Womanhood

Like all people diagnosed with cancer, the one thing you will never forget is the moment you heard the words "you have cancer". Even if you suspected the worse, you are never prepared for these words. Nothing will ever affect you like this moment. It takes ahold of you and the grip doesn't want to let go. It takes a lot of willpower and positive thinking to keep it from becoming who "you" are. If you can get beyond this grip you can start to live your life again.
The next most profound comment I remember were the words that came out of the mouth of the doctor who did my original surgery. This well meaning gentleman informed me that he was going to remove "all my female organs". Anyone who knows me well enough knows I can be very sarcastic. My first thought was "so you're saying I'll no longer be a woman"? The next time I talked to my brother, John, I informed him that he no longer had a sister but now had three brothers. He didn't think I was very funny. It made sense to me. If the doctor removed all "my female organs" then I must no longer be a woman. Unfortunately, most female cancers attack the female organs. Women do have a difficult time not associating this disease with our "womanhood". Breast cancer has this affect on women and men also have breasts. Of course, the female breasts are more "in your face". (Oops, there went my male hormones working again.) Our bodies and what we have to offer the opposite sex becomes such a big part of who we are. Even in times of womens's liberation these thoughts are so embedded in our psyche it is hard to shake them. We get our heads shaved. We have our parts removed. It's no wonder we feel less than a woman. Hell, if I lost my breast, I'd lose half my body weight. Tell me that wouldn't be noticeable. We must stay on track and remember we are still the same person we always were and probably a better person for our experience. Our soul is still our unique gift.

"I am woman, hear me roar!"