Where were You When........
My day was May 8th 2009... I was at work walking down an isle.(I work for a large home improvement warehouse)... My company wireless phone rang in my pocket and I answered with the usual greeting... The voice on the other end said "Hi this is Dr. M" I froze in my footsteps and dropped a file I was carrying..She went on.. "I'm sorry Calleen but YES you do have Cancer" She kept talking after that but I didn't hear a WORD she said...I immediately started crying and sorta jogged my way up front to our Human Resource office shut her door and burst into tears!!! It took me a few minutes to compose myself and when I could talk I explained to the HR gal what was wrong she of course understood my distress... I took the rest of the day off and went to my youngest Daughters house for comfort (she's been my rock).... NOTE:(My Daughter is also a Cancer Survivor. She's had Tyroid Cancer 2 times and is now 4 yrs dancing with NED)..
I know not all of you will feel comfortable sharing but I wanted to share my story with you...
BIG HUGZ...Calleen
Comments
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It was July the 6th this
It was July the 6th this year. I was on my way back from my son's with my grandson who is 11. We wanted to stop at Kohls. As I was about to turn into the entrance of the parking lot, a motorcycle came seemingly from out of nowhere ran head-on into my car! He landed on my windshield, I can still have visions of his face on my windshield. I go home, police car drove us home. I'm on the phone with my INS company, I get a "call-waiting beep" Here it was the Breast Center telling me I had an abnormal screening of my Rt breast. I had to call them back. I set up an appointment to go back that Friday. They told me then it was porbably cancer. I had to have a biopsy, did that the following friday. the next Monday, my PCP told me it was IDC. She then faxed a referral to the Dr. I had chosen if I had cancer. I did my research and liked what I saw about this Dr. He has also done research on breast cancer vaccine.I heard he was the best, I wanted him. I met with him that friday. He reassured me we were catching this early, i had my surgery the following Thursday the 30th. So, July for me was the month from HELL.0 -
Happy Birthday Calleen
Hope you are having a great day.
I had the first mammogram April 8 and on May 12 was given the news. What a long wait it was.
For me it was the fear of hearing that I did not have cancer when I knew otherwise. I was so afraid I would be told it was "nothing" and it would continue to grow. So when I saw the surgeon and she gave me the news, I was almost releived. This meant we were moving forward with a plan.0 -
I found a lump in my breast
I found a lump in my breast in March of 2003...it was huge, and there was no ignoring it. It was as if almost overnight a big walnut took up residence under the skin of my right breast. I called my sister in law who is a Chemo RN, and of course she encouraged me to call my Dr. I think the Dr saw me the next day. It was so palpable that she immediately sent me to radiology for an untrasound, and while there I was told that the untrasound was NOT to rule cancer out, but to have a better idea of how large a cancer I had. So, I didn't have to wait for a phone call~ I met the surgeon that same day and had surgery 10 days later.
Chen♥0 -
May 20, 2009
Wednesday May 20th at 2:10 in the after noon, I was at work and my cell phone rang... I had the excisional biopsy on the 18th of May... As soon as I heard the surgeons voice I knew... I don't know why they think that immediately upon hearing their voice we won't know that the news isn't good... if it's good the nurse is always the one to call... Lumpectomy that turned into a partial mastectomy June 9th... and the see-saw ever since...0 -
Where?
This is embarrassing, but I feel I know you ladies well enough for you to see the humor - On September 27, 2008 I was buck naked, sitting on the john getting ready for bed (not a pretty picture at all!) I ran my hands down my breasts, just absent mindedly when I felt the lump in my right breast. My Mom was visiting and I went to her and asked her to feel it. The first thing she said was - get a mammogram. That was on a Saturday night - Monday afternoon I was at the PCP and Tuesday the mammogram. Back to the PCP who referred me to the surgeon who recommended the biopsy, which was done and surgery was scheduled on October 13. I remember sitting in the surgeon's office and the icy hot feeling in my stomach when he showed me the word "carcinoma", Stage 1. As bad as I felt, I'll never forget my 87 year old Mother silently crying and wishing it were her instead of me. The surgeon went to her and talked so soothingly to her. I didn't break down until I was in the waiting room - I was the last patient that day, and when I saw the look in the eyes of the ladies behind the counter, I totally lost it. They came around and held me and gave the usual soothing words. Then I stopped and said that was it. No more crying, I had a disease that I would not let get me. I had too much to do just treating it and fighting it besides taking care of my Mom who is almost blind, and my job and house. I didn't cry much at the start, sometimes I'd cry in bed at night, but I wouldn't let anyone see me cry. When I was finishing treatments I took my camera to each doctor's office and took pictures for my journal. I took a picture of the end of the table I was sitting on in the exam room - that was where I was sitting when he told me. I know that is silly, but it shows me how far I've come since October.
