I've had several people ask me how we found out I had breast cancer. It's a rather whirlwind story but I think it's soooo important that all my girlfriends are aware of how quickly things happen so here goes,
WARNING: if you would rather not hear about my boobs (or current lack thereof) stop reading now!..
Due to family history of breast cancer, some aunts and a sister....my Dr suggested I look into genetic testing. We weighed the pros and cons for awhile before finally deciding, for the sake of my daughters, we needed to go ahead and do it. So at the end of October I went in for genetic testing. I was told it would take approximately 4 weeks for results. About 3 weeks after going in for testing I noticed a 'weirdness' in my right breast. I really wouldn't even have considered it a lump...it felt more like knotted up muscle/tissue. I gave myself bruises trying to determine if it actually was anything to worry about. I didn't do monthly self exams..always had good intentions just never got around to it. But I was kind of pushing my palm against my breast because it was achy (like they would get every month for a couple days) and that's when I felt it. To be honest, I sort of forgot about it and didn't think too much of it anymore. Then about a week later I got a call from the gentesist. She said my results were in and I needed to schedule an appointment to come in and discuss the results. I told her we were leaving town for a week and asked if we could just go over the results on the phone. She said,'no. It's nothing to panic about, nothing critical but it definitely warrants more than a phone conversation. We'll just set up an appointment for after the holidays are over" And for some reason, right before I was about to hang up I asked her...'I don't know if this is relevant or not but would it mean anything to you if I said I feel something different in my breast?' She got very quiet and then proceeded to tell me that I tested positive for BRCA2. Which is a genetic mutation that puts me at high risk for early onset breast and ovarian cancer. That very night she had me in contact with a breast surgeon (this all happened between 5-7pm) he scheduled me the next day for a mammogram and an ultrasound. During the ultrasound they had a Dr come in and look at the pictures and he scheduled me for a biopsy the next morning. By that point the final diagnosis of 'invasive ductal carcinoma' was not a surprise. This all happened right around thanksgiving. 2 1/2 weeks later I had a bilateral mastectomy which showed 2 tumors in the right breast and cancer in 2 of the lymphnodes. I am preparing for chemotherapy treatments and possibly radiation.
I had a mammogram in 2014. It was clear. If I would not have gone in for the genetic testing I probably would have ignored my instincts that something felt off...and probably would have waited several months before having another mammogram. After all, I'm not even 40. Getting one every couple of years should be plenty right?
Don't put off those check ups and trust your gut! If something seems off...advocate for yourself and get it checked out!!
WARNING: if you would rather not hear about my boobs (or current lack thereof) stop reading now!..
Due to family history of breast cancer, some aunts and a sister....my Dr suggested I look into genetic testing. We weighed the pros and cons for awhile before finally deciding, for the sake of my daughters, we needed to go ahead and do it. So at the end of October I went in for genetic testing. I was told it would take approximately 4 weeks for results. About 3 weeks after going in for testing I noticed a 'weirdness' in my right breast. I really wouldn't even have considered it a lump...it felt more like knotted up muscle/tissue. I gave myself bruises trying to determine if it actually was anything to worry about. I didn't do monthly self exams..always had good intentions just never got around to it. But I was kind of pushing my palm against my breast because it was achy (like they would get every month for a couple days) and that's when I felt it. To be honest, I sort of forgot about it and didn't think too much of it anymore. Then about a week later I got a call from the gentesist. She said my results were in and I needed to schedule an appointment to come in and discuss the results. I told her we were leaving town for a week and asked if we could just go over the results on the phone. She said,'no. It's nothing to panic about, nothing critical but it definitely warrants more than a phone conversation. We'll just set up an appointment for after the holidays are over" And for some reason, right before I was about to hang up I asked her...'I don't know if this is relevant or not but would it mean anything to you if I said I feel something different in my breast?' She got very quiet and then proceeded to tell me that I tested positive for BRCA2. Which is a genetic mutation that puts me at high risk for early onset breast and ovarian cancer. That very night she had me in contact with a breast surgeon (this all happened between 5-7pm) he scheduled me the next day for a mammogram and an ultrasound. During the ultrasound they had a Dr come in and look at the pictures and he scheduled me for a biopsy the next morning. By that point the final diagnosis of 'invasive ductal carcinoma' was not a surprise. This all happened right around thanksgiving. 2 1/2 weeks later I had a bilateral mastectomy which showed 2 tumors in the right breast and cancer in 2 of the lymphnodes. I am preparing for chemotherapy treatments and possibly radiation.
I had a mammogram in 2014. It was clear. If I would not have gone in for the genetic testing I probably would have ignored my instincts that something felt off...and probably would have waited several months before having another mammogram. After all, I'm not even 40. Getting one every couple of years should be plenty right?
Don't put off those check ups and trust your gut! If something seems off...advocate for yourself and get it checked out!!
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