a Little Wing of Panic: and the cicadas' song

What could be worse than being diagnosed with breast cancer before you're even old enough to have your first routine mammogram? But what if that diagnosis comes when your U.S. Army husband has just deployed to Korea for a one-year unaccompanied tour of duty, leaving you alone in a new town with two kids? Now imagine that it all takes place after you've spent months simply trying to get access to a doctor for a painful lump in your breast.As alarming as that scenario might sound, in this case there were also opportunities for joy: learning to support healing through positive imaging; unflagging support of family and friends; a rewarding teaching job. Surprising challenges pop up along the one-year journey, but so do unexpected successes. Just when the little wing of panic begins to pulse, so does the reassuring song of the cicadas. This is not a "cancer journal" or a medical guide. It's the story of a military family navigating one tough year with cancer, determined to be "normal." And, perhaps most importantly, the story is told long, long after the author has achieved the "cancer free" designation. The surprising tale of one breathtaking year is now shared from the vantage point of reflection and closure.