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The stigma of suffering alone
Many, many people have sent me notes and messages thanking me for being so open about my journey through cancer. To be honest, my first thought has always been – well did you expect any otherwise from me? I’ve always been a pretty open book, and I’ve rarely been one to keep my mouth shut on anything (although to be fair, I’m getting much much better at that as I grow older and wiser. Or maybe it’s just learning from my mistakes…. either way…..). But as I think further about it, I realize that the majority of people are not the same as me. Many people go through this alone,…
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My story
Where to start. Well I suppose that’s easy. Buckle up – this will be a long one. In October of 2014, I went to the doctor for my annual check up. All was well, no issues, no lumps. I asked my doc if now that I’m 41 I should start getting regular mammograms. She told me that “actually, they are now recommending that women without any family history or palpable lumps or issues can probably wait until they turn 50 to go for regular screening”. So I said ok then!! December 2014, I got an email at work that the BC Cancer Agency was bringing a mobile screening clinic to UVic…