Inevitablilty
I had my first mammogram done the other day. That in and of itself wasn't a big deal. But then I got a phone call a few days ago and the hospital stated I need to go in for further imaging. I assume this is probably relating to the non-cancerous lump they found in my breast when I was pregnant; I remember it receding after Dex was born, but it took a while to reduce in size and it makes me wonder if there's still something there.
I wasn't really even worried about it until my mom gave me a copy of hers and my grandmother's medical records from their breast cancer surgeries. On the paperwork, my mom noted that not only she and her mother had gotten breast cancer (and survived), but that my great-grandmother (whom I never personally met) had died from it.
For some reason, seeing that really brought home the inevitability of the fact that I'm probably going to lose one or both of my breasts at some point in my life to cancer. With a history like that, I can't see it not happening. My grandmother and great-grandmother were both diagnosed in their 70's, but my mom's was diagnosed and operated on when she was 37.
It just made me wonder how I would feel if I was diagnosed, today. Or this year. It's such a scary thought. I'm thankful that we live in a society that can successfully operate and treat women so that they mostly survive. If not, I wouldn't have a mother today, and I'd be a very different person as a result of that. But it's still scary.
I hope that the additional screening is just a clarification, but it's possible that this could lead to an ultrasound and a biopsy if needed. Fortunately for me, I've been through that once before and know what to expect. The process isn't that big of a deal. I just worry about going through the process and hearing the inevitable bad news. It might not happen this time, but it could happen soon. Who knows? The not knowing is the hardest part.
I wasn't really even worried about it until my mom gave me a copy of hers and my grandmother's medical records from their breast cancer surgeries. On the paperwork, my mom noted that not only she and her mother had gotten breast cancer (and survived), but that my great-grandmother (whom I never personally met) had died from it.
For some reason, seeing that really brought home the inevitability of the fact that I'm probably going to lose one or both of my breasts at some point in my life to cancer. With a history like that, I can't see it not happening. My grandmother and great-grandmother were both diagnosed in their 70's, but my mom's was diagnosed and operated on when she was 37.
It just made me wonder how I would feel if I was diagnosed, today. Or this year. It's such a scary thought. I'm thankful that we live in a society that can successfully operate and treat women so that they mostly survive. If not, I wouldn't have a mother today, and I'd be a very different person as a result of that. But it's still scary.
I hope that the additional screening is just a clarification, but it's possible that this could lead to an ultrasound and a biopsy if needed. Fortunately for me, I've been through that once before and know what to expect. The process isn't that big of a deal. I just worry about going through the process and hearing the inevitable bad news. It might not happen this time, but it could happen soon. Who knows? The not knowing is the hardest part.