Screening Mammogram

I had my regular screening mammogram at the Orange City Area Health system last month. My last screening mammogram was in December 2018. Normally I would’ve gotten another one in December 2019 as I’ve been getting yearly mammograms since I turn 35 with my “ strong family history” of breast cancer, I started those a little early. Nothing has ever been alarming or out of the ordinary on my past mammograms. I was just going along life not really worrying about anything in particular especially related to breast cancer I have fibrocystic breasts so lumpy boobs was part of the norm for me. In the Fall of 2019 my father-in-law was diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine tumor that had metastasized to his lungs and liver. So that whole fall and winter we were in crisis mode and preoccupied and I never set my appointment for my screening mammogram… between all the back-and-forth trips to Washington state to be with our family it just slipped my mind. I figured I would do it when things settle down. My father-in-law passed away in February 2020, and we remember being in the airport and seeing less news about a novel coronavirus that was spreading across the world, Before we knew it we were in the midst of a pandemic and nationwide shut downs. I did anything I could to stay away from the hospital or any places were sick people would be because I was afraid with my having type one diabetes for almost 30 years, surely I would be one to succumb to this deadly virus if I were to be infected. When I went to my well woman exam in December 2020 my doctor said oh by the way , looks like you’re overdue for a mammogram. She also did a breast exam which I remember this very distinctly when she got to the outside of my left breast she said “ well that’s a yucky area”…Of course Christmas came in between then and January when I first scheduled my screening mammogram appointment, but right before my mammogram appointment I was sick and I had to reschedule and the next appointment with a later time of day (I’m not a morning person…At least I wasn’t until breast cancer struck) they had was in February. I feel it’s important to note that while I did my monthly BSE and got to the same area in my left breast, I remember getting a sinking feeling in my stomach… I know now that was my “gut instinct” telling me something was wrong. As I am doing retroactive posting and think back I also remember thinking my left breast was kind a looking a little different than my right when I raise my arms for the past couple of months and thinking that was odd and also that it felt heavier. I had forgotten about this but recently one of my best friends reminded me how we had been talking about breasts being different sizes and that I had mentioned that to her and kind of shrugged it off and said “I probably have breast cancer or something” . Little did I know then, I was speaking what was about to be my exact truth. So I proceeded to be my jolly self and go get my mammogram in February and it was so fast just an in and out type of appointment with laughter between myself and the sweet tech who did my mammo. Brian and I had recently scheduled a trip to Daytona Beach for “bike week” and I was preoccupied was getting ready to leave for that…I excitedly bubbled about all the details about the hotel room I’d just booked and how important I thought is was for us to get away and nurture our marriage. I also told her how excited I was to see my best friend Kat Who is a special events bartender and goes around the rallies bartending entertaining and just being her amazing self and spreading joy and light wherever she is…I couldn’t wait for that trip.