A breast cancer surgeon delivered my biopsy results. He has a tough job.

Every week, he has to tell women that they have a breast cancer diagnosis, and that he is the surgeon who will be the first person on her care team to begin her breast cancer treatment that will take several months.

My surgeon showed tremendous empathy and sensitivity. He was kind, compassionate, patient, comforting, and very knowledgeable. He discussed work options while waiting for treatment and offered to put me on indefinite, immediate sick leave to take care of personal matters to help prepare for the mastectomy surgery that was to come.

He admitted that as a male, he couldn’t experience what his female patients undergo physically and psychologically with breast cancer surgery. He spent a lot of time patiently explaining what the next months will entail with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. He offered me his office phone number to call at any time with questions or concerns, promising he would personally return the calls. His office has been called several times, and yes, he does personally return the calls with the same empathy and sensitivity that was shown on my first visit.

The best words of advice my surgeon gave me were to “surround yourself with strong women, your sisterhood, to help you get through this.” He punctuated his sage advice with the need to not only surround myself with women in my family, but with other women who will travel with me during this cancer treatment.