Published: January 22, 2008

Paula’s Lessons

One thing Paula didn’t want to be known as was “the teacher with cancer.” So from the time of her diagnosis in 2005 until her death this past October, she made it easy for us to forget she was dealing with a fatal illness every day.

Paula’s story is not atypical, but still her diagnosis was shocking. She was in the prime of her life and career. At 48, with a husband and three sons, I know Paula felt her life was full and meaningful. Her only sign that something wasn’t quite right with her health was increased fatigue. Teachers live with fatigue. We just push through it. Paula had a load like many of us — five classes of ninth grade English students, adviser for the school yearbook, junior class sponsor (which in our school means working on the prom).

A trip to her doctor for a full check up over spring break resulted in a diagnosis that rocked the world for all of us who taught with her: Stage 4 Inflammatory Breast Cancer, the most aggressive form. Though I still hold my breath when I hear those words, nothing in Paula’s diagnosis even hinted at how it...