MY JOURNEY
My journey began mid-April of 2008. While taking a shower one evening I discovered a lump in my breast, small but a lump needless to say. The area was sore and tender. So the next day I told my sister about it and she gave me the phone number to call BreastCare in order that I could see a doctor about it as I had no medical insurance. May 10th I saw the doctor and we were hoping it was only a clogged duct in my breast so he gave me a prescription for antibiotics, but also made an appointment for me to have a mammogram and ultrasound.
While I was taking the antibiotics I began to notice that under my right arm there was a swelling and tenderness there. I knew it wasn’t good. I stopped taking the antibiotics as I knew at this point there wasn’t anything those pills could possibly do for me.
My mammogram and ultrasound were scheduled for about June 1st, my sister dropped me off at the hospital for the tests and then left as she had to work. Here came the fun part. Having my breasts placed on a cold “plate” and squished to check for any lumps or abnormalities in them that might not be good. After that was done, the technician too me to another area to wait for someone else to come get me in order to have the ultrasound done. During the course of that exam, the technician asked me if I had had any injuries to my right breast or been hit real hard or anything and I told him no. after a few minutes he put a towel over my exposed breast and told me to wait as the doctor might want to come and talk to me. I knew it wasn’t good.
I laid there with tears welling up in my eyes and said God… what now? The doctor came in and told me that he didn’t’ like what he saw in my breast or in the lymph nodes under my arm and asked me if I would allow him to do a biopsy at that time. I told him no as I was there by myself and he would have to sedate me to do the biopsy anyways. So he told me that he would be calling my primary physician in order that I could be referred to the surgeon for a biopsy and possible surgery.
Now a little step back: in January of 2008 my younger sister had found a lump in one of her breasts, and had a lumpectomy done with the outcome of NO CANCER! THANK GOD! So when this was all told to me by the doctor at the hospital every was telling me, well your sister came out okay so you will be fine too… it wont be anything.
June 3rd, I saw the surgeon. My mom, my sister and I all went. He ws the same surgeon that also did my sisters surgery. He said what was found on the mammogram and ultrasound and I really didn’t take it all in as it was just too much at that time, but he told me he wanted to do a biopsy there in the office and send it to the lab so we would know right away.
The results came back: INFILTRATING DUCTAL CANCER [ INVASIVE ]
I was scheduled for surgery for June 6th to have my whole right breast removed, a mastectomy. Until the time I actually checked into the hospital my sister thought they were going to do to me what had been done to her and they would only remove the lump. No they removed the whole breast, and 16 lymph nodes that were involved. [what I found out later was that one involved lymph node was still in my body]
That day, after seeing the surgeon and scheduling the surgery, I came home and wrote an email to my boyfriend, but he is more than that to me, he is a very dear and sweet friend. Even though he and I have never actually been able to this point to physically touch or see each other in person, I asked him to do something for me. I wanted him to take pictures of me via my webcam before my surgery so that I could have something to remember “them” by. At my request he did. I am most greatful to him for doing so.
Since that day I have passed through a lot, a mastectomy, placement of a “chemo port” [so my viens don’t wear out from blood draws and treatments] 4 chemotherapy treatments, and now I about to start radiation.
So the reason I am writing this website is because when I called to the radiation doctors office yesterday to get some information, in discussing things with the therapist there I found out that my treatments of radiation is going to be more extensive than what I had been originally told because of the vast number of lymph nodes that were involved and the fact that according to the PET SCAN done in July, one lymph node still remains in my body that has cancer in it.
According to the doctor, the cancer had been in my breast for at least 6 months if not a whole year before the time that I found the lump [this being determined by the size of the lump and involvement of the lymph nodes]. He also told me that I was fortunate to have found it when I did. At least I still had a fighting chance of destroying the cancer and living a longer life [ 20% chance of being alive 10 years from the beginning of the treatments].
There will not be any updates on this website until the radiation treatments are over… SHOULD I MAKE IT THROUGH ALL OF THIS AND LIVE! If on the other hand for some reason I do not make it through and go home to be with my LORD JESUS, there will never be an update.
For every woman that reads this website, take care of yourself and your bodies. Give yourself something special, give yourself alone time. Be a woman to the fullest, respect yourself so that you will in turn be highly respected and loved.
For every man that reads this website, treat the women in your life with the respect they deserve. Bring her flowers and candy, send her roses, take her out to dinner and to dance. Give her time off, clean the house for her, cook dinner for her. Make her know she is loved, cared for and that she is special to you.
Today it October 11, 2008. I will begin my radiation treatments on October 22, 2008. I am hoping I can come back and update this website with a success on the radiation. Success would be that I LIVE! I don’t want to be known or remembered for anything great I might have done, those closest to me know my heart and know best how to remember me.
To send me an email you can write to: themrs4him@yahoo.com