Living Life
June 28th, 2010 | 
Author: Very early in the process, a deep dive into my genetics was done to see if I carried the genes to be predisposed for breast cancer. My results came back negative for what they call the BRACA family of mutated genes, which is good for generations to come.
But, I like answers. So as much as I was pleased to have the results of this test come back in my favor, I remained curious. I just had to ask my oncologist, why did I get breast cancer?
I’m sure he hears that question all the time. But this time, he couldn’t link it to my family history or genetic mutations or other health conditions or age or anything else for an easy “out” answer….he just said that my cancer occurrence is completely random and sporadic….the sort of cancer they can’t link to the “why”. That I’m too young for environmental factors to have run their course. Furthermore, he said it’s human nature to want to either blame yourself or to get a answer to the question of “why”. This makes me comfortable in loving the way I lived life before cancer …and it makes me continue to take it to the fullest!
But you can’t help take more note of things that are unhealthy in general. We all hear about the “scare” in certain things —cell phone waves, shower curtains inhalants, plastic water bottles cehmicals..the list goes on and one. Each story created around just how damaging things are to our bodies in general and the doom to come…and in my research I can name 100 things I could have changed in fear of getting breast cancer, but I would NOT have lived life. For example, the list of top toxins in costmetics are in 95% of the products in our home, and I’m pretty sure they are in your home too. From my best lotions down to the J&J baby lotion we all grew up in.
For me, I need to get used to the fact I will never know why I got cancer and just live life with health in mind!
Posted in Coping with Cancer
I’ll never understand why you got it or why anyone I’ve cared about has ever had to hear the word cancer. Since your diagnosis, you showed us there is another approach to coping. Age does not make us invincible. Many of us are now making it a point to stop and smell the roses. Your journey reminds us every day of life is a precious gift. I don’t reply to your posts as frequently but read them daily. You continue to be the example of grace. Life hands us all some frightening unknowns without warning or reason; illness of our own or that of a loved one, financial or emotional burdens, there seems to be no shortage of what we face. Some of your posts really grab me. None of us will know why it happened, it breaks my heart that it did, but I can see what an impact you have made on so many since then. You hope, courage and rose colored glasses helps us all keep things in perspective. There is much to be gained from your entry of “Living Life”. Thank you for that. Tonight this post goes in my gratitude journal.