Thank you for starting this thread. It made me put into words what's been in my head.
Blessings on all of us!
Pat0 -
HAPPY BIRTHDAYpadee6339 said:Where?
This is embarrassing, but I feel I know you ladies well enough for you to see the humor - On September 27, 2008 I was buck naked, sitting on the john getting ready for bed (not a pretty picture at all!) I ran my hands down my breasts, just absent mindedly when I felt the lump in my right breast. My Mom was visiting and I went to her and asked her to feel it. The first thing she said was - get a mammogram. That was on a Saturday night - Monday afternoon I was at the PCP and Tuesday the mammogram. Back to the PCP who referred me to the surgeon who recommended the biopsy, which was done and surgery was scheduled on October 13. I remember sitting in the surgeon's office and the icy hot feeling in my stomach when he showed me the word "carcinoma", Stage 1. As bad as I felt, I'll never forget my 87 year old Mother silently crying and wishing it were her instead of me. The surgeon went to her and talked so soothingly to her. I didn't break down until I was in the waiting room - I was the last patient that day, and when I saw the look in the eyes of the ladies behind the counter, I totally lost it. They came around and held me and gave the usual soothing words. Then I stopped and said that was it. No more crying, I had a disease that I would not let get me. I had too much to do just treating it and fighting it besides taking care of my Mom who is almost blind, and my job and house. I didn't cry much at the start, sometimes I'd cry in bed at night, but I wouldn't let anyone see me cry. When I was finishing treatments I took my camera to each doctor's office and took pictures for my journal. I took a picture of the end of the table I was sitting on in the exam room - that was where I was sitting when he told me. I know that is silly, but it shows me how far I've come since October.
Thank you for starting this thread. It made me put into words what's been in my head.
Blessings on all of us!
Pat
TO YOU,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR CALLEEN
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
..............AND MANY MANY MANY MORE!!!!
Hugs and Best Wishes -
Pat0 -
Okay,
I was going to wait because I have housework calling my name,but....
I found out in the recovery room in the hospital after my lumpectomy. My surgeon came back after I had woken and told me it was cancer.She said that she could see it while she was cutting!She is an awesome surgeon-she works hand in hand with both of my oncs and had set me up with appointments for both of them while I was still in the recovery room!!
I wish doctors wouldn't call patients with news like that. I think they should have their patients come in and tell them face to face!0 -
here's my story.....
I had known for about 10 years that I had calcifications on my right breast, and knew that I was a high candidate to join this club. But I went for my mamo in November 2008; 1 week later, got the phone call to go back for a second. Went back for that and that's when all the biopsies and tests were run.
I was sitting at my desk at work, and I wanted them to call me ASAP when they knew the results. It didn't fail, that on my birthday, Dec. 3rd - they called late in the afternoon to say that it was DCIS, non-invasive cancer.
Needless to say, it wasn't a very good 49th birthday.
Jill0 -
HAPPY B-DAY Calleenjikaras said:here's my story.....
I had known for about 10 years that I had calcifications on my right breast, and knew that I was a high candidate to join this club. But I went for my mamo in November 2008; 1 week later, got the phone call to go back for a second. Went back for that and that's when all the biopsies and tests were run.
I was sitting at my desk at work, and I wanted them to call me ASAP when they knew the results. It didn't fail, that on my birthday, Dec. 3rd - they called late in the afternoon to say that it was DCIS, non-invasive cancer.
Needless to say, it wasn't a very good 49th birthday.
Jill
HAPPY B-DAY Calleen! Hope you have a special day! HUGS!!! Cathy0 -
Hi Calleen
I had nipple changes that sent me in to see my ob/gyn in april. My previous mammogram had been negative the previous June. She sent me in for my mammogram and after diddling around with film after film and view after view, the radiologist sent me to ultrasound where they found the tumors. The radiologist told me that if I hang around they could do the biopsy within the hour. The biopsy was done so I started at 1pm and had all of that done by 5pm.
Of course, that was on a thurs. BY monday I hadnt heard anything. I work for the health system and can access my own personal records so my supervisor and I got the report and it said cancer. I remember looking at her and saying what do I do now?
