Nothing in my head. Went hours today without thinking about Lumpy which made me happy.
Best thing about today? Spending it with my Jimmy.
Yep, you read that right…I’ve found that there really are benefits to having cancer! Here is a list that I just brainstormed off the top of my head in less than 10 minutes. If I wasn’t at work, I could go on even longer!
First: My husband and I have yet another reason to work together as a team and to realize how much we like and love each other.
Second: I’ve found out how many people I actually know. Some are people I’ve met along my life journey in person, and some are virtual friends. Some are family related by blood and some are family related by friendship bonds. Regardless, I am a truly blessed person. Every single person I know has been nothing but supportive, caring, and open. For example, I’ve asked over 200 people not to talk about this on Facebook and no one has even so much as mentioned it. C’mon, now that’s friendship!
Third: I’m lucky. I have a small, easily operable cancer. Mine is treatable and curable. In this 9 day journey, I’ve heard so many stories of cancer and other evil diseases. Some have happy endings and some don’t. It’s easy for me to be positive when I have such a great prognosis.
Fourth: Modern medicine is truly a miracle and getting better each day. This is NOT the diagnosis it would have been 20, 10, or even 5 years ago. And my medical team is beyond amazing.
Fifth: Priorities become very clear when you have the word “Cancer” appended to your name. It works like this: What do I value more – A spotless living room or surviving cancer? I’ll take survival every day. Husband picking up socks or surviving cancer? Getting irritated at an email or surviving cancer?
Sixth: My family. They call and stay involved but aren’t overbearing. They listen to me and my wants/needs and respond appropriately. They love me and I love them.
Seventh: Having cancer has made me realize that I do NOT have to be happy and upbeat and positive all the time. I can have good days and bad days. What I do have the responsibility for is to realize when the bad days are becoming overwhelming and to take action before depression sets in.
Eighth: My job and co-workers. Their mantra to me? “Focus on getting better. We’ll cover you here at work. Come in when you can, and rest when you need to. You are more important than any job.”
Yes, hearing the word Cancer applied to me scared me. And yes, I have a healthy respect and fear of this awful disease. But so far the good things I’ve gotten from this diagnosis have outweighed all of the negatives.
I’m all good.
Honest.
I found out about my cancer 1 week, 1 day and 3 hours ago.
A lot of people have asked me how I discovered my cancer. And that is the focus of this post.
When I moved out here to California, I got a nasty cough that just wouldn’t go away. So I went to an Urgent Care clinic where they took my blood pressure…which was off the charts. I’m talking something along the lines of 160/100. Really bad.
I told my mom about the blood pressure and that was when the calls started. “When are you going to get a physical?” “High blood pressure is nothing to fool around with; when are you going to get a physical?” This went on from November to March, when I made an appointment for a physical.
At the physical, the doctor asked if I wanted to do the pap smear stuff. I really didn’t want to, but thought to myself, “Self, as long as you’re here, go for it.”
That doctor found the lump and prescribed a rush mammogram and ultrasound for me.
I was scheduled to go out of town for work the next week, so I did.
I took the morning off of work to go get my mammogram and ultrasound. They were immediately analyzed by a doctor who wasn’t comfortable with what she was seeing. She told me that I needed to get a biopsy to determine what, exactly, this lump was. She told me the procedure only takes about 20 minutes, so I did it right then and there.
And then I went back to work.
I was stressed out, and I couldn’t face being at work all day wondering what was going on, so I took the day off.
I carried both of my cell phones obsessively all day (my work and personal cells) because the doctor’s office had both numbers but nothing ever rang. At 3:30 in the afternoon, I saw that I had a missed call and a voicemail. It was the doctor’s office asking me to call back about the results of my tests. Right then and there I knew what it was. If it was good news, they would’ve said “Great news, it’s benign.”
So that is how I got diagnosed with my Breast Cancer.
If my mom hadn’t hounded me to get a physical, I would have no idea what was happening in my body.
If my doctor hadn’t done an extremely thorough breast exam, I would have no idea what was happening in my body.
If the mammogram/ultrasound doctor hadn’t offered to perform a biopsy right then and there, I would have no idea what was happening in my body.
Today I had an MRI. Great news…Lumpy is a rogue clump!
I’m still upbeat and happy…is this wrong? I’m still waiting for the fear and sadness, but it just isn’t coming.
It appears that I may be CURED of this cancer without having to go through chemo! And my lumpectomy is basically an outpatient surgery.
My high blood pressure is actually more deadly to me than this cancer. And that is truly amazing to me. Thank goodness for all of the advances in cancer.
So, please get a mammogram and do your self exams. What are you feeling for? Something hard like a little pebble or something squisjy
I have decided to name my cancer Lumpy (short for Lumpina).
Tree of Learning 