It seems like Cancer and I have been bitter acquaintances my whole life.

When I was six my mother died due to breast cancer that was detected too late to treat properly.

About two years ago my mother in law developed cancer, was treated and got over it, only to find about a year after that, that she has now developed a cancer on her liver.  The only reason she found it was because of other complications which lead her to another check up.

I myself also had thyroid cancer.  The only reason I found it was because of a fungal throat infection causing my singing voice problems.   The fungal infection was totally unrelated to the cancer but lead to the scan which found the nodules in my thyroid.  “Luckily,” for me thyroid cancer is the, “best one,” you can have, or so the doctors told me multiple times, because it’s encapsulated and you just remove the thyroid and you are done.   Had I not found it when I did, I was told the cancer would have eventually spread up into other parts of my body.   It’s my suspicion that this cancer was due to being xrayed as a child, as when I was young they did not know better that certain scans might cause cancers.

As if this wasn’t enough I recently found out that an older cousin of mine has a cancer that started in his esophagus and then spread to the rest of his throat and brain.  The doctors gave him just a few months to live and don’t know why he is still around.  Well, knowing my cousin it’s because he’s a tough son of a bitch and isn’t the type to sit on his ass.

His battle with cancer has much the same beginning.  That being, that if it had been found earlier it would have been treatable.

So, please take heed of this warning.  Get yearly scans.  Especially if cancer runs in your family.  Cancer isn’t like a cold that you can feel coming.  When you know something is wrong by how you feel it is often too late or at the very least much harder to treat and survive.  Finding cancer early is the key to surviving it.