Monday, December 26, 2011

ATCHISON, KS GALLERY WITH TRACI BRAY - UPDATE

Toward the end of the gallery Traci had worked her way around the room and made her way to our table where she stopped and stood less than two feet from my friend Brenda.  Traci asked if anyone knew of someone named Brenda who had passed from breast cancer.  No one responded and the room remained silent.  Brenda and I looked at each other and I knew what she was thinking, which was the same thing I was thinking, which was "oh shit!".  Having no one acknowledge knowing anyone named Brenda who had passed, Traci moved on to the next soul wanting to come through. 

After the gallery concluded Brenda asked Traci if perhaps that message could be for her since she was named Brenda.  Traci's response at the time was that "it really didn't work that way" and she thought Brenda had nothing to worry about.  I wasn't so sure.
Brenda had already gone through uterine and bladder cancer and she unfortunately has a genetic condition called Lynch Syndrome which greatly increases her risk of getting cancer. Naturally I told her I thought she should go ahead and get her mammogram scheduled "just in case".

So - to make a long story short, Brenda did call for her mammogram and had to wait about six weeks before she could have it since it had not quite been a year since her last one.  After the test she received a letter from the breast center stating she needed to come in for a more detailed xray of her breast because something did show up. That test led to a needle biopsy which led to her discovering that she did indeed have breast cancer.  Thankfully it was in a very early stage and after out patient surgery and radiation she is doing very well.

We don't believe this was all just a coincidence.  Of course we will always be speculating who came through at that moment to give Brenda a warning.  Was it another woman named Brenda or could it have been a classmate from high school who had passed a few years earlier from breast cancer, or an ancestor?  But no matter who it was, we are very grateful for the message! 

I wrote to Traci about Brenda's cancer and she was amazed and I think a little shocked.  She plans to add this testimonial to her website.  This underscores the importance of always recording any reading you have.  Something that may seem of little significance at the time may reveal itself later to be much more important than you would have imagined.