Tag: self-breast exam

Breast Cancer: Diagnosis #1

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First the Good News You never forget where you were or what you were doing the moment you are told you have breast cancer, NEVER! My initial diagnosis was in January of 2002. I was ironing my husband’s shirts and watching a cooking show. It was 9:15 a.m. when I received the call. The doctor started out with the good news first. “Some of the tumors we biopsied were normal, but”… Yes, this was breast cancer: diagnosis #1. But…… As soon as he said the word “but” I knew. I turned the iron off quickly and sat down and grabbed a pen and paper. I had invasive lobular carcinoma in my left breast.  I began trembling as a tried to write down notes. My handwriting was so shaky I couldn’t even read what I was writing. Meaningless fragments of words appeared on the page. I continued to tremble and tried Continue Reading →

When you Learn About Breast Cancer Diagnosis #2

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There are no easy outs when you learn about breast cancer diagnosis #2. I was diligent about scheduling my yearly mammograms and equally as diligent about doing my breast self-exams. I had my yearly physical in late January of 2014 with my primary care physician. She did not feel anything suspicious in my breasts just as I hadn’t when doing my monthly self breast exams. A couple of months later, as I was lying in bed one morning doing a self exam, I left a bit of a thickness in my left breast. I decided not to panic or jump to any conclusions for a couple of reasons. The first one, I frequented the gym and did weight training three times a week, perhaps the delusional/hopeful side of me. I feel great! It’s just all the strength training and new muscles. The second and more practical side of me, I Continue Reading →