Later the on call md called and asked me to come in the next day.
Surgery was scheduled the following week.
New normals after that
Hugs
Linda T0 -
I woke up on July 6th,2008mlmjt1 said:Hi Calleen
I had nipple changes that sent me in to see my ob/gyn in april. My previous mammogram had been negative the previous June. She sent me in for my mammogram and after diddling around with film after film and view after view, the radiologist sent me to ultrasound where they found the tumors. The radiologist told me that if I hang around they could do the biopsy within the hour. The biopsy was done so I started at 1pm and had all of that done by 5pm.
Of course, that was on a thurs. BY monday I hadnt heard anything. I work for the health system and can access my own personal records so my supervisor and I got the report and it said cancer. I remember looking at her and saying what do I do now?
Later the on call md called and asked me to come in the next day.
Surgery was scheduled the following week.
New normals after that
Hugs
Linda T
I woke up on July 6th,2008 with a very swollen breast, i googled swollen breast and "Inflammatory breast cancer" came up, and I just knew that was what I had. I went to a gyn, who sent me to abreast surgeon. We were on vacation at the shore, and I went from laying on the beach, to laying on a table getting a biopsy done. He was 95% sure that i had inflammatory breast cancer. We sobbed in the parking lot, in the car, and all night. The next day he confirmed the diagnosis. I knew i had to fight and stay positive., and YEAH here i am. Clean scans now. Take care0 -
Cancer Sucksmlmjt1 said:Hi Calleen
I had nipple changes that sent me in to see my ob/gyn in april. My previous mammogram had been negative the previous June. She sent me in for my mammogram and after diddling around with film after film and view after view, the radiologist sent me to ultrasound where they found the tumors. The radiologist told me that if I hang around they could do the biopsy within the hour. The biopsy was done so I started at 1pm and had all of that done by 5pm.
Of course, that was on a thurs. BY monday I hadnt heard anything. I work for the health system and can access my own personal records so my supervisor and I got the report and it said cancer. I remember looking at her and saying what do I do now?
Later the on call md called and asked me to come in the next day.
Surgery was scheduled the following week.
New normals after that
Hugs
Linda T
It is actually still very emotional for me to recall that horrible day. August 23, 2007 I noticed a change in the shape of my breast. I put off the mammo because I KNEW that it was cancer (my sister had it 18 months prior) and I wanted to get caught up at work first. I just knew they would wisp me off to surgery right away. (Yes I was niave.) When I finally had my mammo of October 2nd, I thought it wold be the usual...they do the pictures and call you back a couple of days later for an ultrasound if needed. I work in a clinic so I had my mammo in the middle of my morning and had planned to work the rest of the day. I was wrong. It was a "diagnostic" mammo so they read the films right away and then sent me right to ultrasound. The cancer was extremely obvious with 'finger-like projections' on the tumors so they told me then and there that I had cancer but they needed the biopsy to see what kind. I didn't have my husband along to support me and I was a wreck. I hid in my exam room for a while to pull myself together and returned to my desk...red face and all. I then got a phone call from the nurse practitioner that had done my pap the week before (when she ordered the mammo) and she told me that my pap was abnormal and since she saw that report on the mammo and ultrasound they would need to do an endometrial biopsy right away too, to be sure it wasn't cancer. The realization that they thought I might be filed with cancer put me over the edge. I left a voicemail for my boss and headed home....crying the whole way. Cancer SUCKS!!!
Two years later.......I am dancing with Ned and amazed at my own strength. I remember those days that I didn't think I could go on, but I did. I told my husband that I was not one of those couragous women that fight the cancer and that I was too weak to continue. But I did it. And now I am on the other side of cancer. Praise God for all that He has brought me through. And thank you to all of you that have been a lift for my weary soul!
Rita0 -
I WAS IN DENIALritazimm said:Cancer Sucks
It is actually still very emotional for me to recall that horrible day. August 23, 2007 I noticed a change in the shape of my breast. I put off the mammo because I KNEW that it was cancer (my sister had it 18 months prior) and I wanted to get caught up at work first. I just knew they would wisp me off to surgery right away. (Yes I was niave.) When I finally had my mammo of October 2nd, I thought it wold be the usual...they do the pictures and call you back a couple of days later for an ultrasound if needed. I work in a clinic so I had my mammo in the middle of my morning and had planned to work the rest of the day. I was wrong. It was a "diagnostic" mammo so they read the films right away and then sent me right to ultrasound. The cancer was extremely obvious with 'finger-like projections' on the tumors so they told me then and there that I had cancer but they needed the biopsy to see what kind. I didn't have my husband along to support me and I was a wreck. I hid in my exam room for a while to pull myself together and returned to my desk...red face and all. I then got a phone call from the nurse practitioner that had done my pap the week before (when she ordered the mammo) and she told me that my pap was abnormal and since she saw that report on the mammo and ultrasound they would need to do an endometrial biopsy right away too, to be sure it wasn't cancer. The realization that they thought I might be filed with cancer put me over the edge. I left a voicemail for my boss and headed home....crying the whole way. Cancer SUCKS!!!
