At the end of August I had my first annual check-up after my breast cancer diagnosis. An exciting moment, as with all results. Waiting for results is unpleasant; two weeks of vacation fly by, but waiting two days for a…
8. Grateful
Immediately after my breast cancer diagnosis, I was very grateful for the fact that my children are already a little older. I didn’t yet know if there were any metastases or how serious it was and I considered myself lucky…
7. 26 years
A special day today and it has been that way for 26 years: our wedding day! Last year we were thinking about a party for our 25th wedding anniversary, when suddenly a breast cancer diagnosis came up. We were immediately…
6. Inspiration
Six years ago, our eldest (drummer) son came home from band coaching and with a sad face he told us that their singer had not such good news. I was busy preparing food and so he didn’t have my full…
5. Battle
Sometimes I see discussions about the word ‘battle’ in relation with cancer. Some people find the word offensive because it would imply that you have not done your best to survive cancer when you die. This is what people call…
4. Alert
I discovered the lump in my breast completely by chance, while soaping up in the shower. I wasn’t alert to it. After the diagnosis I was completely the opposite: I have never been so alert. With every ache or bump,…
3. Worrying
I don’t know where I ever came across these lines, but I immediately thought: I will print them out and hang them up as a reminder. In the boys’ senior year of college I think… That reminder doesn’t work at…
2. Hope
When my surgeon gave me my breast cancer diagnosis, I had no idea what was ahead of me. Probably not much good. I could hardly respond to her. She would call me the next day with the details of the…
1. Breast cancer month
Today is the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2020. Every year in October, worldwide attention is drawn to breast cancer. I read that as many as 1 in 7 women in the Netherlands get breast cancer. Last year,…