Resilience
Happy New Year. 2014.
"I'm gonna make it, bend and break. Say a prayer, but let the good times roll. In case God doesn't show." (greatest lyrics in the world courtesy of Fall Out Boy).
Firstly, some statistics for you (source Cancer Reasearch UK).
Cancer occurs predominantly in older people (aged over 50). More than 3 out of 5 of all cancers diagnosed are in people aged 65 or older, with over a third of cancer cases being diagnosed in those aged over 75. Half of all cancers diagnosed in the UK are in the 50-74 age group, and the most common cancers are Breast Cancer and Prostrate Cancer. Approximately 1 in 10 cancers are found in adults aged 25-49. The most common in this group are Breast, Skin, Bowel and Cervical.
In 2010, 49,564 people were diagnosed with Breast Cancer in the UK, accounting for a third of all cancer diagnosis in women.
11,684 women died from Breast Cancer in 2010/2011.
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/reports/
But its not all about statistics. Its about people. And sadly, 2014 started off with the loss of another lady to Breast Cancer. She was recently married and a mum of three little girls. She was a person. Not a number or a statistic. A person. With a family and children and loved ones and friends. As are ALL the people diagnosed with cancer. They are all someone's Gandparent, Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Son, Daughter, Best Mate, Lifelong Friend.
RIP Sam. Painfree and at peace, fly with the angels.
I cannot lie to you. I have been a bit down recently. My positivity up and walked off in a strop after the last meeting with Warrior Prince. When he said they had found a suspicious looking nodule in the bottom of my left reconstructed breast, instantly I thought Shit! It's happening again! Groundhog day! (Well you would, wouldn't you?). An anxious wait for an appointment for the dreaded Ultrasound. My mind was eased slightly when I saw the doctor on December 20th, who felt sure they were benign, but needed to biopsy them just to be sure. The biopsies weren't too bad - the wait for the results was far, far worse. But my lovely BCN called me Wednesday evening to confirm that they were indeed benign and nothing to worry about. Yay! So, as in life, good and bad. Ying and Yang. Balance in the universe has been restored.
My daughter came home from school the other day, buzzing about an assembly one of the teachers had given. The title of the assembly was "Resilience" and it was all about how he dealt with losing his wife to Breast Cancer three years ago. My daughter said he had told them how she had finished all the treatment, including chemo and mastectomy, had gone bald and had only "one boob" (he told some funny stories about losing the prothesis) and they had rejoiced that she was finished. Three years later she was diagnosed with secondary Breast Cancer, which spread quickly and she died within a year. I was quite upset upon hearing this, and I was worried about how my daughter would feel. (I do not have metastatic breast cancer, thank goodness, but worry that one day my luck might run out).This was very close to home. She said she had laughed at the funny bits. And she had cried and felt very sad when he told them his wife had died. But she also said she had found it inspirational. And she said he was a very brave man to stand up in front of 300 teenagers and tell them about something so personal and so sad. She said "I am going to pluck up the courage to talk to him this week. And tell him I know how it feels. And how his wife would have been really proud of him. I am going to tell him that was the best assembly, the most inspirational assembly I have ever been to." I could not be more proud of her.
Resilience. I am one of the lucky ones. I am still here.
And I can't say, with all honesty, that I think the stalker has gone. I think she may still be lurking in the shadows, creeping about, hoping to cause some mischief. She had better watch out. Because the way I feel now, if she comes near me or my family again, I will effing SMASH HER FACE IN!
I have gigs to go to (roll on Fall out Boy!). I intend to continue randomly twerking when I have had one too many glasses of wine. And I will love and cherish my husband and my children for ever.
