Finding breast cancer

If you are finding this blog and about my situation for the first time: I know I should have told you before, but... I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August. I went in for a "routine" annual (well, I haven't had an annual for about 5 years, so I suppose it wasn't routine...). As part of that, the doctor got me to call for a mammogram (also haven't had one of those for about 5 years).

Two weeks later, the radiologist called me back to "get additional views." Well, there is no breast cancer in my family, I do self exams, my 2 mammograms that I have had since turning 40 were clear -- what could they really be finding? I called the radiologist to argue with him about whether this was really necessary or just "well, its not too clear and we'd like a better picture." No, he says, whether you come here or go somewhere else, you MUST get this checked out.

Oh. Well, OK then.

I went from additional mammogram views to sonogram, where the sonographer (?) shows me where to feel to find "the lesion." Huh, I always thought lesions were cuts. I learn my first new term: a lesion is any place under scrutiny. The lesion feels very flat -- not at all like the "pea" that they always used in the fake breast where we women learned to feel cancers. (Do men do a similar thing for prostate cancer?) It is quite close to the chest wall, too, so all-in-all not too surprising that neither I nor my doctor had found it.

Next week a biopsy. Amazingly the pathologist calls the next day and says, "Unfortunately, it is cancer."

Since then I've had 2 surgeries and have just learned that I will have to have chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy! I should assure you that my ultimate prognosis is very good. An average of 2.3% of women my age will die of various causes within 10 years -- the average number of women with my cancer and these treatments who die is about
7%. So, yes it has gone up, but it still seems pretty darn good. I mean, 10 years a lot could happen!