These days we rarely all 4 end up in the same city, but the stars aligned for Mother's Day and it happened. Had the BEST time. And my bestie Seemay ended the night by copping a feel on Lefty. I'm telling y'all. Lefty is still my best asset. Especially after 5-6 bottles of wine. OK. Maybe 7. HA.
Speaking of Lefty, she had another eventful week at the Kinchen House...had some symptoms my docs were a little worried about (if it were any of you other ladies out there with the same things going on, wouldn't be a big deal, but because I am who I am, we take these things very seriously).
So, had an unexpected visit with my surgeon, Dr. Bob. At my last visit with Dr. Bob, he told me that he was firing himself and never wanted to see me again. But I'm like a stalker girlfriend that just won't take a hint (or a straight up request to quit coming to see him). I. just. had. to. get. my. hands. on. an. ultrasound. ASAP. And I knew where to find one...ha! Gosh y'all, I'm kidding. I'm not a vigilante doctor stalker (well, kind of, but this time I wasn't). Dr. Jim called Dr. Bob and they decided that I should see Dr. Bob right away :) BONUS...my 5th breast exam in 5 weeks...I would say that I am being very very closely monitored by my team whether it's on their terms or not.
Long story short, he sent me to a special breast imaging center where I had another 3D mammogram of Lefty and they added on a special visit with a radiologist to do an ultrasound on that pesky little lump we've had a benign biopsy almost exactly a year ago just to be safe. Kind of lucky (the reason I'm lucky is not very cool), that when I have imaging done, I don't have to wait for days or weeks for a call or letter in the mail. They let me know right then and there whether or not there is something of concern.
First, the paperwork is just not the same anymore. I used to be able to check 'NO' all the way down forms. Now there are a lot of 'YES's' and dates to remember. Second, mammogram (which y'all know is really low on my totem pole of things to do on a Friday afternoon, or really any time of the day, any day). Third, what I like to call Mammogram Purgatory...where you have to wait in a room in a gown for someone to come back and tell you if you need more imaging or if you can get dressed and go home. Third and final stop, the extra special ultrasound room where they take special people for more extensive imaging. That's where I got the good news...
Both my mammogram and ultrasound were negative. YAY!
I'm feeling pretty victorious with this round of appointments because I DID NOT CRY. Didn't tear up. Wasn't holding anything back. I didn't cry when Dr. Jim told me that because of my history, we have to take every little thing seriously because it's possible that there could be a malignancy. I didn't cry when my surgeon reminded me that I'm the only patient he's had in 25 years who has advanced during chemo treatment. I didn't cry when I read on the copy of my previous mammogram that I had a history of breast cancer at 32 and right breast mastectomy (well, for some reason, this of all things might have got me a little misty). I didn't cry when I had to tell the lady at the front desk that they had ordered me a bilateral (both side) mammogram and I only had one side that could be 'mammogrammed' (but I did crack up when she said, 'oh, left, right?' and I was like 'huh?' and she said it again and then I just perched my little left breast on the counter and said, 'this is all I've got left lady.') I didn't cry when the tech at the imaging center, not reading my full history, started tearing up when she discovered that I was a breast cancer survivor at 33 years old (p.s. I have had multiple professionals in the medical community cry or inappropriately hug me when I tell them pieces of what we've been through this year! NOT cool! Shouldn't they be used to this kind of thing? I don't want to be the person that they see all day that makes them cry...in a freaking breast imaging center!!). I didn't even tear up when the ultrasound tech asked if I was going to have more kids. Not a drop when the radiologist tilted the ultrasound screen towards me to see. I'm not going to lie. I am terrified of those screens. I can still see the big black odd shaped blob that was the tumor in my breast. It's one of the scariest things in the world to me. Worse than a bird landing on my shoulder...I held it together ALL DANG WEEK. Without wine...well, now that I'm thinking about it, I did have a well deserved margarita on Monday after my surgeon appointment...HA!
And after getting the 'all clear' results, I wasn't fast walking back to my car in the parking lot holding back tears until I got in by myself to open the flood gates and bawl my eyes out. I was fine. I thanked the radiologist (who also happened to be a breast cancer survivor) for her extra special time with me and walked on out to my car with my head (and little left booby) held high and thanked God for another amazing day.
And that's it.
And I know, as I've said before. This will be the rest of my life. I can't change my 'history.' I'm thankful for my doctors who take all concerns seriously (at least for now...one day they all might seriously fire themselves and not answer any of my phone calls. HA!).
We will keep on keeping on here at the Kinchen House. Although it was a bit of an emotionally stressful weekend with Dad traveling and me thinking about having a ticking time bomb in Lefty, Austin was definitely NOT letting up on his 3 year old tendencies. Which is why I cannot tell you how thankful I am for him. We met Uncle Robert for lunch and this is how we spent our meal together because he had a really bad case of the CRABS. Yes, I left him there. I was HUNGRY.
Super excited for one of my old co-worker's (well, she's not old, but I worked with her a long time ago) wedding this weekend! Another example of what a difference a year can make!!
WIN THE DAY (even if everyone fires themselves off your payroll)!
Love
Jenn
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.