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My sorority was very hard hit by breast cancer. (If AKAMonet is still on the board, thank you to you and your sisters for walking in the Susan Komen walk. And thank you to all who have supported the search for the cure.) Over 30% of my sisters have had breast cancer, and frankly, many died because they got cancer so young.
One of my sister's husbands, a physician, actually conducted studies to see if there was an ecological reasons as to why so many got sick.
Please bear in mind that it has been many years (and time and space and deaths) since I graduated from college. But, four years ago..this week...I felt a lump. And yes, it was cancer. And yes, I needed chemo.
Sisters that I hadn't heard from in years contacted me to support me, to offer advice, to send over meals. One of my friends who is an neighbor (and lost her mother to breast cancer) and was a sister not only brought food to my house, took me out when I was able to go and sat with me...making me eat. One day she sat for an hour while I struggle to eat 3 ounces of ice cream. And then she stayed to make sure it stayed down.
As one sister, who was also a survivor, who I hadn't heard from in years, said, "We have lost too many to breast cancer. I won't lose another sister."
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