Monday, April 27, 2009

Mammogram at 29??

So I was yet to really tell anyone about my appt on Monday except for the few people I came into contact with over the weekend, which didn't include my mother. I really didn't think much about it all weekend because the idea that I could have breast cancer was not in my plans nor even possible I thought.
Ok, the process isn't nearly as bad as everyone talks about. Yes, your boob is smashed in a vice for like 10 seconds, but that's it. They did the mammogram on both sides, paying special attention to the lump that I had felt. I was scheduled for the ultrasound after the mammogram. So I sat in the room wearing the short gown with the arms that were waaay too short for the lady who took the pictures to come tell me I could get dressed. When she returned to the room, she said "you don't need to have the ultrasound. The doctor just reviewed your films and whatever the lump is, it needs to come out." I couldn't believe what I was hearing! I instantly started crying because the thought that this could be something was a little more real. I was in total shock. The lady was very nice, she told me that the films would be sent to my family doctor who referred me immediately and to follow up with his office in the afternoon if I hadn't heard anything from him first. She asked me if I had a general surgeon that I preferred, which I didn't, so she gave me a couple names from a clinic in Dakota Dunes. She asked me if I was supposed to work today and I told her that I was, but I wasn't sure if I could given this news. She encouraged me to go, explaining that I would be missing more work for appts and the surgery that I was going to need. She was very sweet and I don't envy her job at all. I couldn't break that kind of news to anyone.
So I left the hospital, practically running out of there. I didn't really know what to do or where to go so I called my mom. I was hysterical on the phone the minute she answered and she knew something was wrong. I told her I had found the lump almost three weeks ago, had a mammogram just now and they told me it was abnormal and it needed to come out, so I was going to be having surgery! She was a little honked off at me that I hadn't told her to start, but I didn't think there was anything to tell! I didn't want to get anyone worked up over something that was nearly impossible in my mind.
I then called my sister and went home for a little bit to process some things in my head and hope that the redness and swelling from my face went away before I went back to work. That afternoon I called Dr. J's office and explained who I was and why I was calling. The nurse said she was transferring my call to the desk so she could look up my chart, I could her the tone of her voice change from 'business as usual' to a sadness, empathetic one. I knew at that point, something was very wrong. She set up my appt with the surgeon for two days later- happened to be at my mom's friend Kay's office where she works. Already hearing nothing but good things about this surgeon.

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