My last post was over a year ago. It's amazing what can happen in a year! I sold a house, bought a new one, and am in the process of moving into it. My favorite city continues to grow in leaps and bounds, almost to the point of it getting too expensive to continue living here. Still, most areas of my life are just routine. That is until this past August when I went in for a follow-up to a routine mammogram.
Now, let's be honest, women, we hate those appointments!! They are uncomfortable, they hurt, and I like to say the person running the machine thinks she's popping a huge zit! NOOOO!!! IT'S MY BOOB!!! Sorry - I really hate mammograms...well, until this year.
I had gone for a routine mammogram, you know, the ones were suppose to take every couple of years, and manage to wait an extra year or two, or five.... Anyway, a small spot showed up on my right breast, but radiologist just figured it was calcium build-up; "however, come back in about 8 months to recheck it." Eh - really? Naw, I'm ok. Calcium isn't cancer. Eight months later I get a call from my OB/GYN nurse: "Deborah, you're on the naughty list! We need you to reschedule for your follow-up mammogram."
"Aw, really?? I hate that thing!"
"Yeah, I know; every woman does. But let's just get it done so we can get you off of our naughty list." Now if I didn't like Nurse Lourdes so much (she is a great nurse), I would have blown her off. But she made the appointment for me, and, like a good patient, I acquiesced to her prodding. I showed up for my appointment, and braced myself for the pain and torture of the machine. Well, actually, this time the technician must have figured correctly that my nipple is not the head of a zit, and to me she made the experience so much less painful. After the process she had me take a seat in the waiting room, just to be sure they got all the pictures they needed, and that I didn't make a strange move - like breathing. Well, one shot didn't turn out right so I had to return to retake that shot. She was still very gentle with her technique. Again she returned me outside to make sure the new shots were fine. Well, they were fine...too fine. I was called to get a sonogram of my left breast. Ummmm - why?? I was ushered into the sonogram room.
Now hold up - let me interject something here. When I have had mammograms, I can't say I'm comfortable with others maneuvering my breast in ways that aren't natural - it's like slapping a slab of beef on a surface for chopping. WHOMP!! But I digress; So as I was stating, I was ushered into the sonogram room. As I lied on the table a new tech directed the sonogram over a particular area on my left breast - NOT EVEN THE RIGHT ONE!!! - and started measuring a mass that was detected during the mammogram. A few minutes later the radiologist walked in and looked at the sonogram and measurement and remarked - "yeah, looks like a tumor mass. Ms. Martinez, we need to schedule you for a biopsy. Looks as though we have found something that doesn't look too good. But we want to make sure what we're looking at." Ummmm... huh???
I decided to keep my news a secret. Why worry anyone until it was necessary? My biopsy was scheduled, and performed. During the procedure I asked the radiologist if he thought it was cancer. "Honestly, with its placement, its speed of growth, it is highly probable that it is cancerous. But we will check to be sure." A couple of days later I received "the call" from my OB/GYN who verified - "Debbie, we seem to have a little cancer. Let's take care of this as quickly as possible." After getting off the phone with him, I think it was the first time I cried. Just a bit. I was, after all, at work, and I had three hours left of the day. So I braced myself and returned to my desk. And then I quickly got up and walked back to the bathroom and broke down. Let's face it, nobody wants to hear that they have the big C. Include me in that group if you would, please!
Well, the next several weeks were a quick blur. I did schedule a few days off and headed to Northern California area - specifically Big Sur. It was sooo beautiful and soothing. It allowed me to just prepare myself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for the journey I was about to take. After returning I met with a Oncology surgeon, and because I made the decision to remove the whole breast I also met with a Breast Reconstruction Surgeon.
Interjection time: a woman that I work with just recently went through breast cancer surgery, a later lymph node removal surgery (cancer), and chemo. She told me "give up on the idea of modesty; you will be flashing the 'girls' at lots and lots of people." She wasn't kidding! And I hadn't even had surgery yet! Those puppies were being looked at, prodded, felt up more than they had been - EVER!! - and sadly for no one's pleasure (at least I think to no one's pleasure - hehehehehe). Surgery was schedule, and performed. Thankfully, I am currently on the road to recovery. I have had a great support system with my aunt, a few friends, and my brothers. My co-workers have been great in bringing me food, and checking on me. I think they are afraid I may starve. Not a chance! My doctors have been spectacular! I remember the reconstruction surgeon coming to check on my early the morning after surgery. I told him a friend of mine said I looked good for just going to surgery. He said, "Deborah, you look like a rock star!" I have a new best friend, and my rock star!!!
Thankfully, no other cancer cells were found in the remainder of the tissue, nor was it found in tissue taken from my right breast. I am a most fortunate lady!
Because my nurse cared enough to get me scheduled for a follow-up mammogram, and getting me off the "naughty list", my cancer was found quickly. It was a fast grower, but it was small enough that I get to forego chemo! Mine was fed on estrogen, so since I stopped taking it prior to surgery, it started starving the cells. I most likely will have to take anti-estrogen pills, but hey - it's better than the alternative!!
This little journey taught me something; keep up with my routine exams!! What if I had just blown it off for another several months, if not years - even one year? I didn't feel anything on my breast, and yet a tumor was growing. Had I waited even a year most likely the cancer would have spread to my lymph nodes, and possibly to the other breast. And instead of Stage 1, it would have progressed to a much more dangerous stage, and Lord knows what else would have happened. Not only would I have had to do chemo, but radiation too. I probably would not be upset about losing my hair, but I really like my eyelashes. I'd sure hate to lose those!, and had I waited, those would have been gone.
This was a wake up call for me. First and foremost, I need to take better care of myself. There's only one me. These routine appointments are important, no matter how routine they may be. Next, I need to be grateful for every day that I live. God has granted me life on this earth, and I should be thankful to Him for this life no matter the little journeys I have to take. It's funny, I look over several issues that I've had to deal with over the years. Many of these issues were resolved just by going through this surgery. I had this little "Dunlap" tire under my belly from previous surgeries that I could not get rid of. Not only that, my lower back has bothered me for years because that little "Dunlap" could not be tightened - the muscles had been cut too often to allow them to tighten again. Well, guess what? That silly "Dunlap" was used to recreate a new breast! My "rock star" reconstruction dr. also tighten that muscle, and in essence gave me a tummy tuck!! And I didn't have to pay for it!!
So in conclusion; women - GET YOUR MAMMOGRAMS!! The short amount of pain is far better than the alternative. Never underestimate God's plans and designs. I would never have thought that my Dunlap could be used to recreate - and yet it was! What's ironic - my reconstruction doctor was perfecting his skill of reconstructing breast from the stomach tissue at the same time I had my initial surgery. Who would have thought that our lives would cross paths some 18 years later, and that he would make this lady feel like a million bucks early on a Saturday morning - the day after a life altering surgery? Oh How Life can be sooo Beautiful!!
