When I started to write this blog, I did not ever imagine that I would be writing on the topic of mammograms. Two weeks ago, I got my first mammogram and the entire process took about 25 minutes from the time I walked into the doctors office, got the mammogram and left. I thought great, I have that crossed off my to do list. A few days later, however I get a phone call from the breast center informing me that I need to come back in for a more detailed mammogram and I am told that it is normal to get a call back after the 1st mammogram because I have no baseline from previous mammograms. So, for one week I am thinking this is normal for a first mammogram, since I have not had one before and not to worry. I even get a call from my primary physician, and she tells me that it is common after a first time mammogram to get called back because there is no baseline mammogram for a comparison. I spent the week, thinking about all the "what ifs" that could possibly be wrong. It could be benign, it could just be how my body is, or it could be cancer. There is no family history of breast cancer in my family in any of my female relatives, however, now all the research I have read states that it doesn't make much of a difference anymore if there is a family history of breast cancer or not.
I go in for the second appointment and this one takes a lot longer than the first. I am escorted to the changing room, given a long gown that goes on like a robe and I am asked to put my stuff in a locker. There are some wipes wrapped in cute pink packaging that I have to use to wipe off any deodorant I might be wearing. Quickly, I change into the robe and wait in the lobby next to to the changing area. I wait and wait, look through a magazine and wait a little bit more. The radiology tech comes to get me and she says, "Sorry for the wait we had a few issues going on with something." I go in the exam room for the 2nd mammogram. This one is different from the first, as the doctor wants more detailed pictures from multiple angles. So, the radiology tech and I contort my right side and my arms and chest in multiple positions for all the pictures that need to be taken. This whole time I am wondering, great my boob is getting smashed like a pancake and I am going to be sore for a few days, and I know that I don't need to worry about anything because I am fine. After finishing up with the second group of mammo pictures, I am escorted back in the waiting area by the dressing room and told not to change into my top because now I have to wait to meet with the doctor and see if she wants to do additional procedures. Sitting there in the waiting area, I peruse a stack of magazines, People catches my eye. I end reading a story on one one of the latest reality stars and finish it. Perfect timing, because by that time, I get called back into another room to wait for the doctor. I am ushered into a room that is dark with a dark ceiling with white Christmas style lights on the ceiling, rock music is playing over the speaker system and I can see the pictures of my mammo up on a computer screen. The radiology tech, informs me that the doctor wants to meet with me to chat for a little while, do an ultrasound and do a breast exam. A few minutes later, my doctor enters the room; she is is a petite athletic blonde similar to myself. She explains in detail that what she sees on the mammo pictures are calcifications and since I have not had a mammo before she wants to be certain to find out what type of tissue it is. These calcifications, could be DCIS (Ductal carcinoma in situ) the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer or just calcifications that are benign. She further explains that I can either come back every 6 months for 2 years to get checked or get a biopsy and find out exactly what it is. She explains to me that she had the same thing happen to her and she chose to have a biopsy and she ended up having DCIS and went through all the treatment to get be cancer free. Either way, she would be alright with whatever decision I make and it was medically acceptable to her. Needless, to say I am putting all my faith in my doctor, she is a breast cancer survivor herself, and all I can do is listen to her and let her do all the procedures and tests that she deems necessary. Next week, I am scheduled to have a biopsy done.
I am staying positive for as of now, I am healthy and I am still a mom and I am definitely not old. So with that in mind, I am spending the last few weeks with my children before school starts doing fun things together whenever possible. My oldest starts kindergarten this year and there are a lot of activities I want to do with her. Once school starts, I won't have the freedom to do activities with her during the week anymore. Also, it takes my mind off of the upcoming procedures and the children and I get the benefit of spending quality time together. I don't want to be the parent who is tethered to her smart phone or netbook at the playground. I want to be the parent who sets out to have enjoyable experiences with her children and isn't idly sitting by watching the kids play and not interacting with them.
