That Helpless Feeling

One of my cousins texted me last Sunday to say that her mom had mastectomy the day before. I read the message with mixed emotions. Relieved that my aunt already had her surgery and sad that yet another woman was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Perhaps it will never be easy to hear that another person had breast cancer. More so when one personally knows that person. I am now on the other side of the fence, feeling what others might have felt when they found out that I had breast cancer. I think I had it easy then. Being on the other side is far more difficult than I thought. The feeling of helplessness is really, really frustrating.

I had a conversation with a friend whose girlfriend have a suspicious lump. I also had a conversation with a colleague whose 18-year-old daughter have a 13.5 mm lump! They are getting younger and younger. Both these friends' loved ones have not been diagnosed with cancer, though. *Whew!* But I told them to be vigilant about checking on the lump every now and then.

Fighting breast cancer 24/7 is quite tiring, really! I take my hat off to the doctors, to the nurses, to the technicians who tirelessly take care of people with cancer!