When Life Throws a Curve…

If you want the skinny version, you can skip to the ========= below.  For the rest, here’s my story.

Many of you have heard that I had a biopsy procedure on Monday, and you have been praying for me.  I thank you for those prayers!  I consider it joy to have such a network of prayer warriors, and it is this fact that brings me comfort and peace in a tumultuous time.

As it looks like our lives will be taking a detour for the near future, I thought it might be good to start a blog on this particular category: Medical Curveballs.  Even if no one reads it, it will probably be therapeutic for me to write it.

A few years ago I had six biopsies, three in each breast.  They were all fluid-filled cysts, and as it turned out, nothing to worry about.  But this was different. I sensed it from the first time I noticed it.  The mass was solid, and it grew fast.

May 18th of this year I went in to have it checked out.  Some redness and soreness prompted me to do so.  At that time, a mammogram and ultrasound were performed.  It appeared that I had a cluster of cysts.  Nothing to be concerned about, but come back in six months just to be sure.

Fast forward to last week.  I went in for the follow-up ultrasound.  The ladies were ultra-nice.  They checked on me every five minutes (probably so I wouldn’t escape) while we waited for additional doctor’s orders.  The radiologist found something “suspicious” and asked for a biopsy.  A few more days of waiting, but a fairly quick turnaround.  As it turned out, the mass grew from “undetected” in May to about a 4 cm (golf ball sized) tumor this week.  Another 10 mm mass was on my lymph node.  The radiologist had a concerned look on his face when he came in to do the procedure.  He took two samples from each tumor, and said he would put a rush on the pathology report, even though it sometimes takes 10 days to come back.

The pathology report was returned today.  I was driving to the doctor’s office to have some additional blood drawn when my doctor called.  “I’m on my way to do that blood work you asked for,” I reported.  (I had been putting that one off.  I had some levels that came back abnormal for the first time in my life, and she had asked for a rerun to make sure it wasn’t a false positive.  That was pre-biopsy.)

“Oh, you’re on your way here?” she asked.

“Yes.”  I apologized for not doing the blood work right away.  She didn’t seem concerned about that.

“OK, then I would like to talk to you when you get here.  Please let the girls up front know I would like to meet with you when you arrive.”  She asked me to come in so we could talk for “a few minutes.”

Hmmm.  Sounds serious.  “Should I bring my husband?”

“Sure!” she said with a chipper voice, “he can come if you want!”  I was fairly certain since the previous golf ball conversation that this would not be good news, although one can always hope.  I turned around and picked up Tim, so we could receive the news together.

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The ladies up front didn’t even ask for my name.  They knew who I was.  They didn’t send me back for labs.  They went straight to the doctor to let her know I was there.  When your doctor’s assistants know who you are without even “knowing” you, you know it’s going to be bad news.

Sure enough, it’s breast cancer.  In the mass as well as in the lymph node.  About 8 out 10 women diagnosed with breast cancer have the same diagnosis as me: infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Hundreds of websites talk about stages, treatment, and more.  It’s a whirlwind of information out there and we’ve decided to trust my doctors.  There are some numbers on the pathology report which the oncologist will explain on Friday, and then we find out the stage.

A friend said shock is a good thing.  I agree.  I’m not sure if it’s shock, surprise, or just numbness, but overall I’m doing pretty well emotionally, in spite of a few tears here and there.  Please feel free to leave a comment with words of encouragement.  Prayers are support are always appreciated.

 

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