Cancer Cluster

Years ago there was a lot of talk in the news about "cancer clusters." Picture a map with a pin in the house of each person with cancer. Then picture lots of pins in a particular town or area. Most of these clusters are in highly educated areas. The cause of the majority of these cancer clusters is unknown. Scary stuff.

I am tossing another town into the cancer cluster mix. Holliston, Massachusetts.

In the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I am not a doctor or scientist. I do not wear white. (black is more slimming) My declaration is purely from my own, concrete knowledge.

After over a month of searing stomach pain, my mummy's doctor called with some test results. Malignant cells were found. The doctor is guessing the cancer may be colon, ovary or pancreatic.

This isn't Mummy's first brush with cancer. It isn't even her third. Her strangest cancer was the rare brain tumor that only had been documented in nine young children. This same brain tumor was found in Mummy's spine while she was in her 50's.

So many of Mummy and Daddy's friends in town have been touched by cancer. The energetic childhood friend who lost her battle with a brain tumor. The many, many friends who have battled breast cancer and won. The friend with throat cancer who moved and then the next friend developed throat cancer while living in the same house.

I'm scared.

I do my best to keep nasty chemicals out of the house. I do my best to eat lots of fruit and vegetables. I do my best to move as often as possible. What if all of us keep doing our best to live healthy only to be whopped by some unknown force?