Let's talk about boobs....
Let's talk about boobs and breast cancer shall we?
As many of you may know, I lost my mother to breast cancer when i was 16 years old. Losing my mom was hard, however, I had no idea that it was just the pre-game to what I would have to go through later on in life when I lost my first husband Rick to colon cancer while 5 months pregnant and expecting our daughter Abbey to be born. It goes without saying that when I was say "Fuck Cancer" - I truly mean it.
Fast forward if you will through countless years of dating and all of the trials and tribulations of being a single mother trying to raise a child and keep their head up high. I did pretty good and I will indeed pay myself on the back for that - Abbey is now in her senior year of high school and hopes to become a Chef and travel the world. I have often compared my earlier years after Rick died and before I married to that of a combination of Carrie Bradshaw and Erma Bombeck......
Now as a child of someone who has had cancer it's important to take care of yourself as well as get screened for things over the years; moles get special attention as well as any minor lump or otherwise that catches a doctor's worried eye.
If you are a daughter of a woman who has had breast cancer, however, you get to start having a mammogram at the age of 30 - YAY! This process is painful in that at the younger age of 30 your body and tissues are not fully developed and sometimes clear photos are hard to come by - but I endured the squeezing and pulling (even at one point with a DDD bust size, pre-breast reduction). Heck after doing this for almost 13 years I kind of feel like I was home free and clear.
All was clear...until last week.
Last week's routine mammogram started out like any other - getting into the little white robe and sitting in the waiting room with all of the other woman trying to NOT look panic-stricken. Watching some women come in and go out with ease and grace while watching other women getting called back in for additional photos (where the Radiology Technician comes back into the room and whispers to you and motions to come back with her.....we all dread that one). My mammogram visit was like all others, I had my photos taken, grabbed some lunch on the way home and was back to work all within about 2 hours. I always feel like a 'grown up' after I get this test done.....
The next morning the phone rang - they needed me to come back in for more photos.
Cold sweat.
This is it.
Follow up photos were done and magnifications were done - there was 'something' on the image.
After a quick consult with the on call radiologist I was quickly connected with both a surgeon and another doctor that was going to do a biopsy.
It was indeed the longest day of my life - no food was consumed and I cried all the tears I could make. There was no consoling me - years and years of healthy living and taking care of myself could not undo what genetics had in store for me. I had to face the music....
When I finally decided to climb out of bed the next morning I had to tackle this like any other thing I have done in my life - I was going to hit it head on. I told some friends about it who were very supportive and some had gone through similar - but they weren't me. The post-traumatic stress that I have following the death of my mother and first husband was working on overtime and I couldn't heed their comforts until I had my own results.
One week later - (TODAY) back at the Breast Center in Concord. Getting ready for my biopsy with the Chief Radiologist I felt like I was finally taking control of my feelings and I was going to 'own' this for whatever it was - good or bad.
As the testing started - images were taken and the doctor noticed that perhaps these spots were just under my skin and not within my breast tissue.
Calcification on the skin are benign.
Two hours later and a few too many squeezes of my breast -clean bill of health. No need for further follow up and all is clear.....as a matter of fact I may even go out for a run in the morning.
** Shameless work plug - all of the equipment used in the health center was made by HOLOGIC (a SOLIDWORKS Customer) Earl sat in the waiting room being the doting husband that he is...all the while truly fascinated to see products designed with our software helping to determine my health...puts it in perspective huh?
Not everyone ends up with the ending I have...many walk out of that room with the battle of their lives laid out ahead of them - I am truly blessed for my good fortunate and I will never ever take my health nor the need for screenings for granted - ever. Why am writing about it - because I need to get it out there and it's not something to share with a simple post to Facebook....it deserves more attention than that.
This evening we will go out for a nice steak and perhaps a few too many glasses of wine...
....it's been a long week...and one of the scariest of my life.
Oh.....and don't wait until October to be aware about breast cancer.....it's out there affecting lives every day.
