The Background

Wow!  First round of chemo is over and I am ready to share the back story of my cancer diagnosis.

In the spring of 2012 I found a lump, not a big deal but a lump.  I was going for my annual checkup in a few days so I decided to let the doctor give me some direction.  He wanted to send me for a mammogram and then ultrasound.

I dutifully showed up to the mammogram and ultrasound.  They asked all the questions about family history and my history during the appointment.  I knew at the time that my paternal-grandmother had died of cancer when my dad was in high-school.  I also knew that 2 of my dad's second cousins and successfully fought breast cancer years earlier, but no one asks about your 2nd cousins on medical history.  The appointment went as normal until the ultrasound.  The 1st technician called in a second technician and the two discussed me in quite as they worked the machine.  They left to find the radiologist and I lay their thinking "oh gosh, something must be wrong."  A few LONG minutes later the radiologist came back into the room.  He looked me in the eye and said "you have dense tissue".  I am sure there were some other words either before or after those but to me he said you have nothing to worry about.  I had four small children and I left that office with not a care in the world.  I WAS FINE!!

Fast forward 15 months......That lump just sat there and over time I noticed that I was more tender.  But, they told me I had dense tissue and maybe that is just the way it was going to be.

The beginning of November 2013 I noticed that the lymph nodes under my right arm (same side as the lump) were beginning to swell.  I am no doctor, but know enough to know that was not good.  Upon recommendation from my bestie I called my doctor back and asked to be referred to Wake Radiology.  I went for the second mammogram and ultrasound on Thursday, November 14th.

The wonderful radiologist came back into the room after the ultrasound and was very kind and stern at the same time.  She told me that she had sent the results of my tests back to my doctor and that she recommended that a biopsy be the next step.  She was very serious in her talk but also gave me that little unspoken nudge for me to know that this was serious.  That was Thursday afternoon around 3:30.

Life as normal went on the next day.  Kids off to school.  Me off to work.  Work all morning.....all along my phone ringing and ringing and ringing.  Surely this could wait a couple hours.  When I finally checked my messages it was my doctor calling for the 3rd time....from his cell phone.  He had called in a favor and took the liberty to schedule an appointment with a surgeon friend that afternoon at 1.  Could I make the appointment?  Sure, it was just down the road and I had 30 minutes to spare.

Jeff and I got to the surgeons office and I filled out the pile of paperwork for a new patient.  I walked into the office and the nurse told me that the doctor wanted to go ahead and to a biopsy.  Whoa!  Ok, I thought that would be fine....I guess.  The biopsy was not the most comfortable thing in the world, but a least we got the ball rolling before the weekend.  A follow up appointment was set for Wednesday afternoon the next week.

At some point over the weekend, I came to realize that when I went back into that office on Wednesday that the doctor was going to tell me that I had CANCER.  I had my brief moment and then decided that "It is what it is."  That would be my mantra that would get me through the next days of crazy appointments and doctors and big medical words.

I learned on Wednesday, November 20th that I did in fact have breast cancer.  And at best guess it was stage 3.  Looking back on that day, I thank God that he gave me the peace with hearing cancer before I actually heard cancer.  It gave me the clarity of mind to hear and understand all of the other things that the doctor told me after he said cancer.

The next day I had an appointment with another surgeon who I knew was the best (thanks again to my bestie Ashley Elmore for knowing who I needed to see to get the best care).  Dr. Tolnitch was the surgeon that I wanted to stick with and she worked her magic to get me in with the Dr. Yoffee, my oncologist.  According to several people from different business walks of life...I was now in the best hands.