Maryanne

Mom came home three years ago with red eyes.

She said when everyone was back from their lunch break that Alys, their department’s assistant director, was calling the team into her office for an emergency meeting.  Everyone gathered.  The room was tiny and very crowded.

Alys put the phone on speaker.  They heard the familiar voice of their senior director, Maryanne.  She told them that her mother and sister had had breast cancer, and so she herself was getting tested twice every year as a high-risk candidate.  She said this time, they saw something, and had it biopsied, and it came back positive.

The room got super quiet.  She started to talk about going out on disability, next steps, but Alys interrupted, letting her know that people were in shock.  Rachel, whose cousin had had it, was sobbing.  Aileen, whose sister had had it, was quieter, but tears were streaking down her face, dotting her blouse.  My mom turned her back to the group and stared hard out the window, struggling to collect herself.  As the initial astonishment sank in, Maryanne continued with plans, assignments, and next steps.

In the weeks that followed, everyone in the department bought and shared copies of “Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book.”  They wore ribbons.  They sent cards and flowers.  Co-workers scheduled their own tests.

Maryanne opted for a lumpectomy and radiation, but did not want chemotherapy in spite of her genetic risks.  Her surgery included a lymph node biopsy, which was negative, but she developed lymphedema, a complication that happens in up to 20% of cases.  She had to wear a brace on her arm, which remained painful for several months.  She had to raise her arm above her heart and do special exercises to promote draining.

She never came back to work, deciding that the experience made her more determined to live a meaningful life.  She went back to college to get a law degree, and eventually became an environmental lawyer in California.  My mom and she exchange e-mails sometimes.  She’s still cancer free.