Lets start at the very beginning...a very good place to start...
Well that's enough Sound of Music for me!
My second son was born in mid October. He came into this world quite unexpected, thanks to a crazy heart beat, a great surgeon, and quick hands. After he was born, I breastfed him, or at least tried, for 6 months. He was a horrible nurser. Now this is important. I am not just writing this to remember for all time. Believe you me, that is one of those things you want to write down in a baby book. It is important because his bad eating habits are what caused me to notice the Lump. I thought I had mastitis. Ya know...a breast infection all thanks to being chomped on. I called up my OB, got a prescription, and called it good. But after a week, the infection was still there. Red, swollen, tender, painful, angry.
So, back to the dr I go. I was then told it was a cyst and needed an ultrasound. So ultrasound #1, came and went, and the diagnosis was lactating adenoma. Treatment was to continue breastfeeding and it will clear up on its own. So, I call my OB for a follow up, who sends me straight to the surgeon. The surgeon tried to aspirate the lump. That means he stuck a big ol' needle into my boob. Yup sounds about as much fun as it was. But he got nothing out of the lump. No blood, pus, water, dragons, nothing. The surgeon sends me back to get another ultrasound...and for a guided needle aspiration. Sounds fun huh? Lots of running around here and there. Oh yeah, and another big ol' needle into the boobie. When the radiologist tried aspirating it, he too got nothing. Soooooo bring on the big guns. The biopsy needle. It sounded like one of those ear piercing guns at Claire's. After all that fun was done, it was time for my first mammogram. Let's just say, having a machine squish your breast sucks anyways...having it done after a biopsy and your boob feels all mangled anyway, well, Disneyland it was not.
After this appointment, all that was left to do was wait for the phone call. The one saying it was just an infection, here are some more antibiotics, you will be fine. Too bad that is not how the phone call went. I was at church. It was mommy and me day. William was eating a bottle when my phone rang. So I excused myself and went into the sanctuary. Sitting in the back pew, staring up at the big stained glass window, the radiologist, Dr. T said the words...I'm so sorry, its cancer. Those 5 words changed my life...my family's life...forever. And that is how this journey started.
