"We have the results of your biopsy. You have Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. It's Stage 0 Breast Cancer." It took about three minutes to get past those words in my head. He kept talking, but I wasn't hearing it. And after he hung up, I got a call from a Breast Cancer Coordinator. I finally heard what she had to say and started to write things down. "Uh-huh, Stage 0, Lumpectomy, uh-huh, radiation, hmmm, uh-huh, Mastectomy...?"
I remember seeing the teensy spot on the screen. "This spot has changed slightly since your last mammogram nine months ago, so we will need to do a biopsy to determine if it's cancer." Okay, I thought. No big deal. That teensy spot had been there for about two years.
It started when I was 50. My sister, who doubles as my RN, called me with the standard message. "Keri, you are now 50, so you need to start getting your annual mammogram." Whatever. Not a big deal, until I got the first squeeze from that huge machine. That was rather uncomfortable. Yes, not a pleasant experience. They try to be as delicate as possible, but imagine your softest tissue being clamped in a vice, and they keep squeezing. Not fun. And then there's the, "oh, let's try that one again - it didn't come out as clear - hold your breath." Dang, I just wanted it over.
So 18 months ago, there was a calcification. "Let's keep an eye on it" they said. "Come in to see us in six months, and we'll do another mammogram." So nine months later, I went back, and the calcification was the same. Let's try another look in six more months. Okay, another nine months passed, but this time it grew. Very little, but significant enough for a biopsy.
Dr. S performed the biopsy on September 7th. That was a little scary. Not sure what to expect. But the women at the Cancer Treatment Center were very kind and caring, and made me feel very comfortable. Instructions were to strip from the waist up, and put on this really soft, nice kimono type robe. They lead me into this room with a table, tell me to get up there as gracefully as possible, and lay down and let my boob fall through the hole in the table. Really? So they do one more mammogram, and get me prepped for the procedure. This table rises into the air, and I'm about 5 feet off the ground. I'm unable to see anything but the kind face of one of the nurses to my left who has stepped up on a ladder of some sort. She stayed there, and just held my hand throughout the procedure. Except when they used the x-ray machine.
After about three minutes, they announce the arrival of Dr. S. The nurse tells me that she needs to give me a shot to freeze the area. She tells me it's going to burn, but will quickly go away, and then I won't feel a thing. She prepares me, and I hear her say "okay, we are going to insert the needle, and you will feel a little sting and a burning", and by the time she gets out the last word, I can't feel a thing. Thank God. I hate needles. But hate pain more.
So Dr. S does his thing, and takes out the sample tissue. He's sending it to the lab, and I should hear from him on Monday after 4PM. If I don't, he says to give him a call.
Well, that wasn't so hard. The cut was minor - a little over 1/4". A little bruise, but all in all, doing okay.
Well, the weekend took forever. And Monday just ticked, ticked, ticked away. By 4:00PM, no call. So, I called them. The woman who answered the phone seemed to know a secret, but wanted to let the doctor surprise me. So she took a message, and said Dr. S would be calling by 5:00PM. At 4:30PM, my husband Len had to leave for work. "Don't worry - I'll call you as soon as I hear something."
And, so I got the call. "We have the results of your biopsy. You have Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. It's Stage 0 Breast Cancer."
What happens next? More to follow, tomorrow.
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