Elizabeth Edwards

I was in Paris when Elizabeth Edwards died earlier this week. I caught only the headline and did not have the opportunity to read much about it. Since I've been up since four a.m. this morning due to jet lag, however, I had some time to read up on her battle with breast cancer and her untimely death this week. She really was an amazing woman. I have read in the past that she could be very difficult to deal with, but the things that she accomplished in her lifetime, and the storms she weathered, were remarkable.

I read this morning that by the time Elizabeth discovered her lump, it was the size of a plum. That's big. She also admitted to not having gone for routine mammogram screening like she should have. By the time she was diagnosed in 2004 (the day after her husband and Kerry lost the presidential election), she was Stage II. Her cancer was treated and seemed to be gone, but then it returned, and it later returned again.

It makes me very sad to think about all that has happened to the Edwards family through the years (the death of their beloved son, Wade, the difficulties of political races, John's infidelity). But perhaps most tragic of all is the fact that Elizabeth's life could have been spared or at least extended had she done a simple thing -- gone for her yearly annual mammogram screenings. This is, of course, how my cancer was detected, and I consider myself incredibly blessed to live in a time when we have access to technology that can detect this disease before it has a chance to cause extensive harm.

I would implore all of my female friends to learn a lesson from Elizabeth Edwards' death, and to be vigilant about your annual breast screenings. May Elizabeth Edwards rest in peace, and may her family know the love of God during what is bound to be an incredibly difficult time.

Erin