Avoidance, infection, susceptibility...

I remember thinking of folks I knew who 'got cancer '. Of the hushed tones and gravity with which their names were spoken from then on by my parents. I knew, by the sadness and finality, then the forced bonhomie when our paths crossed, that these were the walking dead. That was fifty years ago. Treatment has come so far since them, as has survivability. I remember wondering, as a child, what it felt like to have that news, that knowledge, that death sentence. Scared the hell out of me. I was afraid of 'catching' it. No one told me any different. And now, with that rich and vivid history, I am 'that person'. As a medical professional, I recognize the progress and the prognosis, that I have a great chance of beating this disease. But, the little girl inside is still terrified, wishing I could switch sides of the street when I see the Now Me coming..