Day 11 (day32) Awareness

I guess you are hearing a lot about breast cancer because it is October. Some may say yeah but I not even 40. I am not going to worry about it yet. Ok so then you think well it does not run in my family or I don't know anyone that does so I may not think about it but once a year. STOP! It is time to take charge. My story:
I am 38 years old. I have been married for 14 years and I have a daughter that is 12, one that is 9 and one that is 7. I nursed all the girls from either a year to almost 2 yrs each. I was done nursing and having children when I was almost 32. Never any problems. Not looking for anything. Happy with my life. Jan of 07 I went to my GYN for a normal visit. I told him that I felt a lump or something under my arm. He checked and gave me my exam and said that I was fine. I sat up and I said so you are sure that I don't need a base line mammogram? He said your fine. So I left and trusted. Throughout the year I would feel it. I ask a few other drs along the way. I was sick last spring and had to go the hospital and showed the dr. Oh it moves it is ok. So when I went back to the same dr this summer. I showed him again. He said lets go ahead and send you. So I had a mammogram and ultrasound. Came back with my results. Nothing on the mammogram but the lymph node is big. It is suppose to be 1cm and my is 2.4cm. So she said lets biopsy it. I came back had that done and waited. Waited a long week. The dreaded call. Mrs. Summers is it a good time to talk?? I thought no way? Yeah I can talk. Well I hate to give results over the phone but it is malignant. She talked for a long time. When I hung up I did not know how I was going to walk in the house and tell Mike. What about the girls? I waved my hand for Mike to follow me outside. I said I have it! I have cancer ,they just have to find it now. Next step was to have the MRI. Got my results right away. They saw a small 4mm nodule in my left breast only. So I went the next day to have it biopsied. The results were ready when I went to see the dr Aggressive stage 111. WOW really? Me? How? Because it already spread to multiple lymph nodes that is what it was staged. I was horrified. I was scared. I was out of control. The dr explained what he thought. Of course I heard a third. My mom, sister and Mike were with me. So now off to the oncologist same day. Went through lots of test. The dr there gave me the bottom line. You need chemo, surgery, radiation and reconstructive. In that order. Remember it does not run in my family nor at the time did I know anyone who had all of this. So all I can do is cry. Long day. Lots to think about. Lots to question.

Lesson learned...you are OK...I don't need a base line....your fine. No way never again. Go see someone else get a second opinion. You are in charge of your body. I did not know any better but now you do. Please take care of your body. Listen to it and know it! You do not need to be scared just be AWARE. Spread it around. I do not want another women to make the same mistake. Can you believe after all I have gone through so far that this dr has not called or checked on me once. Sad.

I am young and it does not run in my family history. Cancer does not wait until your 40 or 50. It is October learn and be aware every month.

Love you all
Cindy

Thanks for all my cards the last few weeks! Crystal thanks for the book. Sabrina thanks for the shirt. Dana thanks for checking on me.

Keep Praying