A Woman’s Tools
I remember noticing when I was a little girl that my mom always had more than one pair of tweezers handy—at least one in the drawer of our shared bathroom, and another one always on the counter of her master bath, next to the magnified mirror. I was born late in her life, and by the time I was ten, she was approaching 50.
This week I’m staying with a friend in Texas after going to the international breast cancer research symposium here, and this morning I almost asked my friend’s sixteen year old daughter if she had tweezers. Then I thought, “of course she doesn’t!”. I’m sure that most women my age have two or three pairs of tweezers as I do, but I’ve learned that the kind that really work are so sharp that they sometimes don’t get through airport security.
I’m in my tweezer era, and I’m thrilled to be here now. It’s an era where shame takes a backseat to more pressing matters like truth and justice.
It’s my third year coming to the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and this year I learned a fraction of the academic information that I did my first two years. This is because I spent most of my time tabling for Stand Tall AFC, having conversations with patients, oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists and researchers from around the world about body acceptance and body shame. It was the most exhausting and the most hopeful week I’ve had this year, and as a voracious learner, it was even worth sacrificing the chance to see the thousands of posters presented at SABCS, and listen to oodles of brilliant presentations.
I did hear a couple of the morning sessions however, and just before I ran to get my luggage and drove to Austin yesterday morning, I got to hear the five-year results of one of my favorite breast cancer trials, called “The Wisdom Study.” Dr Laura Esserman from UCSF is a beacon of light in this research community, offering ideas and insights that will surely save the lives of thousands, if not millions of women in the future. I was so honored to be in the room (with thousands!) as she reported the success of the trial and its findings, which imply that using more precision and screening women earlier in their lives will not only catch their cancers earlier, but also become a cost saving measure overall. I’m tearing up now just writing about it. WISDOM II is enrolling now, so send all of your female relatives who are 30 and over to enroll (they lowered the age requirement from 40). It’s a total no brainer because the only “treatment” they will possibly get is better screening! I’ve been urging my nieces and sister to enroll and will keep doing so, especially since two of their relatives have had breast cancer.
As Dr Esserman was presenting the results of the study, a text came through from my realtor—we got an offer on the house! A rare moment of double-bliss and answered prayers.
I then ran to get my luggage from the hotel desk and hopped in my friend’s car for Austin, where I got a Lyft to a bus that brought me to Dallas. Now I’m recovering from my exhaustion in the comfy and familiar home of my best friend from my childhood and teenage years.
…About an hour ago this morning I heard the name Delia Ramirez for the first time. I have a feeling this name will go down in history, and I hope it’s not for the sake of a murder by some MAGA fanatic. Rep Ramirez hopes to impeach the increasingly cruel and conscienceless villain, Kristi Noem. I’ve already written to my three congressional reps to ask them to defend and uphold Rep Ramirez publicly and I hope you’ll do so too. As important as tweezers are, the most important tool a woman has is her VOICE! Rep Ramirez has used hers with bold courage that will put her in great danger, for the sake of us all.
PS
While I’m still afraid of AI, I did meet two researchers this week who are doing truly wonderful, life-saving things with it in the breast cancer screening realm! This is where AI belongs!