I know this is a blog about Disney cruises, but I want to share my recent cancer journey with you all. I know that many, many people and/or their loved ones are dealing with breast cancer right now and I hope that sharing my story can help in some way. I know how important it can be for those who are struggling to hear stories with happy endings and I hope that sharing my journey can provide hope and encouragement to someone who needs it.
The first time I remember noticing something different was on May 31, 2015. I was in the process of preparing for my church’s vacation bible school week and spent the afternoon at church moving large items and furniture in preparation. At one point as I was moving something, it pressed against my right breast near the bottom inside edge and it hurt. Not a lot, but every time I pressed it it was tender. My first thought was cyclic breast pain. For as long as I can remember, I have had cyclic breast pain during the week or so before my period. However, the timing wasn’t right for this to be related to my cycle and my left breast wasn’t tender at all. I waited two days and when it didn’t go away, I called my OBGYN’s office. I have always been the type of person that gets easily alarmed by health stuff and thus I always want to get it checked out right away (and sometimes too early to really do anything about it). The office told to come in the following day at 4:00.
At the appointment, my doctor did not see or feel anything suspicious and suggesting waiting for 2 months until my next scheduled annual visit where we would reassess the situation. I spent the next 2 months worrying and googling about this pain in my right breast. Sometimes it was just tender to the touch, and sometimes it felt like a dull, throbbing pain/sensation, especially when the car seatbelt was laying across it. It was constantly on my mind, even though 99.9% of the things I read online said that pain is not a symptom of breast cancer. After about 6 weeks I was stressing and worrying myself way beyond what a reasonable person would do, so I decided to call my doctor back and let him know that I was still concerned. He agreed that we should look into it further (and possibly just wanted me to leave him alone as I’m sure he thought it was nothing serious) and ordered a mammogram and ultrasound of my right breast. The exams were scheduled for August 4, the morning after my annual exam with him on August 3.
At my appointment with him on August 3rd, he still did not feel anything suspicious and I remember leaving that appointment feeling like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders, certain that the exams tomorrow would be normal and alleviate my worries once and for all. Little did I know, it was just the beginning.
I am only 38 years old and had never before had a mammogram. I had heard they were uncomfortable and was therefore a little bit nervous. I was having the exam done at the hospital where my husband worked at that time, although he has since switched to a different hospital (more on that later). Years before, he had actually been the director of this same radiology department, so I was somewhat familiar with the space, procedures and even recognized some of the same employees who had been there for a while. I had the mammogram done first, and it really wasn’t as bad as I had expected. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. Since my doctor had ordered this as a diagnostic mammogram versus a screening mammogram, I waited in the room for a radiologist to read the films immediately, in case he saw something of concern and needed more images taken. Sure enough, the tech came back into the room after a few minutes and told me that the doctor wanted a magnified view of my upper right breast. Okay…….this was no longer going the way I had imagined it. I tried to remain calm as the tech took more images. Once again she left the room to show them to the doctor, and by this time it was really hard for me to remain calm.
After a few minutes, the tech came back into the room and asked me to move to a waiting room for the ultrasound to be done. While I was walking down the hallway, my husband appeared. He assumed I would be done by now and was checking on me. He came to the ultrasound waiting room with me and held my hand, reassuring me that it was probably still nothing. When it was time for the ultrasound, I went into the room and recognized the tech as the same woman who had performed the ultrasound for my last pregnancy six years before. She comforted me, reassuring me that most likely all was fine, and told me that she didn’t see anything of concern in the area that I had been feeling the pain. For a moment I felt relieved. Then my husband and the radiologist who had read my mammogram walked into the room. My heart sank. I know that if a radiologist walks in the room to talk to you after a mammogram, it it not because everything is okay.
Up Next: Biopsy Number 1
Thank you very much, Diana. I found your story by accident as I was researching one-bedrooms at Disney Cruise. I read all your story as I could not stop myself. Luckily I don’t really need all this info now for myself. But I work in the hospital and see people with medical problems all the time. One of my friends was just diagnosed. Hope you don’t mind – I gave her the link to this page. I think your story would be very helpful for her. You are great woman, you have wonderful family, and your blog is very well written and has lots of great info. I wish you guys would have so many more wonderful travel together, and stay well!
Thank you so much for your kind words Yuliya. The whole reason I shared my journey was so that it could hopefully help others who find themselves in the same situation, so if it can be of any help to your friend, that would make me so happy. I’m glad you like the blog – it is a fun hobby for me and a little escape from the real world! Don’t we all need that from time to time! Thank you for taking the time to write me and let me know that you enjoyed it. It really means a lot.