Life, Perfection & Happily Ever After…Interrupted
By Tonya Richardson
Excerpt from Life, Perfection & Happily Ever After…Interrupted
Dr. Sherrod checks for the lump but she can’t find it. I twist and turn into the awkward side nursing position, just like when I first discovered the lump while she scrunches her face at me like I am certifiable.
“See its right here.” I have to direct her fingers or she would surely miss it again.
“This is not breast cancer,” she says confidently. “There are certain characteristics to breast cancer. This little pea sized lump doesn’t have the typical characteristics of breast cancer. No red flag emergency here,” she says removing her hand from the lump on my breast.
“But what about my family history?”
Dr. Sherrod glances back briefly at my file. “It says here your grandfather had throat cancer. Father or mother’s side of the family?”
“Father’s side.”
She shakes her head. “We usually look for a history of cancer on the mother’s side.”
“My maternal grandmother died of lung cancer.”
“Is there anyone on your mother’s side diagnosed with breast cancer?”
Feeling as though I am a contestant on a game show with the spotlight on me to answer the winning question suddenly it comes to me. “My mother’s aunt died of breast cancer when I was really young.” I guessed correctly, right? Where are the cheers and accolades from the crowd, the confetti and balloons pouring from the ceiling, the oversized check with lots of zeros and the prizes? The buzzer sounds off…wompwompwomp…the correct answer is…
She shakes her head again. “A great aunt is not a close enough family history. A close family history would have to be your mother, her mother or perhaps your maternal aunt.”
I can’t even begin to process what she just said because the imaginary losing buzzer still sounds off in my head. She can sense my uneasiness despite her reassurances.
Learn more about Life, Perfection & Happily Ever After…Interrupted here and order your copy here.
After battling an aggressive & hard to treat rare form of breast cancer, Tonya Richardson bravely resigned for a 14 year career as an Appellate Clerk to focus on survivorship and pen her debut novel Life, Perfection & Happily Ever After…Interrupted, inspired by actual events. She is a Georgia native, wife, mother and blogger. Tonya Richardson’s open, honest and ofentimes humorous journey with Triple Negative Breast Cancer is shared at, www.pinkribbonsunshine.wordpress.com.
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