In 2015, a routine mammogram led to the discovery of a cancerous nodule in my grandma’s breast. She immediately had a lumpectomy before the nodule could enlarge any further. However, the surgeon who performed the procedure warned her that the cancerous nodule had a 40% chance of returning. Well, it grew back, this time bigger than ever.

She will turn 89 in one week from today (on the 21st). Because of her age, my mom elected not to do chemotherapy on her. My mom is trying to see if her surgeon will remove the breast altogether (which obviously isn’t ideal for anyone, but it is what it is).

The doctor thinks that, because of where the nodule grew in the first place, the cancer STILL might return, so he is recommending hormones as a post operative treatment to reduce the risk of the cancer from returning. However, he also firmly warned that the hormones themselves carry a risk of exacerbating the situation (i.e., they can cause cancer, too). But apparently the benefits outweigh the risks, so my mom is going through with the entire recommended treatment plan. It just sucks all around.