Discovering I Have Cancer

I was diagnosed with breast cancer just three days ago.  About two weeks prior to that I felt a lump about the size of a walnut.  I wasn't anxious to have it checked out because I just thought it was a cyst that developed before my cycle and was going to go away then.  I'm young, no symptoms cancer wasn't on my mind.  I was lovingly nudged by a few church friends and my husband to have it looked at just for peace of mind.   I reluctantly went because I didn't want to waste $25 for them to say it was a cyst.

Friday the 6th, I saw my gynocologist and she wanted further tests done just to rule anything out. Monday the 9th I had a mammogram and ultrasound.  (Side Note...what I am describing next is an account of the events.  I am by no means looking back and blaming anyone.)  During the mammogram, they needed another image taken of a specific area. From there I had an ultrasound where the radiologist seemed more concerned about a very small spot they detected than the large lump.  She was pretty certain it was all just fat necrosis but wanted to biopsy the small spot just to be sure.  While doing the biopsy, which really wasn't that painful, she took five samples from that area and still felt like it was fat necrosis based on the look of it.  I received a phone call from her the morning of Wednesday the 11th.  I could tell in her voice that she was stunned by the diagnosis.  I was shocked but not alarmed because I knew it was really small.  She wanted to now biopsy the lump.  I went in the same day and a different radiologist biopsied the lump.  I tried to get some information from her about the pathology results of the small area.  I was told some things but all the terminology was foreign to me so I still wasn't alarmed because she seemed to downplay it to possibly not scare me but she doesn't understand that I am a minimizer and I will not be alarmed unless they tell or show me to be.  Anyway, (I hope there is not a word cap on one post) I didn't get much out of her as she took 5 more samples from the lump.  I couldn't read anything from her or the stenographer so still all good.

Friday the 13th, I was very anxious to get a phone call to hear that it was nothing.  Well, I was shocked once more.  When she told me the news I was once again in shock.  (I do have to credit the radiologists for their quick delivery of the news and feel sad for them to have to give such news.)  When I got off the phone, I broke down and started to hyperventilate.  By the way, all this was happening at work.  My co-workers were right there for me.  I think I scared them because they have never seen me break down before.  I have a wonderful boss who is concerned about my well-being and asked my two co-workers to drive me home to be with John.

I neglected to mention how I told my husband each time.  I had to do it over the phone while we both were at work.  The first diagnosis I think really caught him off guard and was stunned.  I can not speak for him, so not sure what was going through his mind.  When I called him with the second diagnosis, he heard it in my voice and wanted to be with me as soon as he could.  He is something special as you will learn.

Your not getting a lot of feelings right now because really it is all shock. But just wait.


I meet with a breast surgeon on the 26th to determine next steps.  Stay tuned.