This was the statement I was thinking about as I went to bed last night. It was a bad football weekend yet again for the Virginia Tech HOKIES, which many of you know I am a proud supporter of, and always will be. No matter whether they win or lose, I love Virginnia Tech and The HOKIES. The Hokies Football team in the past and even now has relied on their defense and even one, two, or three really good players. Infact at one time they had one of the top defenses in the country. The offensive team as a whole has never been "great." They will need to step up their game to win a game and to be a better football program overall.
This statement can be true about life in general. Offensive = Prevention. If we look at doing things preventively, then on the back end we won't have to pick up the pieces so much. If we do more ground work teaching, educating, have better nutrition, exercise, spirituality, cleanliness, vacciness, medical care, etc. people in our country would be healtier, happier and have more and better jobs. (Not meant to be a political rant.) Understanding at the same time that to do preventative work may be costly, more work and perhaps stressful at this time because of the circcumstances we are in. But in the long run it could be woth it. We have to get over hurdles and obsticles to reach our ultimate goal rather than (putting bandaids on things). Like My Hokies, maybe to make changes they need to fire a coach or two, which may be a hard thing. Or it might be having a losing season or two and not going to a a few bowl games, which fans may be upset about. Or it might be about both in addition to recruiting more players training them and seeing them grow. But if that is what it takes to build a good offense, and build a good team, then, do it for the outcome, not what pain and agony in the moment. It's about the long term gains. Not the immediate losses or the fears of "what ifs."
Sooo.... I say all this....as I have fears...and thoughts about what to do for the future. On October 2, 3 days leading up to my last treatment, treatment #4, I was given some information to think about how I might want to proceed after chemotherapy was over. (So what am I talking about you ask?) Due to insurance reasons don't want to write specifics, but what I can say is that I have a higher liklihood of reoccurance of breast cancer than the general population in the next five years and in my lifetime, as well as a higher risk for ovarian and pancreatic cancer than the general population. This news hit hit me pretty hard and that is why I have not written. I have been thinking about my options and talking with different people. But like my title says, "The Best Defense is a Good Offense" I am choosing to take the offensive strategy. I have pretty much made up my mind, as soon as I am able to, to have a double masectomy, to lower to risk of reoccurance to the lowest it can possibly be. I have already seen a wonderful breast plastic surgeon a month or so ago, whom I have known my whole life. So I am comfortable with him giving me beautiful new breasts. My life is more important than my breasts, as much as I love my breasts. But it is hard to think that I have to go through all of this and have to lose my breasts too. BUT, I want to live until I am 100. I want to get married have children and see my grandchildren. I don't need to do that with my original breasts.
I will try and find out more about the particulars and details about the timeline when I have my appointment with the RN who fills in for my Oncologist on Thursday.
