When the doctor says that they need additional pictures anxiety, reflection, and fear can kick in.
My First Mammogram
Ok, here I was a 40 year old woman getting ready to take XRays for my first mammogram. I was more curious than nervous about the whole prcoess. Having watched Robin Roberts from Good Morning America go through her breast cancer journey and watching her co-work Amy Robac later on going through her breast cancer journey. I had an understanding of what to expect during a mammogram. Taking each breast out one by one wasn’t as bad as I thought. The pressure of the machine on my breast didn’t bother me either. The imagine room and the machine did not scare me. What scared me is when I was asked to take additional pictures for my right breast only.
Try Not To Panic
The technician explained to me that because this was my first mammogram, the doctors had no other images to compare. I couldn’t disagree so I posed for the additional pictures. I tried not to think, but all I did was think.
Days later, I received a phone call from my doctor telling me that she had my results and that she needed me to come into the office. Come to the office? I cried so hard, why did I need to come to the office? I watched too many Lifetime movies, episodes of One Life To Live, General Hospital, The Young and The Restless to know how this was going to play out.
Panicking
How I cried! This couldn’t be happening. I had so much life to live and of course she called me on a Friday! I called my mother crying my eyes out. My mom really stepped up and made me feel better this time. One of the key things that she said was, “It’s better to find out now than later, if something is wrong.”
I sat in the waiting room studying the pattern of the wallpaper, trying my best to take deep breaths. I tried not to make eye contact with any of the ladies in the waiting room.
My name was called, I sat on the crinkly paper awaiting the doctors arrival. The doctor told me, what the technician told me and she kinda said what my mother said. “They want to be sure it’s nothing, but they want to schedule a biopsy.” She gave me a copy of my XRays.
Hold up what? I was pissed. She could’ve told me that shit over the damn phone. Here I was thinking and worrying. A biopsy, ok, they’re just going to make sure that I’m OK.
My sister told me that the doctors are just trying to get paid and that I don’t need to get a biopsy. Although I understood where my sister was coming from, I still wanted to know. I had to know.
Biopsy
Before, during, and after the biopsy I kept telling myself they’re just making sure that everything is OK. The procedure was fast, I felt nothing. Now it was time to wait. During times like this you need all of the positive affirmation and energy surrounding you. Instead I was exposed to an asshole who was not my rock, but an irritant, a fungus, a piece of…I digress. I needed him. He was not there.
The waiting.
When you’re waiting on health results all types of thoughts go through your mind. A result can change everything. A result is a game changer. Turns out it was just calcification, in other words fatty tissue.
Breast calcifications are small calcium deposits that develop in a woman’s breast tissue. They are very common and are usually benign (noncancerous). In some instances, certain types of breast calcificationsmay suggest early breast cancer
When I received my results, I was immediately relieved and thankful, but the next thought was my sister shaking her head, saying, “Told you.”I’m glad I took the text even though I had to come out of $550.
Even though we’re private about our health, I never knew my mom and sister had similar stories because they never shared it. Ladies we must talk to one another. The beauty of this thing we called the internet, social media is having the ability to connect. What was your mammogram experience? Was it everything you’d thought it would be?
