Meet the sisterhood of breast cancer

The sisterhood of breast cancer… Hmm, I wondered to myself as I read my first breast cancer books, what is that? Am I now part of some family? And the answer, of course, was YES! I had been voted in with a unanimous decision. There was no one in my family who had had breast cancer, none of my friends (that I was aware of), and I had no one to call to ask questions. So, who was I a sister to?

Then, the most powerful thing happened… someone told someone… and the sisters started phoning, mailing and showing up. They just came, they hugged, they talked, they shared and that is when I understood that I had this family of strangers who had each been touched by breast cancer in their lives.

We have the sisters (and brothers) who are dedicated to fundraising, some are dedicated to support systems and others just find their own unique niche and fill it when required. Once breast cancer enters your life it is always there and you are aware of its existence. It’s actually very hard to have a breast-cancer-free day, believe me—I have tried. There will be a jingle on the radio when you wake up, something in a magazine, a breast cancer pink ribbon on a car, or you’ll be asked to donate while shopping in a store… it seems like you can never get away from it.

Having had breast cancer is like a label. You didn’t want to buy that designer brand of jeans, but it’s been branded on you. You can’t erase it, you can’t go back, you can only go forward, one day at a time. And you become a sister (I like this part), where you can share with others, listen, give guidance if asked and just show up.

Life is good.
Jordan

Jordan is a Best Health reader and guest blogger. Find links to all of her posts on the Breast Cancer Blog home page.

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