Adventures of the Poor, Little Boob

  This journal is about my journey with DCIS which began in January 2024. Ductal Carcinoma in Situ. A form of breast cancer. I didn't tell many people. Family, a handful of close friends. I didn't even tell my bosses at the museum where I teach. Somewhere along the line after much prodding and poking, I decided the My DCIS Journey was too boring so retitled the journal Adventures of the Poor, Little Boob.

The Poor, Little Boob has been cancer-free since June 0f 2024, and still has another year of taking hormone therapy and being monitored by an oncologist. My target date for ending the medication and this journey is June1, 2027

The backstory. When I was in computer school, I met a young man, Derry, who started the program a couple of months before me. (The school started a new class each month). He was 13 years older than me. He came to my aid one afternoon when my car wouldn't start. I was going to call the automobile club, but he said he had cables and he jump started my car. He gave the cables to me because he was worried I'd have problems on the road. "At least with cables, you can flag someone down to jump start your car." The following day on break we went out to the parking lot so I could give him his cables back and my car had a flat tire. He was going to change the tire for me and I told him after class, I'd call the automobile club. He wasn't going to have any of that. It was a matter of pride. "Can't have anyone [in there] think what a pantywaist I am that I can't change a tire for a little girl." After that, Derry became another big brother. Sadly, Derry became ill with leukemia and passed away in October 1990 at the age of 48. His birthday was February 16.

February 19 was a Red Letter Day. A letter of approval arrived from the insurance company. I could be treated at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. 

What's astonishing was the letter was dated Friday, February 16. Derry's birthday. The same day I spoke with the insurance representative late in the afternoon to ask for an Organizational Determination. That means that someone gave the approval and had the letter typed and put in the mail shortly after I hung up the phone. I was told it would take 3 or more business days before I got an answer. I received the answer on Monday, February 19.

I think Derry was looking out for me.