My husband Earl and I both do things in support of cancer research and I'll continue to do my part....somehow knowing that the fundraising that is done is helping some mom find a cure so she can watch her kids grow up....
As many of you may know, I lost my mother to breast cancer when i was 16 years old. Losing my mom was hard, however, I had no idea that it was just the pre-game to what I would have to go through later on in life when I lost my first husband Rick to colon cancer while 5 months pregnant and expecting our daughter Abbey to be born. It goes without saying that when I was say "Fuck Cancer" - I truly mean it.
Fast forward if you will through countless years of dating and all of the trials and tribulations of being a single mother trying to raise a child and keep their head up high. I did pretty good and I will indeed pay myself on the back for that - Abbey is now in her senior year of high school and hopes to become a Chef and travel the world. I have often compared my earlier years after Rick died and before I married to that of a combination of Carrie Bradshaw and Erma Bombeck......
Now as a child of someone who has had cancer it's important to take care of yourself as well as get screened for things over the years; moles get special attention as well as any minor lump or otherwise that catches a doctor's worried eye. If you are a daughter of a woman who has had breast cancer, however, you get to start having a mammogram at the age of 30 - YAY! This process is painful in that at the younger age of 30 your body and tissues are not fully developed and sometimes clear photos are hard to come by - but I endured the squeezing and pulling (even at one point with a DDD bust size, pre-breast reduction). Heck after doing this for almost 13 years I kind of feel like I was home free and clear.
All was clear...until last week.
Last week's routine mammogram started out like any other - getting into the little white robe and sitting in the waiting room with all of the other woman trying to NOT look panic-stricken. Watching some women come in and go out with ease and grace while watching other women getting called back in for additional photos (where the Radiology Technician comes back into the room and whispers to you and motions to come back with her.....we all dread that one). My mammogram visit was like all others, I had my photos taken, grabbed some lunch on the way home and was back to work all within about 2 hours. I always feel like a 'grown up' after I get this test done.....
The next morning the phone rang - they needed me to come back in for more photos.
Cold sweat.
This is it.
Follow up photos were done and magnifications were done - there was 'something' on the image.
After a quick consult with the on call radiologist I was quickly connected with both a surgeon and another doctor that was going to do a biopsy.
It was indeed the longest day of my life - no food was consumed and I cried all the tears I could make. There was no consoling me - years and years of healthy living and taking care of myself could not undo what genetics had in store for me. I had to face the music....
When I finally decided to climb out of bed the next morning I had to tackle this like any other thing I have done in my life - I was going to hit it head on. I told some friends about it who were very supportive and some had gone through similar - but they weren't me. The post-traumatic stress that I have following the death of my mother and first husband was working on overtime and I couldn't heed their comforts until I had my own results.
One week later - (TODAY) back at the Breast Center in Concord. Getting ready for my biopsy with the Chief Radiologist I felt like I was finally taking control of my feelings and I was going to 'own' this for whatever it was - good or bad.
As the testing started - images were taken and the doctor noticed that perhaps these spots were just under my skin and not within my breast tissue.
Calcification on the skin are benign.
Two hours later and a few too many squeezes of my breast -clean bill of health. No need for further follow up and all is clear.....as a matter of fact I may even go out for a run in the morning.
** Shameless work plug - all of the equipment used in the health center was made by HOLOGIC (a SOLIDWORKS Customer) Earl sat in the waiting room being the doting husband that he is...all the while truly fascinated to see products designed with our software helping to determine my health...puts it in perspective huh?
Not everyone ends up with the ending I have...many walk out of that room with the battle of their lives laid out ahead of them - I am truly blessed for my good fortunate and I will never ever take my health nor the need for screenings for granted - ever. Why am writing about it - because I need to get it out there and it's not something to share with a simple post to Facebook....it deserves more attention than that.
This evening we will go out for a nice steak and perhaps a few too many glasses of wine...
....it's been a long week...and one of the scariest of my life.
My husband Earl and I both do things in support of cancer research and I'll continue to do my part....somehow knowing that the fundraising that is done is helping some mom find a cure so she can watch her kids grow up....
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