We need a cure for breast cancer *ssholes!

Breast cancer drama.

I swim in a not-for-profit club. Full of families, swimming teams, programs for babies, for seniors, for disabled kids; people with and without a membership, diving classes, water polo, gym with like 30 different classes...you get the picture. Busy place, so rules for everything. No street shoes in the pool deck. No running. No foul language. Some rules arbitrary, like kids older than 5 years have to use the appropriate gender locker rooms. Management doesn't like conflict, so when there is an altercation, they tend to apease whoever makes the most noise, regardless of reason.

There are locker rooms for members and non-members. Members room undergoing renovations and closed for a while, so temporarily everybody uses the same (crowded, gender appropriate) locker room.

So yesterday, I enter the women's room and there is screaming and howling. You would think an army of rats had invaded the room. Reason: young mother was changing two boys into swimming clothes, one 3yo and one 7yo. Over the age limit, so a howling lady wrapped in a towel demanded that they be kicked out. Sure enough, there was an employee standing by the mom, asking her to leave. The mom said didn't know the rule, was protesting that the kid was just 7 and couldn't change alone, she was sweating and rushing to leave, the kids were crying, the howler was howling, and everybody else was...cowardly silent. Having been in that mother's shoes when my kids were younger, I comforted the mom, tried to help calm the kid down, especially the seven year old, who was crying the most, confronted the employee, who threatened to call security and disappeared, confronted the howler, telling her to calm down and stop yelling. The mother leaves, screaming to the towel-wrapped howler, announcing that she was out and was she happy of the result.

The mom gone, the lady wouldn't let it go; she kept complaining, protesting that the kid was too old to be there. That was when I lost it. Told the howler you are an embarrassment and should be ashamed of yourself, wth is wrong with you, shame on you, you sure are sick in the head when a naked 7-year-old brings you to this state. Woman was in a rage, starts cursing me, I get a couple f*ck yous (and more) and then she opens her towel to reveal lumpectomy scars. That was the reason for the whole mess!

Now, I have underwent five surgeries during these renovations, using the same locker rooms before and after each surgery, including first and then second mastectomy, with and without expanders, currently with implants. but scars and no nipples, first trying to cover myself, now not bothering as much, because nobody looks at you, much less say anything. And never complained about anything! Mind you, there are some regulars there without legs, or blind, or on crutches, parents with cerebral palsy kids who never complain about anything either.

I am about to send a letter to management, but I have a message for the complaining lady:

Breast cancer does not turn you into an *sshole. Turning into an *sshole is your own, personal choice. However cancer broke your life, naked, crying seven year olds are not your enemy. Please seek help with your traumas. The city is full of hospitals and other organizations offering cancer supportive services. Most of them for free.

Apologies to the community for this rant, and happy mother's day!