Cancer

It sneaks into your body,

like a ninja assassin,

quick and silent,

lethal and deadly.

The doctor says you’re too young

for a mammogram,

breast cancer normally hits women

much older than you.

You’re worried over nothing,

most likely a calcium deposit,

quite common and benign.

But why does it hurt?

You still feel run down,

the flu really wiped you out,

but that was a month ago,

so why do you still feel sick?

The doctor says, lets take

some blood tests. I’m sure it’s nothing,

but a lack of vitamin D.

Off to the lab you go.

Your PSA levels are abnormally high,

it should be less than 10,

preferably less than 1.

34 is much too high.

More tests are ordered,

a mammogram for her,

a prostate exam for him,

both uncomfortable and invasive.

There is no need for concern,

we don’t need to do a biopsy.

It’s nothing, Miss,

There is nothing there.

No more pain,

no needles,

no poking and

no prodding.

There is definitely a large mass

on the right side of your prostate.

Sir, we need to biopsy it

to see how bad it really is.

They do the biopsy

with a fancy new laser,

doesn’t matter though,

we know what it is.

The words no one ever wants to hear,

It’s aggressive stage 3

prostate cancer,

we need to act now.

His wife holds his hand,

I’m so sorry,

I know I promised forever,

I don’t want to break that promise.

He holds on to his wife of 7 years,

she looks into his eyes,

those soft gray-blue eyes

that have often comforted her.

We got this,

I won’t lose you now,

you’re not allowed to leave me

or the kids all alone again.

He doesn’t hear what the doctor

is saying, and that’s OK,

he knows his wife will,

she’s already researched treatments.

Surgery first,

then more testing,

the cancer’s not gone,

radiation next.

And still,

they wait,

they hope,

they fight.