Kansas Snapshots by Gloria Freeland - October 24, 2025

"Ta-ta, to tatas"

After rehearsals, we often joined some of the Fron Male Voice Choir lads at a favorite North Wales pub. One evening, one of them mentioned a week-long concert tour scheduled for late October 2025 on the Mediterranean island of Malta. We asked it we could join them. Some thought we were daft, but were glad to have us.

So when we returned from Wales in late July, the plan was to take care of some items here at home and then head back October 14. Art's cousin Kris would join us. We would spend a little time with friends in Wales before flying with the choir on October 25. We left clothes behind in anticipation of our return.

We were scheduled to depart from the local airport at 3:54 p.m. But when that time came, I was flat on my back in the recovery room of our local hospital. I had just had a bilateral mastectomy. Art was speaking with the surgeon about how it had gone.

The expression - "it is an ill wind that blows no man good" - is often incorrectly attributed to Shakespeare. But its meaning is true enough. My recent breast cancer diagnosis was certainly an "ill wind," but there was also an element of good in it.

On July 31, less than a week after our homecoming, I had a routine follow-up mammogram that turned out to be anything but routine. A biopsy of a suspicious area was positive for cancer.

The area was so small - 2 mm or about the thickness of three credit cards - it hardly qualified as a tumor. We were confident a lumpectomy would address the situation and we'd be back on schedule.

No such luck! While there was no lump, it had spread like a thread, following the milk ducts. When the lumpectomy didn't clear the margins, a second was scheduled. It didn't do the job either. The spread was wide enough that a mastectomy was called for. At that point, I decided a double mastectomy made more sense for me.

Back in spring 2022, I had an unrelated cancer in my left breast. Art noticed it, but a recent mammogram had missed it. A lumpectomy, two re-excisions, and subsequent radiation took care of that one.

So where is the good that comes from these ill winds?

First, this particular type of breast cancer is usually very responsive to chemotherapy, so the long-term outlook is good.

Second, because the mammogram missed my cancer in 2022, a decision was made to be extra vigilant in the future. Without that extra scrutiny, the present one almost certainly would have been missed. Because it didn't form a lump, it might have escaped detection for quite a long time - not a scenario I want to ponder too long!

Initially I was bummed. I was really looking forward to the trip - but not so much I was willing to risk my future health for it.

While Art understands much of the biology involved, he frequently checks in on my state of mind as well. I’ve told him I bounce between being matter-of-fact, wondering whether I’ll ever feel normal again, and feeling sad.

Why sad?

When I was young, I had much anticipated the arrival of that physical attribute so emblematic of being a woman. But, I told him, "They betrayed me." Although I haven't referenced it recently, I have always been a big believer in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: "To everything there is a season." The breast season had passed! So it was with mixed emotions before surgery that I looked down and said, "Ta-ta, tatas," making light of a situation that will take some adjusting to. And with both gone, I won’t list to one side!

There is another emotional side to situations such as this one. Some relatives and friends become understandably hesitant to speak with me as they aren't comfortable talking with someone on an emotional roller coaster. I’m an introvert and somewhat shy, so I'm naturally a bit reserved. But my Kansas farm upbringing means I'm pretty open about things. I've been on a couple of medical "rodeos" before and they were instructive. I've learned to just be myself and let others be who they are. And I've been overwhelmed by the support - through cards, meals, little gifts, flowers, phone calls, and email messages. Having a husband who is science-minded with a healthy sense of humor is also extremely helpful.

There are other "plus" aspects to the current situation. Our friend Jan's granddaughter Courtney, who was with us in the U.S. last summer, is a teacher with a break at the same time as the choir's trip. She will accompany Jan and Kris. Art and I have had many great travel experiences over the years. We are pleased this turn-of-events will enable Courtney to add another notch on her travel belt. However, I will be expecting lots of photos and videos of their Malta experience.

And there is yet another benefit - one of my favorites! Our granddaughter Diana has just reached the stage where she is toddling everywhere every waking hour. When she sees me, her arms fly out in the universal "pick-me-up" pose. So I'm going to be getting an extra four-week dose of baby snuggles that I wouldn't have, had we been overseas.

This is a disease whose treatment is a slog rather than a sprint. So is this an ill wind? To be sure! But right now, I'm taking it a day at a time and finding joy along the way.

An example arose when I told daughter Katie about writing this column. She said she had the perfect title: "Ta-ta, to tatas." I immediately burst out laughing. It was perfect!