Three vignettes about breast cancer.

One woman missed five days of work due to a mastectomy. After returning to work, the law firm that employed her decided to have her officially dismissed.

Another woman who was a single parent and received a lot of family support when she was unexpectedly stuck with breast cancer at age thirty-one.

Lastly, a third woman underwent a breast cancer scare that resulted from a routine physical exam.

Jane Karuschkat of Glen Cove,N.Y., sued her former company, a law firm that fired her while she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment after recovering from surgery.

Instead of having a place of employment to look forward to as a motivating source while undergoing treatment, Ms. Karuschkat, along with the New York State Human Rights Commission, had to spend her time suing the law firm for discrimination.

In the end, she won a $70, 000 settlement.

No one, regardless of health status, should be fired or dismissed from their place of employment if they are diagnosed with cancer or another life-threatening illness. Although there are laws on the books that protect workers from these cruel workplace situations, it happens all of the time.

I figure that if an employer can fire someone because they are ill, it must be just dandy to them.

For an employee, working offers positive elements that promote greater healing. Work helps the employee keep hope both personally and financially.

I am sorry that Karuschkat’s former employer didn’t know this prior to firing her.

It would have cleared up a major misconception over cancer and major illnesses.

A contrasting story about breast cancer took place in April, 1995, when a person close to me was struck unexpectedly at the age of thirty-one with a double mastectomy.

This young woman is my cousin, Tami.

She is a single parent with a six-year son named Blake.

Unlike Karushkat, Tami was not fired from her company for having breast cancer. Her employer created a flexible work schedule as she began her chemotherapy treatments and created a watershed in that particular work setting by encouraging support groups for breast cancer survivors.

Our family is very close and support for her was prominent during this rough time.

Influenced by the breast cancer deaths of her mother, Jean, and other female relatives, she immediately sought out all kinds of related information for both herself and her son in building a stronger bond between them to overcome this life-altering challenge.

She also wanted to watch him grow up. Presently, her cancer is in remission.

Breast cancer can be a shocking experience for any woman.

I had a breast cancer scare in the spring of 1993.

It was the result of a routine physical examination. I was told that I must undergo a mammogram as a precautionary measure for breast cancer.

I found myself being totally stunned having not actually thought of it since assuming that most women are stricken at ages 40 and over. To me, breast cancer only happens to the women who belonged in my mother’s generation. My generation is not supposed to be affected.

I have since learned that breast cancer can strike women (as well as men) at any age. The numbers of those affected are especially increasing in those who are thirty-five and under.

Not knowing whether or not I either had or did not have breast cancer was an emotionally draining two-week period. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I began to conduct a small scale research project on breast cancer by looking through books and magazine articles. I simply needed to learn more.

By remaining positive throughout, I reflected upon the good things that my life (at the time) had brought me. To borrow from the title of singer Patti Labelle’s best selling autobiography, I started “Counting the Blessings.”

Finally, I contemplated on my life would be like if I were found to have breast cancer.

I would be the same person but with a different outlook.

When I received the results of my mammogram, it showed no traces of breast cancer. I was greatly relieved.

End of the breast cancer vignettes.

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Adrian DeVore is a senior in food science from Newark. She has a B.A. in English from Rutgers University (Douglass College).