What is it about being young that makes us feel invincible? As if sickness, death or tragedy will not spit its poison dart at us simply because we haven't made it "over the hill" yet. Case in point: I have a friend who is only 1 year older than I am. Today she found out that she might have ovarian cancer. She has to have surgery in the next two weeks so they can perform a biopsy on the tissue that has invaded her body. Scary? I think so.
It is, at the very least a reality check. At age 23, Cancer hasn't exactly been on my list of things to keep watch for. Cancer is a disease for old people-- Or at least people older than I am. Unbelievably though, today was a lesson in the fact that cancer (or disease in general for that matter) is an equal opportunity organization. It does not discriminate based on age, race, gender, or religious affiliation. I'll be the first to admit that the dreaded yearly exam isn't exactly high on my list of things to do. But if it'll save my life...
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Reality Check
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1 comments:
I remember when I found out my 15 year old cousin had cancer. I was 11 at the time and could not grasp the concept for quite some time. Then the treatments began and what seemed deniable became a harsh reality.
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