Stress, it is said, can cause cancer. Well, nothing is more stressful than having active cancer. So, do good things for yourself. You deserve it. Ask anyone who knows what you have been through.

Richard and I continued to plan for a long sailing cruise. I then became the envy of all of my friends. That was a great boost to my ego and self-esteem. I allowed myself to enjoy it. Several times when I felt very low, Richard stirred my soul with the thoughts of emerald green seas and pink sand Caribbean beaches. "Will I live to see it?" I’d mournfully whine, and he would confidently say, "Of course!" Well, how could I whither in the face of such confidence? Besides, we had talked of that dream since we first met. I had entered into a marriage that included a cruising pact. I was going to share my loving husband’s sabbatical fantasy. Wasn’t our wedding cake decorated with glass figures of palm trees? Wasn’t there a sailboat atop the groom’s cake? Didn’t my father give us a "smooth sailing" toast? Yes! Richard’s parents even supplied us with sailing safety gear and were willing to handle our finances while we were cruising. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Follow-up check ups were little more than anyone else’s routine annual healthcare prevention regimen. I planned to visit a distant clinic for blood work or any other necessary check ups while I was away.

You will move beyond this hard time. In the process, you will learn about a disease that can be lethal, but definitely does not have to be. Early detection and treatment are keys to a successful recovery. Your active participation is another key ingredient. You are the central player in your physical recovery, and your mental adjustment during the diagnosis phase, and during your long term care.

Reach out to help others. Talk about what you learn about breast cancer with your family and friends, at your church, possibly at you job. Encourage others to get regular check ups and persist with the investigation of any breast lump. Early detection and removal may allow intervention before the cancer has time to grow and spread. Less spread means less radical intervention and treatment will be possible.

You can not only be part of your own treatment team, but save other lives by carrying the message that Baby Boomers are standing up to their breast cancer.