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Saturday, July 19, 2008

A Dreadful Disease

CA, Cancer, the Big C - no matter how you call it, it's the same disease that has stricken fear in us which probably for more than half a century scienc has not found a cure for.

I had been at the St. Luke's Medical Center today to visit my aunt who had a breast mass excision. About 60 years back she went to a hospital to consult about a small growth that she found on her right bossom. It was the size of a grain of rice and the male attendants dismissed her saying that it was nothing to worry about. She never bothered to have it checked again.

We were told just a few days back that she has CA cells on both breasts. The small mass is now as big as what my cousin describes as a piece of chips ahoy! I was scared that it would have metastasized already. I mean 60 years and a chips ahoy sized nodule would surely be a cause for alarm for us. We have some medical practitioners in the family and some are medically related too. We knew there was a great chance of metastasis to the nearby tissues at the minimum. But, miracle of all miracles, there wasn't any. Or at least the surgeons didn't find anything durng the surgery.

Suddenly, in just a matter of a few days, I realized how important a Breast Self Exam is. This and the Testicular Self Exam for males should never be taken for granted. Instead, it should be done religiously every month.

Sometimes, we learn the hard way.

1 comment:

theworkingmom said...

That's why it's important not to take any changes in your body for granted. In the final analysis, we should always be aware of what our body is telling us.

Joey
http://www.joeymd.com