The dreaded phone call

It was a "normal" Tuesday morning for me at work.... busy getting patients ready to see the doctor, changing dressings, faxing orders to the patients' various home health agencies, ect, ect...... I was "normal" until my cell phone rang while I was sitting at the nurse's station. My co-workers and I were laughing and joking and just enjoying the unusally light morning schedule, then I answered the phone.

I recognized the number on caller ID, it was my OB/GYN's phone.  On the other end was his nurse, informing me that my right breast biopsy results were finally here.  It was......... Mammary Adenocarcinoma, lobular type.  "WHAT????? You mean I have breast cancer??????"  I wrote it down so I could remember exactly what she said, Mammary Adenocarcinoma, lobular type. 

My friend, Val, saw it and picked up the paper and showed it to our clinical co-ordinator.  The next thing I knew, I was in the break room, wondering what I am going to do next. Which doctor to see first, my OB/GYN? A surgeon?  An oncologist?  My primary doctor?  I needed answers to questions and I wanted them NOW!

 I have NEVER been the patient person, I just can't be when it comes to something like Cancer.  But when it comes to cancer, you can't help but be patient. 

Let me go to the beginning of this strange journey.  I was getting ready for work one morning, showering, washing my hair, ya know, all the things we girls go thru to get ready to go to work.  I was lathering up, and since it was time, I went ahead and did my monthly self-breast exam.  I felt something in my right breast, in the 10 o'clock position.  Strange.  Let's try that again, still there.  This was at the end of September. I got to work that morning and told my clinical co-ordinator about finding a lump and she wanted to know if I had called my doctor yet, it was only 7:45 AM, doctor's office not open, I told her. 

About 8:30 that morning I called the doctor and his nurse set me up for a "Diagnostic Mammorgram and Ultrasound" if needed.  The first available appointment wasn't until 2 weeks away.  When I did have the mammogram and ultrasound (I needed it), I was informed by the radiologist that the area was "suspicious" and he recommended biopsy of the area.  He would send the results to my doctor and their office would contact me about setting up the biopsy.

The morning of October 19, 2010, my mother took me for the procedure then brought me home so I could become friends with the ice pack I was given to keep the swelling and bruising down and all was right with the world.

October 26, 2010 is a date which will now live forever in my brain.  BREAST CANCER!