It's hard to know how seriously to take this. On the one hand, the potential consequences are dire, a stark reminder of my own mortality and everyone elses. On the other hand, my odds are likely extremely good, because it was caught so early, and because breast cancer treatment is so well researched. (Insert obligatory paean to science.) On the third hand, one in eight American women will develop invasive breast cancer. This is not rare, and in the past few days Ive gotten literally dozens of e-mails from friends who have gone through cancer treatment, the vast majority of whom are now well-recovered, years after treatment.
I end up fluctuating between freaking out and feeling like its actually not that big a deal. I mean, its clearly a big deal, but if one in eight women are going to go through this, Im not some special snowflake for having this happen to me. Its actually a bit comforting, in a way there was definitely an initial Why me??? response, but if its that common, well, why not me? And as an article I read recently pointed out, the vast majority of us are going to be taken out by either cancer or heart disease in the end. So this hit me a little young; odds were, it was coming eventually anyway. At least theres a really good chance I can evade it, possibly for decades.
All of which does make me feel like writing about it this way is, perhaps, a little over-dramatic. That first poem about diagnosis, for example that one was pretty morbid. The initial impulse to start making detailed video letters to my children, should I not be around for the rest of their childhoods total overreaction, and way ahead of the game. Im a little embarrassed, in retrospect, by the first nights weeping.
But. Cancer is a big deal, even if its relatively common, even if my odds are excellent of beating it this time. And part of whats great about poetry is that it can be very of-the-moment, capturing the intensity of what youre experiencing, right then, even if your rational mind catches up the next day and is embarrassed by those emotions. I was embarrassed by some of my broken-hearted break-up poetry too, especially after Kevin and I got back together. Oops.
Still, the moment was what it was, and as a writer, my hope, always, is to capture a few truths of the human heart. Foolish and emotional and overreacting as it may be.