Elusive realities: Deanna Kahler – My Overnight Visitor

The rain poured down on our rooftop that night, and our previously dark and quiet house became filled with bright flashes of light and deep rumbles of thunder. My young daughter, who is afraid of thunderstorms, raced into our bedroom.

“Mom, I’m scared. Can you sleep in my bed with me?” Of course, I agreed.

I felt on edge too, but not because of the storm. I was facing other fears. Tomorrow I was scheduled for a breast biopsy. This was the second time in a few years that doctors had found something suspicious. Last time, when my daughter had just started preschool, I underwent breast surgery to remove abnormal tissue. Luckily, it turned out to be papillomas, benign growths in the ducts. However, faced with yet another procedure on the same breast, my fears ran high once again.

Cancer was no stranger to my family. My father and grandfather…