About 15 years ago, I was in sixth grade when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The first time she came to visit, she lost all of her hair. She tried to play it off as "hey guys, feel the peach fuzz". It was a little difficult because she has a very strong personality type. She describes herself as bossy, blunt, and direct.
The experience is something I remember as a kid, and now as an adult, it has given me a new perspective since I didn't realize how much I didn't understand as a child.
Because she has to take chemo for the rest of her life, she has to take a lot of different drugs for it. She describes herself as a ‘walking pharmacy’. She definitely keeps busy and never lets it get to her. As I am getting married next year, I hope she continues to fight against it and I just love her attitude.
Ever since I was in high school I was educated on how you’re supposed to proceed with checking yourself and making sure you have good communication with your doctor because you never know when it’s going to show up. She’s sent a whole pamphlet on self-exam and I can’t express how important it is to get tested and checked up as early as possible. So if you can find anything that feels weird it’s better to get checked up.
I’m very close to my granny and I’m very appreciative of any organization that can help her or anyone like her to survive breast cancer, because it’s very horrible. She survived and is still going strong. My uncle, her son, regularly participates in cancer walks. In his profile pic, he’s a big burly dude wearing a big tutu. He’s a construction plumber, bald with a motorcycle and goatee with a tutu. It is very heartwarming to see all the love and support that is out there.
