By Sherie Wong
Ingleside Station
Everywhere you look everything is pink. Pink water bottles, pink t-shirts, pink ribbons. Merchants soliciting donations, walkathons, television advertisements, touting the importance of mammograms and early detection of this deadly disease.
Out of approximately 288,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in 2011 in the United States, almost 40,000 of these women died. In women, lung cancer was the leading cause of death, closely followed by breast cancer.
Men can also get breast cancer. Approximately 2200 new cases were diagnosed in 2011, with 450 dying from this disease.
Last October, I cried whenever I saw anything related to breast cancer. I cried because I was fighting for my life against this deadly disease that ultimately took both my breasts. I was lucky - I caught my cancer in the early stages, but it was a very aggressive form of cancer. Had I not caught it, I would probably not be writing this.
There is an old wives tale that if the lump hurts, it probably is not cancer. I know first hand this is not true. I found my cancer by accident. I thought I strained a muscle in my chest after doing some pushups. As I was rubbing the muscle, I felt a very small lump. Never did it cross my mind that it was cancer. Even when I booked a mammogram (which I had put off for many years), did I think it was cancer. When the doctor told me I needed a biopsy, I still didn’t think it was cancer. Only after I had the biopsy and looked into the worried face of the doctor, did I know it was something serious. He never said the “C” word, but he did say I had to see a surgeon - immediately. As he left the room, I squeezed back the tears that wanted to burst out. After all, I am a cop and I am tough - we don‘t cry in public. Only when I left the hospital into the privacy of my vehicle did I open the floodgates. So many thoughts ran through my mind. Is this how my life is going to end? How am I going to tell my family? How are they going to go on without me?
This was the most challenging time of my entire life. I tackled this disease like I tackle everything else in my life…take control and take one day at a time. Otherwise, looking at the totality of everything I was about to undergo to save my life would seem too overwhelming. I endured many painful surgeries and procedures. I still have more surgeries ahead of me. Not everything was negative about this disease. I did learn some valuable lessons throughout this whole ordeal. I have learned to live life everyday to its fullest, to stop and thank God for allowing me the opportunity to continue my life’s journey, and to enjoy the time I spend with my family and loved ones. I also learned that my husband is more of a leg man. (Thank goodness for that!) I never fell into the trap of questioning “why me?” There is a reason why I had cancer. I do not know the answer as to why, but what I do know is, if I can help spread the word of early detection and the importance of self-exam and mammograms, then I am helping my fellow sisters and brothers avoid this devastating and painful disease.
Breast cancer did not take away my life, my will to survive, or the most important things in my life.
Breast cancer took away a part of my female anatomy, but it did not take away the wife, daughter, mother, sister or friend that I am. I will never be defined by cancer… I will be defined as a SURVIVOR!
Please book your mammograms on an annual basis. You can get your partner involved by having them help you with your self-exams. If you do discover you have breast cancer, rest assured that there are many support groups available. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help, support, or a shoulder to cry on. BSU is a wonderful resource within the Department and has access to many resources during very difficult and stressful times.
By the grace of God, I am back to my “new” normal life, and back to work on patrol.
God Bless you and your family!
