Author: naomi

  • the story begins (part 1)

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    naomi
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    It was a Monday, the Monday of Fall Break, 2024. I work in a public school and was excited to have the week off. Why not start it with a bright and early breast biopsy, huh? That’s what I thought sounded fun, so I… No, that’s not right- of course I didn’t think it sounded…

  • in the car (2)

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    naomi
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    It’s Thursday of fall break now, and I’m heading to Chicago to meet up with my friend so we can drive to Minneapolis together. It’s early afternoon. I still haven’t heard from the doctor or the radiology place about my biopsy, but they did tell me that it could be several days, so I’m not…

  • friday learning (3)

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    naomi
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    I wake up early on Friday despite having been up late and call the radiologist. Yes, the friendly voice tells me. Yes, you have cancer. Well, they actually say “invasive ductal carcinoma”. “Imagine that your milk ducts are like grapes,” she says. “Think about where the stem is, the cancer is starting to leave the…

  • moving right along (4)

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    naomi
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    I told everyone, of course. Mostly it was fine. I just… wasn’t quite fully tethered to earth, to my body. My sister arrived later in the evening and we went on a short walk and talked by the lake. Her eyes filled with tears and her face crumpled in this very specific way of hers,…

  • a lot (5)

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    naomi
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    I go home, I do whatever it is I do with myself. I honestly don’t remember if I told my parents that night, Monday, or if it was a little later. It was probably Monday, I’m not great at just holding secrets like that from anybody important, really, but especially my parents. They took it…