The C Word
The main “given” in my romantic life is my sensuous husband. Confident of the outcome of an evening date, I truly appreciate our continued shared intimacy…dinner at a romantic restaurant followed by stopping for more mood setting drinks and jazz at a club on the way home. And finally our arrival at home, our sanctuary…just the two of us!
My husband’s passion for me has always ignited a burning flame between the two of us. This night was no different but soon it took a dark turn. Something happened that I never imagined would happen to me. As my husband opened the front door to the house, he reached out and passionately grabbed me. Pulling me closer to his face, he began to kiss me deeply. One thing led to another and we were off and running…so I thought.
As my husband began his artful undressing of me, he suddenly stopped cold. I could see his facial expression morphing in the dim light of our bedroom. His hand was on the side of my right breast. Slowly he kept moving his fingers left to right, right to left until he took my fingers and placed them in one spot. “I felt something” he said, “I’m positive I did.” That moment would change my life. What he had felt was a fibrous nodule that was positioned to the back quadrant of my breast. What we would come to learn was that the nodule had encapsulated and become cancerous.
The following morning, we contacted my doctor. Tests were run but no cancer had shown up. I was beginning to think we were overreacting as I felt fine. Add to that I am in fantastic shape for my age and for that matter…almost any age! However, I decided to arrange for an exam and testing not recognized or welcomed in the medical profession. My Naturopath scheduled a two hundred dollar Thermography exam. When the results came back, I could see this growth area where none had shown up before. I was in shock and at the same time feeling scared that no previous exam found what this inexpensive simple test discovered. In short, I was now facing a battle I did not see coming and for which I was totally unprepared.
I didn’t call my husband with the results right away as he was returning from a long trip. However, he was there when I got home and it was as if he already knew something was wrong. Several years ago, we had lost our aunt, who was seven years older than my husband, after a five year fight with cancer. In the end, she called us in Paris to let us know she was done fighting and it was time to go. In my life, I had never met anyone so brave who simply “called her final shots” on her own terms. She went out of this world as she had come in…head held high, dignity intact. Never once did she cry or ask “why me?” All she said was, “it’s time for me to leave you all and know this makes me sad but one day we will be together again. I love you all forever.”
I have chosen to speak about my cancer for several reasons. First, I have beat it back and hope to never encounter it again. Secondly, especially for all the women, I urge you to explore Thermography for its early detection capabilities. Hippocrates, known as the ‘father of thermograpy’ said it best. “In whatever part of the body excess of heat or cold is felt, the disease is there to be discovered.” Thermography is an FDA approved adjunctive tool for breast screening that uses infra-red sensors, whereas mammograms use x-rays. Thermography is not a replacement for mammograms. Both screenings are useful tools with targeted strengths and weaknesses. Lastly…simply put “Never Die Easy.” A long time ago in Las Vegas, Elvis said that to me and a few others. It was his motto and he did his best to live by it. If you have cancer, you need to pull out all the stops. You need to be involved in the search for your solution. I walked away losing a very small amount of tissue to the back of my breast. It is unnoticeable and yet, I will never forget its location. As I left the hospital a few days ago, I saw a quote.
“You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and the manner in which you live.”
That hit home for me as I greet each new day.
Photo by Hong Kong Photographer John Chu. Copyright ownership of this photo and its portfolio is jointly owned by John Chu & Christina Saint Marché.
Diamond Encrusted shoes courtesy of Christina Saint Marche Limited Paris
