August 2014

Back in March I received my "friendly reminder" cards that is was time to book my annual GYN exam and mammogram.  Being the busy person I thought I was at the time I tossed them aside on my desk to my take care of this later pile.

In early August my boyfriend bought me and himself the 2014 issue of the Farm Bureau Breast Cancer awareness hats. He has a coworker whose wife sells them and thought it was for a good cause.  I generally am not a hat person due to my curly hair that likes to look like Bozo the Clown.  However the visor Steve bought me was a cute and trendy camo and pink with the pink ribbon on the front.  I looked at and thought I like that and it would work well with my hair tamed into a top pony tail, well actually top puff ball!

A couple of weeks letter I saw my reminder cards on my desk, tossed them in my work tote bag and off to work I went.  Finally another few days later I got around to making those appointment calls. Healthcare appointments -check
Mammo set for Friday, August 22, 2014
GYN appointment, October 3, 2014

On Thursday, August 21 while at our local hospital medical office managers luncheon there was a speaker from one of the local imaging facilities. The speaker talked briefly about the new 3D mammo imaging they had just begun to offer.  She explained that the image created is more detailed than the normal mammo us ladies are accustomed to and there is not really a notice lie difference to the patient in how the mammo is done. Insurance currently has not approved the 3D mammo for payment but you can pay $99 out of pocket and have the 3D.

Friday, August 22, 2014 I arrive for my routine' annual mammo. I have always had normal results and never any issues with nodules or other irregularities. As I am registering for my testing I am thinking that I have some funds in my HSA and no major health issues so I will pay for the 3D imaging.

The next week comes and I know a few days after my mammo I usually get my standard letter that everything is ALL CLEAR.   For those who know me you know that I am not a worrier or fretful person.  For some reason I seemed to be watching for that all clear letter.

Thursday rolls around and still no letter. Early that morning while at work. I get a phone call from my GYNs nurse whom I have known both her and my GYN for 20+ years. We chatter the usual how are you and then I tell her that she doesn't call me just to chat so what's up?  It's not a good thing when you call me".   To which she replies "well we got your mammogram results and there is a nodule that showed up so I have scheduled you for an ultrasound for Thursday, Sept 4 but you know how things work and you can move it up if you want to."  I promptly advised that yes I would call and move it up as well as call my favorite general surgeon in town and make an point net with him.

What was that stirring in my mind that made me choose to have the 3D and watch for that letter?  No it wasn't instinct I am quite certain it was God prompting me and preparing my heart.

As soon as I hung up the phone with the nurse I called the imaging facility who said the could do my ultrasound that day at 12:30. Ok, sure I'm good with that, I will see you then. I hung up and immediately called The surgeon's office. Having been employees in medical offices since 1990, I have become friends with many others in the same field.  A friend of mine is the manager for my surgeon so I asked to speak to her. I explained my situation and she was able to make me an appointment for Wednesday, September 3.  Ok appointments taken care of and now I am mentally processing all that has just happened. As most of us medical staffers do we have to have the information in our hands to look at. I had one of our nurses retrieve my mammogram report as I just had to share with someone.  I was a bit numb. Me a breast nodule with no family history of this!

Our dear nurse was the sweet, compassionate and Godly young lady I have known her to be for over 7 years now. She read the report and asked me if I was ok.  Me of course I'm ok. I am strong.  This was a little quiet shared knowledge between just us 2 for now.  About 30 minutes later there were 5 of us from our office who went next to door to the hospital to purchase lunch.  As we got on the elevator one of the girls was looking on her phone at Facebook. She chuckled and said hey look isn't this a cute idea?  It's a graham cracker and marshmallow treat made to resemble a mammogram (you can picture it) to use for breast cancer awareness. There were those two words "breast cancer."  Wow where did that come from?  Again, it was my Almighty God preparing my mind and heart.   As we returned back to our break room to enjoy our lunch we were all chattering as we usually do about whatever topic seems to be the highlight of our day. At this point two of the girls were in conversation when one says that once she had a dog that had breast cancer.  There were those two words again. Ok, God I am hearing this.  Feeling that this was the best time to inflect my humorous attitude I shared with the staff that since breast cancer seemed to be the buzz word for the day. I told my loving, caring and Godly coworker friends that I had a breast nodule on my mammo and I was off to get an ultrasound at 12:30 and I would be back shortly.

Here I am on Thursday, August 28, 2014 not quite a week later having a breast ultrasound. The technician was very compassionate and caring as she carefully performed my ultrasound. As she carefully explored the breast area I was able to see the nodule on the ultrasound. Of course I had to ask the size!  28mm she replied.  As she continued to work carefully into the armpit area I waited patiently.  The technician finished the ultrasound and advised me that the radiologist would read in and be in shortly to go over the results with me.  Yes, I'm thing well OK let's get this all done and put away.

The radiologist entered the room and explained that I have a "suspicious nodule of 28mm along with an enlarged axillary lymph node at 22mm".  He continued to explain that I would need a biopsy to determine if the nodule was malignant (cancer) or benign (not cancer).  Whew, ok. Thanks God for preparing my mind to hear this news.

On Friday, August 29, Steve and I along with his son and a friend were blessed to head to Pigeon Forge for the Labor Day weekend. Boy was this perfect timing! The thoughts that were running around in my head were so emotionally draining. Thank you God for the opportunity to rest, think and enjoy the beauty of the world you created. I found that I watched each rock and plant that we passed along the way. I had on my reality glasses for the things we all tend to take for granted or just shrug off.