This post is actually a bit late as this happened last Wednesday morning, before I left the office for my first chemo.
One of the guys I work quite closely with was explaining to me something that he wanted me to get done that day. I decided I had to tell him about my cancer and that I was leaving early for chemo, so that he wouldn't think I was a flake. What's really cool is he was very familiar with breast cancer (making it much more comfortable for me to explain my condition as he didn't have as many pre-conceived fears that many others do) and launched into a few stories of his own. As it turns out, his mom had had a mastectomy 20 years ago along with chemo. Her chemo was of course nastier than it is today, but she fared well. She then had a reoccurence on the other breast about 5 years ago, and again she came through with flying colors.
Then he proceeds to tell me that he too had breast cancer when he was 20 and had a double mastectomy. I knew men could get breast cancer, but I'd never spoken to one who had. So then he proceeds to lift up his shirt and show me his scars. He was very proud of his two measly 1.5" inch incisions below each areola and nipple, and also the 1/4" scars from the drain tubes. Can I emphasize that he still had his nipples and areolas. What, I thought to myself...that's not a scar...this is a scar!
OK, so you, my lady friends who have witnessed my lifting my shirt to show off my battle scar are thinking "no - she didn't". Well, you're right, but damn, my scar is so much bigger and badder - can I say 7" from breast bone to armpit, not to mention there is no nipple or areola...just a chest that's reminscent of a 10 year-old boy or girl. It was tempting, but somehow business ethics do not allow a lady to lift her top in the office, even when the men can do it. OK, maybe I could have, but I'd only worked there 2 days and really didn't want to get fired just yet.
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