Two years later.......I am dancing with Ned and amazed at my own strength. I remember those days that I didn't think I could go on, but I did. I told my husband that I was not one of those couragous women that fight the cancer and that I was too weak to continue. But I did it. And now I am on the other side of cancer. Praise God for all that He has brought me through. And thank you to all of you that have been a lift for my weary soul!
Rita
Rita, Thank you for thinking of this. This is the first time I have actually put down on paper any kind of record of this journey except for my large file of insurance advice forms and bills.
First of May last year, went to my gynocologist for a problem I had been having. She did a breast exam which I thought unnecessary since I check myself regularly and it hadn't been that long since my last mammo. She found a longish kind of lump underneath my left breast almost on my rib cage and scheduled me for mammo and ultrasound. Can you believe it NEVER occured to me that it would be anything very serious.
Two weeks later go for appt and I can see the screen on the ultrasound and the tech keeps
going over what I later found was a very enlarged lymph node. My gyn calls me within an hour and says I need to see a surgeon and get a biopsy. My daughter is a hospital RN (med-surg)so immediately called her to get a concensus of the nurses she works with of who is the best.
Unfortunately, he is out of town - my appt is the 18th of June. He says that while he is going to do a biopsy, he had already put me on his surgical schedule when he saw the ultrasound. Biopsy is INCONCLUSIVE!! Okay, let's just do another - this time the lymph node.
I am still thinking that it's nothing to worry about and when he called with results over the weekend, I was in shock . . . this could not be happening. Surgery on the 27th of June showed 8 of 15 lymph nodes were positive. My doc said that although the tumor was just over 2cm, it was extremely aggressive to have spread to that many lymph nodes.
Anyway, to end this long saga, did adria/cyclo (my platelets did not cooperate and it dragged on for 31 weeks.) TAxol (15 weeks) was better tolerated and I just finished day 14 of 35 rads.
Only found this site while finishing up taxol - wish it had been SO much earlier.
PS - have seen "dancing with Ned" on more than one comment - who is he???0 -
duplicateritazimm said:Cancer Sucks
It is actually still very emotional for me to recall that horrible day. August 23, 2007 I noticed a change in the shape of my breast. I put off the mammo because I KNEW that it was cancer (my sister had it 18 months prior) and I wanted to get caught up at work first. I just knew they would wisp me off to surgery right away. (Yes I was niave.) When I finally had my mammo of October 2nd, I thought it wold be the usual...they do the pictures and call you back a couple of days later for an ultrasound if needed. I work in a clinic so I had my mammo in the middle of my morning and had planned to work the rest of the day. I was wrong. It was a "diagnostic" mammo so they read the films right away and then sent me right to ultrasound. The cancer was extremely obvious with 'finger-like projections' on the tumors so they told me then and there that I had cancer but they needed the biopsy to see what kind. I didn't have my husband along to support me and I was a wreck. I hid in my exam room for a while to pull myself together and returned to my desk...red face and all. I then got a phone call from the nurse practitioner that had done my pap the week before (when she ordered the mammo) and she told me that my pap was abnormal and since she saw that report on the mammo and ultrasound they would need to do an endometrial biopsy right away too, to be sure it wasn't cancer. The realization that they thought I might be filed with cancer put me over the edge. I left a voicemail for my boss and headed home....crying the whole way. Cancer SUCKS!!!
Two years later.......I am dancing with Ned and amazed at my own strength. I remember those days that I didn't think I could go on, but I did. I told my husband that I was not one of those couragous women that fight the cancer and that I was too weak to continue. But I did it. And now I am on the other side of cancer. Praise God for all that He has brought me through. And thank you to all of you that have been a lift for my weary soul!
Rita
tried to delete duplicate entry, but my chemo-brain can't figure out how.
