When Cancer Does Not Care We Have To | Mama Monday | 614 Mom
October 1st marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month and here at 614 Mom we take women’s health (and everyone’s health) very seriously. We encourage you to get regular medical care, eat a healthy diet, protect yourself from the sun and visit this Mayo Clinic blog post on Cancer Prevention: 7 tips to reduce your risk.
My dear friend Anne found out that she had breast cancer while pregnant with her 2nd child. She has bravely shared a piece with us for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I am so thankful that she is willing to share her true feelings in hopes that it will help someone else. Anne - you are one of the bravest women I know. I admire you so deeply and you inspire me daily. I’m so lucky to call you a friend.
Cancer Does Not Care.....
that you are pregnant or that you have a 5 year old daughter.
Cancer does not care that the only way to keep it from damaging you is to damage you.... by cutting, poisoning or burning.
Cancer doesn’t care that money still needs earned and the house still needs cleaned.
Cancer doesn’t care that you just bought a house, that you just got the promotion, that you have a trip planned.
If you ignore cancer it will continue its silent take over and eventually it’s presence will be painful and deadly.
So even though cancer doesn’t care you have to. You allow pieces of your body to be removed. You allow poison to be placed into your veins. You take the risk of doing this with your much wanted baby in your belly in the hope you can be her mama. You take this risk so that maybe you can see you kindergartner go to middle school.
You give up the ability to breastfeed your newborn. You spend hours on the recliner letting your older daughter have too much screen time. You hurt, your bones, your brain, your feet your heart.
The months go by and it seems the cancer is gone. You start to heal the collateral damage the weapons of this war have done to your body. You start cleaning your house, rebuilding your career, being an active mother.
But fear remains... is the cancer hiding to return again possibly somewhere scarier?
Because cancer doesn’t care that you need your lungs to breathe, your brain to think and your liver to do what ever livers do.
Cancer doesn’t care that your baby is almost 2 and your daughter is now 8 and that they still need you. So every weird bump, back pain, lingering cough begins the process of scans, biopsy’s, stress.
Will the battle have to be started again? Will fighting this battle even save you?
The truth is no one knows. People care, doctors, family friends, and thy help you through these moments but the only thing that will change the reality of how to stop breast cancer is finding a weapon that stop it with out ravaging bodies. The only way to do that is research. So wear pink this month because you want to support, buy the pink items because you enjoy them but know those don’t fight the battle.
To truly make a difference try one or more of these things:
Donate to an organization that gets unique research funded.
Peletonia is a great example.
Donate to an organization that provides support to women going through treatment.
Pinkribbongirls.org did that for me.
Be aware of your own health. Be aware of changes and see a doctor sooner so if you have your own battle the weapons needed may be smaller. If breast cancer runs in your family fight for earlier mammograms. If you are 40 or older get your mammograms.
Because although cancer doesn’t care you can and you can save both your self and others.
Anne Belt is 38 years old and lives in Hilliard Ohio with her two daughters and husband. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 while pregnant with her daughter. Currently she is in remission and her daughter is almost 2.
