Crab boat "Gail Force" moored at Tokeland, Washington Coast

This picture was taken a few years back during a trip to the Washington coast, it's dated 11/27 the same as yesterday 11/27/12, the day of my sister Pam's breast cancer surgery.  I am attracted to these little coincidences, crabs being the sign for cancer and all.  Crabbing is a dangerous business, I look this boat up every now and then and see they are still afloat and running.  I always wonder who is Gail?  I visualize our sister riding out her surgery and radiation in a symbolic boat like this, a nice sturdy little ship stocked up with all the right gear, a skilled captain at the helm. 

Pam ended up staying in hospital all night drugged up for pain and being watched over.  She came home midday today and is trying to rest up while they wait for the path reports to come in and say they got it all.  She will have five days of radiation delivered by balloon catheter beginning Friday or maybe as early as Thursday.  Then begins the work of recovering from the surprise and shock of all of this, as well as the wounds, us too.  It was caught early and treated quickly.  It turned out to be stage 0, non-invasive cancer.  So lucky. I truly resent the news articles on the study that says mammograms are overused.   Do they think women should have to wait until something terrible happens?

I was also thinking about how this changes her life down the road, it's bound to be in the back of her mind forever.   I suppose it reminds all four of us that the possibility is there.  My youngest sister just scheduled a mammogram for the first time in some years.  We all get to go in and report our sister got breast cancer instead of scratching in a n/a on the blank.  What I hope is that as time goes by Pam won't have this hanging over her like Joe Btfsplk's cloud from the little Abner cartoons.  I will just keep thinking about the Gail Force conquering the rowdy seas to bring home a good catch and returning safe to port.