Familial Strands

Funny that yesterday morning I spoke to two friend's one who is my age and the other who is older, and they both said that their grandmother's, their mother's, and aunts had had breast cancer.  The older one of coarse "for preventative" measures had just recently gone to do the genetic testing with the same genetic counselor I saw.  But when the younger one told me that, "You know its something people would like to not think about."  This attitude is what kills women.  If this was a mandated test with complimentary care for positive gene carries with family ties like this it would save the insurance companies so much money.  It would help to prevent breast cancer and all of the long term effects it has on a woman's body.  I told my young friend that she needed to think about it and go get tested.  If all of those women in her immediate family have struggled and luckily they all survived it, she needs to take control now while she has control.

On a side note, this maybe one of the few times that I can say I agreed with what Bush has done while being President.  But a month ago, he signed and passed The Genetic Test law that those that are tested cannot be discriminated against and not given health insurance.

I couldn't sleep at all last night, and neither could D.  I had "cancer" dreams all night, and he stayed up worrying about me and our house that is almost done.  The house thing is just part of doing a job and having the kind of meticulous brain he has.  He will walk thru the house over and over and any problems that arise he will not be able to let it go until he comes up with a way to fix it.  So my poor husband slept as little as I did.  This morning I will try to let him sleep in.   The sister in me likes and REALLY enjoys waking people up.  Early.  Its the brat in me, but it brings me such joy.  Joy that I will not indulge in this morning.  Crap, I hate doing the right thing sometimes.

I've been thinking lately too about my last conversation with a young survivor.  She told me that one day I would be a survivor.  D had posed this same question as I designed my (I'm such a Capricorn) blog cards so that I can give them to people, " I see that you have- 33 year old Survivor.  Do you think that the Real Survivor's will be offended."  I said, " I don't care because in my mind and body I have survived already.  I am going to survive, and I've been living with this cancer for a while now albeit unknowingly.  I am a survivor."  I feel that anyone that has had cancer and they've recently got diagnosed or they recently have passed from this disease is a Survivor.  There is absolutely no difference, other than a mental difference and time and the struggle.  But I am a Survivor.  I am going to make it through this, I just don't know what "this" is yet.  I could say- 33 year old Virgin Survivor.