"My biggest fear is that it will come back again." I heard her say those words, and I was not far enough along in this process to have realized that thought on my own. She was close to my age and had described a family with children like mine. There was desperation in her voice, and she blinked back tears as she told of her battle. Cancer is a looming enemy. Those who have never grappled with the idea of cancer cells multiplying within their bodies have not experienced the suffocating weight of having brought desperation to those they were meant to care for and protect. Everyone around the table had a painful story with different details. They had lost friends who did not know what to say, male family members who walked away any time the word breast was mentioned, and relationships that took an adverse turn in the face of hardship. I was still working to sort through my own story. I had never thought of my cancer coming back. But sitting here listening to this woman and understanding how she arrived honestly at this concern, I now shared her biggest fear. This is a remarkably transparent, rare, and authentically raw journey of a cancer diagnosis. It is an essential, all-encompassing guide for the battle against cancer and a rare tool for both the patient and family.