I asked my oncologist when I would get my brain back and he said (and I quote)
Oh, give it a year!!!0 -
My day to find out was in
My day to find out was in July--doctor's office called with results from yearly mammo.
The nurse who called is a former students of mine (I am a teacher) & she was so kind in the way she broke the news. Although everyone in the doctor's office calls me by my first name, she still calls me Mrs. ______. There were more tests to come, but I pretty well knew it then. I rushed to the bathroom & became sick immediately. As of now, I have had the surgery & have had 9 out of 33 days of radiation. Just taking it a day at a time....0 -
Carol NED is the guy we allcarol41 said:I WAS IN DENIAL
Rita, Thank you for thinking of this. This is the first time I have actually put down on paper any kind of record of this journey except for my large file of insurance advice forms and bills.
First of May last year, went to my gynocologist for a problem I had been having. She did a breast exam which I thought unnecessary since I check myself regularly and it hadn't been that long since my last mammo. She found a longish kind of lump underneath my left breast almost on my rib cage and scheduled me for mammo and ultrasound. Can you believe it NEVER occured to me that it would be anything very serious.
Two weeks later go for appt and I can see the screen on the ultrasound and the tech keeps
going over what I later found was a very enlarged lymph node. My gyn calls me within an hour and says I need to see a surgeon and get a biopsy. My daughter is a hospital RN (med-surg)so immediately called her to get a concensus of the nurses she works with of who is the best.
Unfortunately, he is out of town - my appt is the 18th of June. He says that while he is going to do a biopsy, he had already put me on his surgical schedule when he saw the ultrasound. Biopsy is INCONCLUSIVE!! Okay, let's just do another - this time the lymph node.
I am still thinking that it's nothing to worry about and when he called with results over the weekend, I was in shock . . . this could not be happening. Surgery on the 27th of June showed 8 of 15 lymph nodes were positive. My doc said that although the tumor was just over 2cm, it was extremely aggressive to have spread to that many lymph nodes.
Anyway, to end this long saga, did adria/cyclo (my platelets did not cooperate and it dragged on for 31 weeks.) TAxol (15 weeks) was better tolerated and I just finished day 14 of 35 rads.
Only found this site while finishing up taxol - wish it had been SO much earlier.
PS - have seen "dancing with Ned" on more than one comment - who is he???
Carol NED is the guy we all want... when our tests show (No Evidence of Disease)0 -
July this year
So this is a bit tricky for me because I think I knew before it was confirmed. I was called to come back in after my baseline mammo because they wanted to get magnified pics of a questionable area in my Rt breast. They set me up to come in when the tech could read my films on the spot, I was told to wait for a few minutes while the tech came in, well the tech never came in the nurse came back and said you can get dressed and go. At that point I knew it wasnt good and asked should I be concerned, she said if it is anything your regular Dr will call. So I went home and was sitting outside quietly crying and thinking about the possibility that I wouldnt be around to see my 2 beautiful daughters grow up. Not 2 hours later my Dr called to get me set up with a surgeon although at this point nothing was confirmed I just knew, in fact I couldnt even finish the conversation with my Dr I handed the phone to my hubby and went up to my room and sobbed. After my biopsy when I got the call confirming I had BC I was amazingly calm.
This board has helped my so much I am glad I found it right away!
((hugs)) to all
TT0 -
I found a lump at the end of
I found a lump at the end of June, and thought something had bitten me. I am only 34 so cancer never really was a thought. I waited a couple days, it never went away so I called for a breast exam at my ob. He said it was probably a cyst, with my age etc. but ordered a mammo anyway. I went in for the diagnostic mammo at my work (I work at a hospital), and the radiologist came in after and said she didn't like how it looked. On July 1st I had my biopsies done and on July 2nd the dr told me cancer. I started chemo July 15th. Everything went so fast I still am in a whirlwind!Now I have 4 more chemos,then surgery,than radiation!0 -
Where were you when....
I guess my question would be "Which time?".
I should have had my first mamogram last year but was too busy at work and home to take time for the appointment. I saw my Ob/Gyn in May for my yearly check-up and she had me schedule a mamogram for 5/27. No biggie - I went in, got it done and went back to work. A few days later I received a call that the mamogram was abnormal and they wanted to do additional views. They said that sometimes areas that looked like something were just shadows on the film and that additional views could tell for sure. I was scheduled for another mamogram on 6/10. After rearranging some meetings that day, I went in for the second set of mamograms taken at different angles. The nurse told me to wait to get dressed until they looked at the films to make sure they didn't need to take any more. I waiting and when she came in I expected her to say "Go ahead and get dressed. They'll call you with the results in a few days." She said "Get dressed. The radiologist would like to speak with you." He told me that there were some calcifications that showed up on my mamogram and that I would need to have a biopsy to have it checked out, but it was most likely nothing to worry about. On 6/23 I had a core biopsy. It was not that bad until the doctor hit a spot that wasn't numb from the local they had given me (ouch).
