On a list of good humans in the world, Casm and Mrs. Casm are at the top of the list. And he's right, the first thing I ask him when he says he's coming to a race is, "Is Jeanne coming??" Jeanne has the biggest heart and is going to crush cancer with it. We ALL love you both.
Long-post alert:
This here is my wife, Jeanne. She is my rock. She is the best part of my day. Some of you have met her. When I’m at the track, people always ask “Did your wife come with you?” and when she doesn’t, they’re disappointed because it’s just me. Trust me, I get it.
Today was a gut punch. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. She’s in incredibly good spirits and ready for the battle. I expected such a response. She’s always been the one whose bravery I’ll never match.
If there’s a bright side, it’s in the actual details of diagnosis. She has what’s called ductal carcinoma in situ. In short, it’s a typically non-invasive form of breast cancer that develops from micro calcifications. The prognosis is typically excellent when caught early. She’s a general-practice physician assistant and knows what it is and what to expect.
I guess that’s the point of this note. She caught it early. That’s because of annual screening mammograms, which segues into the topic of routine health screenings of all sorts. Allow me to preach briefly – mammograms, skin checks, annual physicals, etc. If you get them regularly, tremendous. If not, schedule them. They’re of the utmost importance for yourself and those who love you.
We meet with a surgeon next week to discuss the next steps. Throughout this whole process, she’ll be the very picture of courage, and I will be the weakling that occasionally faints. She’ll kick its butt with her usual arsenal of courage, knowledge and incredibly inappropriate sense of humor.
Today sucked, and we’re allowing maybe 24 hours of moping. Once that has elapsed, we’re entering attack mode. No quarter.
That said, go schedule your routine screenings.