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Speak Up
Deciding to tell the truth to yourself and to others can change your life
Victor Frankl wrote about the moment between stimulus and response and how, in that moment, individuals are empowered to select a reaction. By deciding to face your fears and address potential problems, you may just save your life.
Shortly after Christmas, I was washing my face when I felt a lump on my throat. The recognition of the lump was the stimulus. I was alarmed as I pressed down on the bump, assessing the hardness and size of the mass.
“Am I overreacting to this?” I wondered during the pause, the moments right after the stimulus. I pressed on it again. “No, this is pretty large. I would have noticed it if it was there before. This may actually be a problem.”
My response was to ask my husband about it. He gently put his hand to my neck, then a concerned look spread across his face as he felt the lump.
“You need to make an appointment to ask the doctor about this,” he said.
I was simultaneously relieved and more worried that he was troubled about what he felt.
My primary care doctor examined the lump and sent me for bloodwork, an ultrasound, and to an ear, nose, and throat specialist to interpret the results. The specialist told me he wanted to…
