More Randomness

Last week my husband came home with a box for me. The wife of one of his colleagues sent it. Inside, was a quilt, made of patches of what I can only call "breast cancer design". The whole quilt is covered in pink ribbons on various pink backgrounds. My first response was "What is this woman thinking!?" I understand that many women get into the pink ribbon thing after they are diagnosed. But, after hearing about all those "brave breast cancer survivors" this October, while I was still wearing drains and dealing with healing from the mutilation where my breasts used to be, I have not yet become a big fan of the pink ribbon.

Friday night, at my husband's company Christmas party, I met the woman who sent the quilt. And I ate crow.

First, she is 35. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at 32 (what is going on when a 32-year-old gets breast cancer?!!). Margo is a very cool, working mom, who sees power in the pink ribbon because she feels like her life was spared. Here is her story:

Margo never wanted children. But, after she had her son, she loved him with all her heart. And she developed an Adenoma (non-cancerous tumor) while breast feeding. Because of the Adenoma, her doctor had her get a mammogram. Immediately after her mammogram, the radiologist did a sonogram and ultrasound, on the opposite side of the Adenoma. There, they found a large area of DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma in Situ) that was just about ready to burst and become full-blown invasive cancer. So, with her infant son at home, Margo underwent a lumpectomy and 10 weeks of radiation.

In her own, very matter-of-fact manner, Margo explained that she is grateful for her son. Without him, she would never have breast fed and never developed the Adenoma, which led her doctor to discover the DCIS just before it became life-threatening. She now sees her surgical oncologist every 6 months and has mammograms, years before she ever would have without the cancer.

Like me, Margo has no breast cancer in her family, no pre-existing condition or activity that would say "breast cancer at 32". Randomness is all that makes sense for her as well. And every time I look at the quilt, it is her strength that I'll think about.