The scare turned out to be only a benign fibroadenoma. Then in December we moved to Vermont. One month later, while still adjusting to what seemed like the extreme cold of our first Vermont winter, I discovered a lump and decided it must be a cyst. That seemed to be the only logical explanation so soon after the October surgery, and besides I didn't have a doctor. In September of 1993, the truth of the cancer was revealed.
Cancer is never easy.
The first time, no matter what the particulars of the diagnosis are, you feel like the word cancer alone will consume you. From the first scare to the reality of cancer, God has schooled me in spite of my reluctance to be his pupil. During my most recent period of cancer, from the questionable mammogram in January 2000 until the major surgery on April 24, God has allowed me to latch onto three principles that have been my comfort. I have had many questionable mammograms. There have been times when I have yearned for a return to normal life.