I met with my surgeon on 6/29 to get the results of the biopsy. He said "You have stage 1 DCIS but we will do a lumpectomy and remove it." He then scheduled me for an MRI that same day just to make sure they knew everything they were dealing with. The MRI came back with a second spot which was 4 cm away from the first one. So....I was sent off to have an untrasound done on 7/8. This came back fine and they said I could have my lumpectomy to remove the stage I DCIS. On 7/24 I had my lumpectomy and on 7/30 had an appointment with my surgeon to check the incision. That's when he told me that the pathologists who examined the tissue did not find clean margins on the section that was removed, but found stage III DCIS instead. Mastecomy was the next (and only) step. The question now was if it would be with or without reconstruction. Was able to meet with one plastic surgeon on 7/30 and another one on 8/4. I had everything set up to have an implant (with expander) put in on 8/26 but didn't feel very comfortable about the whole thing. In my 8/4 appointment with the plastic surgeon I felt rushed to make a decision and my requests to look at pictures of previous reconstructions was met with a dismissal by the nurse. She said "You don't need to see them yet - I'll try to dig up some for you later, but you don't need to deal with that right now since it will take months until you may have your implant." I went home and cried (for the first time). After finding this site and reading a lot of the comments from everyone I decided that I wanted to take control of this.
I am now scheduled for a double mastectomy (without reconstruction)on 8/26 and am looking forward to recovery. I'm glad I found this site. Thanks everyone for all of your informative posts.0 -
Long saga
I've had microcalcifations since 1993 (my first mammogram). They changed in 2006 and I had a stereotactic biopsy, as ordered by my surgeon. From the marker left behind, the biopsy was 2cm off from the target, but the radiologist thought it was close enough and the results were benign. I had mammograms every three months following and finally a regular one year mammogram in January 2007. The results were sent to me: "Normal." But I felt something was wrong and told my OB-GYN. The wrong feeling was a tenderness in the upper left quadrant of my left breast. He recommended I go see my surgeon. I met with her on February of '07. She blew me off. She said, I was fine - there was nothing to worry about...just continue getting my routine yearly mammos. Of course, I wanted to believe she was right. However...my yearly mammogram in February of '08 was suspicious. I came back the next day and had another mammogram and then an ultrasound. The radiologist came in and talked to me. He showed me some suspicious shadows. He had noted them the previous year (!), but thought it was "just some inflammation" as a result of the stereotactic biopsy! I went back to my surgeon, who ordered a core biopsy this time. Everybody was telling me that cancer was very unlikely, that I "had nothing to worry about." When the doctor did the core biopsy she was very nonchalant with the first two "punches;" then she did a deep one and exclaimed "Oh, what's that?" I think I knew then for sure. My surgeon was going on vacation in Mexico. She told me she would be gone, but I could just call the breast care center for the pathology results. So on Monday I called, and was told that they could not release the results, I would need to talk to my surgeon. So I called her office and the office manager said she would call the surgeon. Then she called me back with the news, saying "I am very sorry, but the results are positive." This was in March of '08. My surgeon called from Mexico that afternoon to go over the pathology report which the office manager faxed to her. She still was very optimistic that the cancer had been found early. I was so angry and upset at the whole system. This cancer had been growing for more than a year, and the professionals had just blown me off! To make a long story short, after my bilateral mastectomy (my surgeon at first recommended a lumpectomy!), I was staged at 3A.
Even after the surgery, my surgeon staged me at 2B. It was my oncologist who staged me at 3A. This is significant both statistically and in terms of course of treatment. I only discovered the correct staging by reading my medical records and then confronting my oncologist. I was such an angry, depressed person at that time (about a year ago). It has taken 11 months for me to come to terms with the whole experience and grow past it. I am a stronger, more relaxed person now...more at peace with the world and what it has to offer, but I would never recommend my experience to anyone! I have learned, be assertive about your body. Be persistent when you feel something is wrong. Be proactive.
My best to all of you, my fellow sisters. xoxoxoxo Lynn0
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