The Changing Seasons of Cancer

Here in the high desert of Arizona, our summer season is drawing to a close with the annual tradition of inviting the tranquility and restfulness of autumn to gently sweep over our state.

Many of us who live here year-round actually enjoy the simmering summing days. We walk, ride our bikes or play pickle ball in the morning hours, and when the temperatures top 100 degrees we do other things. At an elevation of 3,200 feet, the desert where I live is lush and surprisingly green. We’ve learned to adapt to our weather and the patterns that give our lives a sort of symmetry.

I’m more aware of my breast cancer in the summer, though, because I tend to do more inside. Write essays. Compose music. Read and research on the Internet. I sit and I feel. So, I’m mindful of my own body, including my numb and sometimes distracting mastectomy scar.

I have little to complain about with stage 1 grade 3 male breast cancer, but there are certainly times when my limited range of motion or lack of feeling under my arm or the disfigurement of my chest becomes more troublesome.

Read More