The Biopsy

Before I continue on, I have to tell you that I shared my story with the homeschooling community.  I can’t tell you how many emails I received, as well as offers for help.  They’re uniting to feed me.  I may very well be the first cancer patient to gain weight! I think that support & humour are very important at a time like this.  I’m very blessed to have them in my life.

I got to the breast center, more than a little apprehensive.  I’d never had a biopsy on anything when I was awake.  Years ago, they put you out.  Yet another reason to miss those “good old days”.  However, they also didn’t have the advances of today; so, I guess it all evens out.  Still, it really sucked.

I was numbed & they took 14 samples from one breast.  Even though they injected me with Novocain, I felt a good deal of it.  It felt like I was being flicked from the inside. I’m not going to lie & say that it was pleasant.  But, it was tolerable.  I’ve heard that other women don’t feel a thing, & I had hoped that I would fall into that category. Well, Hell’s Bells, isn’t that always the way?  They didn’t see anything in the left breast, & decided to leave it alone.  The doctor felt that maybe the original ultrasound was a shadow.  Yeah! 

A day later, I received a phone call from Dr. Egan (I think that’s what his name is – I was so freaked out, I can’t remember).  He asked if it was a good time for him to tell me the results.  I kind of felt like saying, “Really?  Is there ever a good time?” Because, at that point, I had bought a clue (bring on Vanna!). I knew it wasn’t going to be good news.  And it wasn’t.  He told me that all the sites came back positive for cancer.  I needed to schedule an appointment with a surgeon.

You know how when people tell you that bad news is like someone punching you in the gut?  Well, I wish that was true.  For me, it felt like the Earth stopped moving.  I have three children, a husband, lots of friends & an extended family.  He might as well have told me that the sun was going to burn out for all of us.  It kind of felt that way – at least for my family & my close friends. 

Life was now going to be divided into BC – before cancer & AD – after diagnosis.

Up next – the meeting with the surgeon, Dr. Quiros.