When My Journey Began

So, I thought I'd backtrack a bit and start at the beginning of this story called my cancer journey.  David always tells me I don't know how to tell the short version of a story, so if you find that I get too wordy, simply don't read everything I write :) 

In mid-September, 2012 I found one small lump in my right breast.  It's kind of ironic that I am quite a "do-er" in many aspects of my life, having an extensive "To Do" list most days.  However, for other aspects of my life, I can procrastinate like there's many, many tomorrows.  Unfortunately, my health is one of those areas.  I didn't call my GP for over 2 weeks.  She examined me, said the lump felt "moveable" - a good sign in her mind - and was no bigger than my baby finger nail.  No problem! Relief! Yes!  "Well," she continued, "we should get a look at it just to be safe." Rats!

I hadn't been a diligent 40+ woman who routinely had a mammogram every year or two, but I had had a mammogram in June of 2011 that was clear.  I was holding tightly onto that fact.

LESSON:  Don't hold on too tightly to a screening tool that is only 75% accurate.

On October 8, I headed off to Kamloops, one hour away, where I had a mammogram of both breasts and an ultrasound of the lump I had found.  Alarm bells started going off in my head when the ultrasound tech came back in the room wanting to ultrasound my armpit.  Note to self:  This is never a good sign!

I headed off alone to my GP's office on October 15 never imagining that I should have taken a "support person" with me.  

LESSON:  If you are going to receive any kind of results from a doctor, DON'T GO ALONE!!

My GP is a compassionate, caring woman with terrific bedside manner.  However ... NEVER before had she wheeled her chair over to my side and put her hand on my knee to deliver any kind of news.  More alarm bells!  Yes, I was given the news that the lump looked "very suspicious as being cancer" and further tests were ordered.

I had not previously known, or given any thought to the fact that a radiologist has a pretty good idea if he/she is looking at a cancerous lump simply by the conformation of the lump.  If a lump presents as a cyst filled with fluid, it is almost never cancer.  Cancerous lumps usually present as solid and have an irregular outline.  Most cancerous lumps have a taller-than-wide appearance and if a lump has these two characteristics -- irregular and taller-than-wide -- it is almost certainly cancer.  Apparently, this was the appearance of my tiny lump.

The next exciting  nerve-wracking part of my journey would be an MRI of both breasts and a biopsy of the lump.