed back for my midday consultation with Dr. Kildare, who now has a very intimate relationship with my breasts. I made the grave mistake of asking a question mid-examination (must work on my timing) and he stood back to explain whilst I sat boobs-a-bobbing. His nurse came back in the room, giving those waiting outside a treat. He apologised whilst I shrugged it off. My breasts have been prodded, poked, and manhandled in so many ways, by a dozen different gloved hands over the last few months, I have zero inhibitions left.
With my bloods all reasonably good I’ve been given another two-week reprieve on tests which is a bonus. We take what we can. Plus another golden ticket for a bed during treatment and as per, 15 minutes in, I nodded off and had a good hour and half nap.
It’s challenging to find the positivity in cancer. But napping is definitely one of them! Another is the love and support from those around me. I’ve got to know people in the same or similar boats, I’ve re-established lost friendships and cultivated new ones. It has shown me what I always really knew, and that is, as a human race, we are mostly empathetic, kindhearted, and compassionate.
I’m not one for attention-seeking. I leave that to my husband 😉 so to put myself ‘out there’ isn’t always easy. Especially if it involves presenting myself to the world with an obvious ‘I have cancer’ sticker on my forehead. It can be daunting. No one wants to flaunt cancer and we all do our best to hide our illness.
But the alternative is less appealing (to hide in a darkened room rocking) so on a regular basis I swallow my uneasiness and trepidation and put on my big girl pants because life goes on. And if cancer teaches you one thing it is to grab those moments fully and embrace the fun stuff when you can.
And it’s enlightening how sharing one’s troubles opens a door for others to share their own. It seems I’ve inadvertently started a bit of a Groucho Marx club for the ill! There’s a kind of camaraderie in sharing your pain with someone who ‘gets it’ and I imagine all of us have in some ways been surrounded by sickness/dying/health issues.
Years ago I went to the funeral of a friend’s four-year-old son who died from colon cancer; My friend Emma died nine years ago aged 47, from metastatic breast cancer whilst my cousin Debbie’s daughter died three years ago of cervical cancer. She was just 30 years old. All utterly heartbreaking stories.
Then there are tales of survival. All inspirational. Like my friend Lisa who battled her breast cancer three years ago like a little force of nature whilst my cousin Louise has survived her hormonal-led breast cancer TWICE. Once after the birth of her son and then more than 20 years later with menopause, when the cancer returned in the same breast, same place.
It’s a terrifying and scary disease that leaves your body broken by physical and mental scars. But in reality cancer is nothing new.
It is said evidence of cancer was found among fossilized bone tumours and human mummies in ancient Egypt with descriptions of the disease written in manuscripts dating back to 3000BC saying “there is no treatment.”
The word cancer is credited to Greek physician Hippocrates who used the terms ‘carcinos’ and ‘carcinoma’ to describe tumours, or simply the word crab (in Greek: karkino) which refers to a giant crab that inhabited the lagoon of Lerna and was likened to tumours marked by enlarged veins resembling the legs of a crab. In Greek mythology, the giant crab was sent by goddess Hera to distract Hercules as he battled the deadly multi-headed water serpent Hydra during the second of his 12 labours. Brave dude slays both beasts and as a reward Hera deftly kicks the crab into the stars to create the Cancer constellation.
There are many theories about what causes cancer. The ancient Egyptians blamed cancer on the gods. Hippocrates said the body had four ‘humors’ (body fluids) – blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. If the humors were balanced the person was healthy. Too little or too much of any caused the disease.
Later specific substances like tobacco, asbestos, (lung cancers) radiation/sun rays (skin cancers) coal tar, long-standing infections like Hepatitis B or C (liver cancers) were all linked to cancer while genetic cancer is only responsible for 15 per cent of all cancers.
Certain factors like obesity, alcohol use, radiation exposure, reproductive history, tobacco and hormones can increase the risk of breast cancer.
Globally there were almost 20 million new cases of cancer in 2022. Of this 11.5 per cent (2.3 million) were breast cancer cases – making it the second most common cancer in the world (after lung cancer with 2.4 million).
- In Spain there are on average 278,000 total cancer cases annually (2022). Of which breast cancer ranks second (after colon or rectum) with 12.5 per cent (34,700).
- In the UK there are on average 455,000 total cancer cases annually (2022). Of which breast cancer ranks in first place with almost 13 per cent (58,700 cases).
The rate of breast cancer in women in the UK has doubled over the past 50 years but half of all breast cancers have no identifiable risk factor other than gender and age (40+) so it’s basically like a game of short straws with a particularly unpleasant task as a forfeit.
Curiously, before we moved, hubby used to pull this straw during ‘Shit Job Sunday’ which would often involve dog poo removal, unblocking the kitchen sink, or worse, the toilet. But as I handed over the rubber gloves, turned up the music and left him (gagging) to it, I was confident. Most things in life are fixable. And if all else fails call in a pro and go the pub.
two steps freelance 