Here's What Happened.....Part 7

The official diagnosis came three days later, on Monday. I invited my sister to come along with Walker and me, since she understands medical terminology and she had been more or less housebound after shoulder surgery a couple weeks before.

If Dr S hadn't already told me, I would have figured out the diagnosis pretty damn quick. For one thing, the nurse that led our little group to the treatment room gave me a card with all her contact numbers and told me she would be my resource for the next few months and to feel free to call her for any reason at all. I don't think she does that for everyone. Then again, maybe she does. I guess I could have my sister call and ask her to stop by with a quart of milk and see what happens.

Dr C came in next. She was very solemn, of course, as she held my pathology report vertically so I couldn't sneak a peek. When she told me she was ready to share the diagnosis with me I let her off the hook, explaining that Dr S had already told me. I really just wanted to get into the "what's next" discussion. Gotta have that plan, ya know.

The good news is, the tumor is small, about 1 centimeter by 1.7 centimeters. It is grade 2, which is not terribly aggressive, and is considered highly curable. The bad news, at least from where I was sitting, was that Dr C wanted to do a few more tests. Including an MRI. Two years ago, after spending upwards of fourteen hours in an MRI machine, I promised myself I would never, ever do that again. Guess I lied.

Dr C also wanted to run a chest Xray, blood work, and a test for the BRCA gene, to determine the likelihood of the cancer recurring after treatment. This test takes a couple weeks to come back. For the moment, the treatment plan was to just sit and wait for those results. Waiting patiently is not my strongest skill.

And Now, Back to our Story....Part 5

Hearing the words. "You have cancer" didn't hit me the way I think most people would expect. I didn't cry, I didn't get lost in a fog. When I looked over at Walker, his stunned expression broke my heart. Dr S offered a choice of having the biopsy right then or after the weekend. For myself, I requested an immediate biopsy. Walker went back across the hall while the procedure was done. I left with an ice pack in my bra and a handful of appointment cards.

Since the appointment had gone so late, Walker and I decided to swing through the Mc Donald's drive through on the way home. I didn't have much time before I had to leave for work. At home, I fed most of my cheeseburger to the dogs and the cat. I wasn't really hungry, and I had to get over to my mom's. I really wanted to tell her what was going on, so as soon as we finished eating I leashed Lily and off we went.

Diva answered the door at my mom's. I wasn't expecting her. I hugged her carefully with my right arm while hiding the bulging ice pack with my left. My mom was on the phone in her room. I sat, heart pounding, until I heard her hang up, then I asked Diva to take Lily outside so I could talk to my mom alone.

My mom used to be a nurse. She doesn't freak out in a crisis but I still dreaded telling her. In the end, I just jumped in: "I went to the doctor today. She says I have cancer." My mom looked at me for a minute, I'm sure noting the ice pack. She asked, "In your boobs?" "Yes." "Oh, crap!" And that was it, pretty much. I explained to her that the biopsy wasn't back yet, but that Dr S was certain of the results. She told me about a few friends of hers who are survivors. Ten minutes after I got there, Lily and I went home, just in time to head to the office.

Here's What Happened.....Part 4

My radiologist....what I can I say about Dr S? Her passion for womens' health was evident immediately. I had met her once before ~ last summer, when I was recovering from my hysterectomy, she performed a test at my follow up exam. Then, she struck me as very confident, very knowledgeable, and with a terrific sense of style. I know, I shouldn't be concerned with my doctor's wardrobe but this is a fairly small city. We are definitely shopping challenged around here, at least in my price range. I was laying on the exam table in a very unflattering and uncomfortable position when she breezed in and my first thought was, I wonder where she shops? Yeah, I know. I need help.

So anyway, this time around Dr S came into the ultrasound room and immediately the tech became visibly nervous. While I wouldn't want to work for an intimidating boss, I would totally choose one to lead my team. Dr S took a quick look at the ultrasound screen, directing the tech toward the areas she wanted a closer look at. After just a few minutes she asked if that man waiting alone across the hall was with me, then sent the tech to bring him in.

While we were waiting for Walker, Dr S asked me when he'd had his stroke. To me, Walker's stroke isn't immediately evident unless he's really tired. Since he was sitting in a chair reading a magazine I had to wonder what Dr S had noticed, but I just answered her question and we moved on. By that time, I had a pretty good idea that Dr S had something to say. The official reason for getting Walker was that she wanted to make sure that he knew my appointment would be a drawn out affair, but I knew that if everything had checked out I would have been released after the ultrasound. Something was definitely up.

One of the things that I really appreciate about Dr S is her directness. As soon as I introduced Walker, Dr S looked me right in the eye and said, "There is an area of concern on your films that I need to biopsy, but I can tell you right now, with thirty years of experience, that I know the answer without the biopsy. It is cancer. You have cancer."