Thank you for joining me on my journey! It has only just begun and I have no idea how, when, or where it will end. It is my hope that by sharing my personal experiences it will offer encouragement to others faced with adversity. If just one of you is motivated to book your yearly exam or get that annual mammogram I have done some good.   Please know that these are my personal experiences. Every woman's diagnosis is very individualized and different. I am not giving medical advice, not suggesting treatment choices, and not recommending facilities or physicians. I believe to overcome an obstacle it sometimes takes a team effort and the support I have already recieved has been amazing!  The support is important but even more so is the power of prayer. My only request is that as you follow me and my family on this journey that you also keep us in your prayers!

Monday, January 23, 2012
The day started like any other Monday. I did laundry, emptied the dishwasher, answered messages etc.  I received a text stating our female basketball coach noticed I hadn't ordered a breast cancer T-shirt for the fundraiser game that was happening the next night. She was offering me an extra she had. I was thrilled she realized I had forgotten to order so spoke for the extra. Our Lady Bison were raising money for breast cancer awarenes and also honoring a player's mother who is currently fighting the fight. Tuesday was going to be an emotional evening!

In the afternoon I arrived at the local breast center for that nagging annual mammogram. I told my Face Book friends that I had a "pressing engagement" and I reminded all my female friends to get their mammograms scheduled  as they save lives! After a 45 min wait it was my turn.  In past years extra views and even ultrasound evaluation became standard procedure for me as there was a cyst in my right breast that was being monitored. I was finished with the every 6 month mammo routine and was back on the yearly diagnostic schedule.  Needless to say when they called me back for extra views I was not alarmed. It was the third time they requested views that I realized something wasn't right.  The radiologist spoke with me and clarified that the cyst in the right was stable, no worries.  It was the abnormal finding in the left breast that was sending up a red flag.

After comparing my prior films to the present views she explained the "red flag" as she called it. There were two areas in question, the formations of which were highly suggestive of ductal cell carcinoma.  She informed me a biopsy was needed to rule out cancer. I was a little taken aback but not yet alarmed. When she began explaining possible treatment options prior to a biopsy I knew she was relatively certain this was cancer.   That's when my head started spinning.  A new area, in the other breast not the one that had been so closely monitored, visible to my untrained eye, and in a suspicious formation-lots of cause for concern. Next I had to consider that I was scheduled to have my gallbladder out in three days!

My first question was could the biopsy be done at the same time as my surgery? My surgeon was next door so she immediately consulted him.  He said it would be too much on my body so I needed surgery, to heal for 2-3 weeks, then to have the biopsy.  Because I was so symptomatic, and because I had lost 6 pounds, I decided I needed to move forward with gallbladder surgery as planned.  Should I get bad news from the biopsy I would need to be able to eat properly and feel well before undergoing more treatment for another issue.  This proved to be a smart choice.

The radiologist was very caring and supportive and proceded to explain what to expect at my next  appointment- a stereotactic core biopsy. It was scheduled for Monday, February 13.

My mind was racing. When would my family all be together that I could tell them what was up, should I make this information public, what were my thoughts should this be positive, and of course... what the heck was I going to do for three weeks to keep my mind busy???

When I got home my family was rattled. I had changed their plans to call a family meeting. While I waited for everyone to arrive I went through the mail.  Hmmm my annual American Cancer Society pledge was staring at me. I got chills!  Then I remembered the prior T-shirt conversation. Oh boy!  I summoned my husband, both children and my sister, who is my healthcare representative, to tell them what I had learned. I shed a few tears and started moving forward with my plans to keep busy. My sister wanted to know if she should make ribbons with my name on them for the fundraiser the following night. I felt that wasn't needed as I didn't even know if I had cancer,  but  we did decide to share the news. My thought always immediately goes to the power of prayer. If my friends and family could be praying for me for three whole weeks then surely that would give me strength for whatever I might be facing.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Our Lady Bison showed their support for breast cancer victims by wearing pink headbands, pink and white socks, and by taking up donations thru the crowd. The moms and some teachers had a lovely table set up where ribbons could be obtained for a donation.  Balloons decorated the gym balcony and there were bake sale items. Poster boards were available to write names of those who lost the battle as well as those currenlty fighting it.  It was a very emotional evening for our player and her family as well as for me.  She knew her diagnosis, I was still waiting.  The girls raised over $2000 for the cause!  The evening was a success!

Thursday, January 26, 2012
The day for my gallbladder surgery had finally arrived. I couldn't wait to have it behind me but especially since I had bigger concerns down the road. I love my surgeon. He told me he saw my mammogram and that it could be cancer but it wasn't life threatening so to take one thing at a time. He even prayed with me before surgery. So awesome!  That was now behind me and I was on the road to recovery.

Time passed and I kept exceptionally busy.  I did some research but just didn't want to overdo or stress over it as I really didn't yet have a diagnosis.However I will be honest and say that I was just sure it was cancer.  It was so strange. I couldn't even pray about it myself because that meant I was thinking about it and I just didn't even want to until I had answers. No worries though, family and friends had prayers going up all around the country!

February 13, 2012
The day had finally arrived. I was at the center by 7:45 and within15 min we had hit a roadblock. Due to another health issue the Dr. wanted me to be pre-medicated with an antibiotic. Her staff had missed that on my paperwork. She assured me that I had waited long enough and she would perform the procedure that day but not until 1pm. Five more hours of waiting!  I got the antibiotic, did some shopping, had lunch and returned.

The whole process is rather uncomfortable. The patient is positioned on a table on their abdomen face down. There is an opening in the table that the breast fits through. Then the table is raised and the staff actually work under you. (There is another option in which the patient stands and places their breast in the opening. The horizontal table proved better for me)  It is imperative you remain motionless, only breathing is allowed in order to identify the proper co-ordinates and isolate the biopsy area. The breast is numbed and compression added. Next a  small incision was made and a large bore needle quickly punched out tissue injecting more numbing agent at the same time. I did my part, got a little nauseated but regrouped.  After prepping, numbing, and even inserting the needle the machine stopped taking photos.  They tried trouble shooting to no avail. We had to stop everything and I had to go wait in a room until the problem was solved. A loose connection, this had never happened before!  So we started completly over.

Finally all the pictures were taken and several biopsies were collected. A titanium marker was placed at the area where the biopsy was obtained so it could be used as future reference. Next I had to have another mammogram on the freshly biopsied breast to make sure they could identify that marker.  Finally I was done! They put me in a room with  feet elevated and cool cloth on my head because after all of this I was about ready to pass out. It was just too much for one day! Now started the wait I had really dreaded.  The radiologist was hoping for results by Fri but said it could possibly be Monday. I kept reminding myself patience is a virtue!!!