My Cousin has Breast Cancer

"My cousin has breast cancer"...just writing those words is surreal, it's like I'm in a different dimension. Until now no one in my family has been stricken with any form of cancer. I know that's very unusual, but it's true. And now my beautiful, vibrant, uber-health conscious, 41 year-old cousin has been diagnosed with breast cancer! How is that even possible?

It's the usual story - she went in for her regular mammogram and they found 2 small "cysts". Now when she went last year they found one, it turned out to be benign, just fluid and they drained it right in the doctor's office. This time they assumed it was the same thing and they were so small they told her to come back in six months and they'd do the same thing. In her self-examination she noticed that one was growing faster than it should so she went back in last Friday. When they tried to drain it they found it was solid. They instantly ran tests and on Saturday they called her and told her it was cancerous.

She's going in today for an MRI and a sonogram and to talk to the oncologist about how to proceed. As of now, they're saying it looks like it'll be a lumpectomy. They already told her she will need some radiation, how much and whether chemo will be necessary is yet to be determined.

I'm sad and scared and angry.