November, 2010...
I went for a "routine" mammogram. This was definitely the beginning of a very rough year, in terms of health and emotional stress.
Due to my family history on my mother's side, I was considered a high risk for breast cancer. Even with this knowledge, I never expected any real problems for the next 20 years. I often had "lumpy" breasts, and breast pain, which seemed to surge on a 30 day cycle. Granted, I had a hysterectomy at 37 years old, and was now on an estrogen patch to ease the surgical menopause I was thrown into. For my height (6 ft.) and frame, my breasts are on the small side. Each mammogram resulted in the technician requesting further pictures and sonograms, due to my "dense breast tissue" - a polite way of saying, "you have tiny breasts with NO fatty tissue."
Back to November - I felt a lump a little smaller than the size of a marble, which seemed to stay longer and hurt more than the usual lumps during my hormonal "swellings." They examined the lump, and decided we should aspirate - stick it with a needle and drain whatever is inside it. Nothing to worry about, right? That's what they said. Piece of cake, harmless, etc. I believed them.
December, 2010...
Being that this seemed very minor and routine, I went to this appointment alone. I arrived at the lab to have the lump aspirated, and was informed that they have already decided to perform a core needle biopsy instead, due to the suspicious nature of the lump. Now, let me tell you, my father has always suffered from a very high level of anxiety. I am, in many ways, my father's daughter! I have tried for years not to let anxiety control me, but right about now, I began to worry...
I wasn't given much time to worry, as they immediately put me on the table and started the biopsy only moments after telling me this lump was suspicious. Already starting to worry about the term "suspicious," I tried to remain calm, lighthearted, and cheerful. The biopsy wasn't too bad, but afterward, they couldn't stop the bleeding through the very small incision. I was lying there awake, watching 3 people press HARD on my left breast for over 20 minutes. The bleeding just wouldn't stop. By the time I got home, my chest hurt like I'd been tackled by a NFL player. I don't know about the rest of you, but this biopsy hurt more than all of the following procedures over the last year. It took a good two weeks for the constant soreness and pain to stop. I felt like a wimpy baby, so I tried not to talk about it much to my family and friends. That didn't stop me from thinking about it constantly.
I was told to wait 2 to 3 days for the results of the biopsy. My anxiety got the best of me, and I called the lab early on until the results were available for me to personally pick up. Normally, they ask you to wait and discuss the results with the doctor. I read it - "Intraductile Papilloma." Of course, I had no idea what that was, so I started researching it on the web. By the time I walked into my doctor's office for the follow-up, I knew all there was to know about the lump in my breast.
She told me that it was pretty bad, and that she needed to remove the area affected. This all happened rather quickly. She had me in the hospital within about a week, and I had it removed. The scar was very minimal, as she cut exactly on the outer rim of my areola. When it healed within about 2 weeks, it was VERY hard to see the scar at all.
I was so happy and relieved. I thought, "This is the end of it. I can relax and get on with my life now." :-)
WRONG...
No comments:
Post a Comment