Heather Jose: Stage 4 Breast Cancer and Setting the Record Straight
Maybe I need a tattoo on my forehead that reads, “Breast Cancer Survivor.” If people knew that from the very start I wouldn’t stick my foot in my mouth nearly as often. You see, breast cancer is a huge part of my life, and sometimes I forget that not everyone knows about my cancer. I feel as though cancer radiates around me all the time. It is my life. However, I rarely start conversations to let people know about my cancer history. So awkward conversations are bound to happen. And I’ll be honest, sometimes I still like to shock people, put them in their place a little.
It has happened a few times at work. I am only there a few hours a week, so while people recognize me, no one but my department knows me very well. My job is in a long-term care facility.
I was there one morning when a nurse came in to talk to my boss. She was telling her that a coworker had stage IV cancer, and that she had no shot at returning to work. I saw my boss look at me and proceed to nod to the nurse, willing her to be quiet. The nurse went on though, saying something about everyone knowing that stage IV was terminal.
At that point my mouth opened and words began to escape.
“Really? I was diagnosed with stage IV cancer.
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