Let me preface this email with an apology. I am sorry that I
have to tell you the news you are about to read. I am sorry that I did not
contact you directly, privately, to share this information with you. I ask that
you try to understand my reason for sending an email. That you can respect the
fact that emotionally I am unable to have this conversation over and over again
with so many people.
On Friday, April 20 I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal
Carcinoma. Breast Cancer. It’s my right breast that has turned its back on me.
As many of you know, I have had years of lumpy bumpy breasts. I have had
mammograms and breast ultrasounds every 6 months for the past 2+ years. I have
had 4 benign fibro adenomas removed. I have had 4 biopsies. I had 2 of those
biopsies in the last 2 weeks. The second one came back as cancer.
I did not find a lump during a self breast exam. My last
mammogram was free and clear. This cancer has been found early. Even knowing
now that it is there, and knowing where it is (straight up 12 O’Clock), I still
cannot feel it. Neither can anyone else.
Today Alan and I met with Dr. Chung, she is the head of
surgical oncology at Lehigh Valley Hospital. We had hoped to leave with all the
answers we wanted and a firm understanding of what is next. However, if you
have ever been in, or know someone who has been in, a situation such as this,
then you know that was an unrealistic expectation.
Here is what I know right now as fact. I had a mammogram that
showed tiny salt sized microcalcifications on my right breast. There was no
mass seen at that time. If you know anything about mammograms than you know
that anything bad shows up as white colored. If you have dense breast tissue,
that also shows up as white. I have dense breast tissue. So just because no
mass was seen, doesn’t mean there isn’t one.
My next step is to have an MRI of both breasts. The MRI will
be able to show if there is a mass and if there is cancer in other areas that
was undetected in the mammogram. A physical check of all my surrounding lymph
nodes today showed absolutely no swelling. My MRI is scheduled for May 7. It’s
seem far away, I know, but there is a reason for that date and it has to do
with my menstrual cycle and we really don’t need to go there, do we?
I am waiting for calls from: Medical Oncology. Plastic
Surgery (don’t jump to conclusions here) and Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing. I
need all these people to help me put all my ducks in a row. At first I declined
the genetic testing…I mean, I already know I’m at risk for cancer, right? But
they insisted based on the fact that most people who have Invasive Ductal
Carcinoma (IDC) are post menopausal. Once again, I am a medical anomaly. Also,
it will help determine my risk for ovararian
cancer, which is harder to detect.
After that…well…it’s a lot of if this, then that. And if
that, then this. This is a process that I have to go through, one step at a
time. And I will keep all of you updated through my blog:
Please feel free to contact me privately for any reason. All
you Facebook users, please refrain from writing on my Facebook wall about this.
I will eventually make a public announcement there too. All of you who know
Nana, please don’t mention this to her, I will tell her at a later date.
Other than Nana, this is not a secret.
Alan, Michelle (yes, she knows) and I thank you in advance
for all your well wishes and prayers.
Leah
No comments:
Post a Comment