The importance of self exams & mammograms OR I found a lump!

Good Friday to you!
This is going to be one of those informative posts where I share my business in hopes of helping others. In this case, I want everyone reading this to do a self exam or, if it's time, get a mammogram...or nudge someone you love to do so. This is the story of my lump discovery.

Let me start by saying that I have always been a little OCD about regular self exams. The guidelines are to do them monthly. I was always more of a weekly type person. That said, I still didn't catch my lump in the early stages. For those of you who might be joining the party late, when I was diagnosed I was told that I had two different types of breast cancer. One of which does not cause a lump. Let me repeat that - IT DOES NOT CAUSE A LUMP. The good news is, that type of cancer stays put. It travels in the milk ducts and stays in the breast. Lucky for me (yes that's sarcasm you're sensing) I also had the kind that DOES cause a lump AND (bonus) it can travel.  UGH! Wasn't one type enough? For me, the answer is obviously no.

Let's get back to Lump Day. As diligent as I was about self checks, I didn't find the lump during an exam, per se. I had a tender spot, which I thought was  there as a result of an ill-fitting bra or, at the very least, a misdirected underwire. I was laying on my right side and I reached around to my left side to check out the tender spot and I felt a lump. Lump doesn't seem like an appropriate word, it felt pretty big to me. (When it was removed, if memory serves, it was dangerously close to 6 cm). I had never felt anything before. I'm not really sure if it had been there for a while and I was just in a position at that time to feel it OR if it had grown quickly. Based on the information from the biopsy, the growth rate of the "lump cancer" was medium, the ductal cancer was the faster growing of the two. The lesson here is that even though I did regular exams, I didn't feel anything until it was bigger than a golf ball.

The next question is whether I'd had a mammogram or not. The answer is no. My doctor and I had talked about it when I turned 40 but didn't schedule one. I was calling to schedule my next annual exam when I found the lump. I didn't feel terribly rushed prior to that because I had heard that the revised guidelines suggested that annual mammograms should start @ age 50.  I'm here to tell you that, had I waited until 50, I would have been dead. No joke. I trusted the guidelines before I was diagnosed, now I think they are crap. There are so many women, with no family history, who are diagnosed. It's so scary. Mattie, as a result of my diagnosis, will start having mammograms by age 30, if not earlier. That is the case even though my genetic testing showed that I did not have the mutated BRCA gene. If that was the case, she would have to be tested even earlier.

If you take anything from my experience, it is to do self exams, don't delay mammograms and act quickly. I found my lump on a Saturday March 15, called the doctor on Monday, saw the doctor Tuesday, had a diagnostic mammogram/ultrasound/biopsy a week later and had a bilateral mastectomy on April 15.  I started chemo on May 14...yada yada yada.  Things in your life can change quickly.

If you have any questions, feel like you need some support or just want to find out more, feel free to contact me. You can do so via the blog "contact me" link, via the Facebook page or private message.

Get checked!

Love to all,
Andee

Just between us

Howdy friends!

I have 4 other posts in progress but I'm pushing this one to the front of the line. Why, you ask? Because I'm tired. This blog is about sharing and helping others who might walk this path one day. I've said all along that I'm not Wonder Woman and I'm reminded of every single day. As much as I would like to be normal (stop laughing, I mean MY normal), I am just not. Over time I will continue to get stronger but, here I am a year after Chemo ended, exhausted. Patience is not my thing anyway, but I feel like a year is enough time to get some stamina back...right?!

Just like every other day, I will get up and push through. I'll put a smile on my face and only you will know that I am secretly dreaming of a power nap every couple of hours. It's our little secret. 

Do a little dance...

It's been a while since we've danced. That changes now!

Get up and shake your booty, people!

I received the results back from my most recent cancer screening and there wasn't anything abnormal. Now THAT'S what I like to hear! I have a couple of more screenings over the next few weeks so I'm hoping for more of the same. Boring and uneventful, that's my plan!

This seems like a great time to try to pressure everyone into seeing their doctor for the appropriate screenings. Please, please, please go for your regular check up. I know it can be scary but if there is anything to be found, trust me, it's better to find it as early as possible and attack it! I care about each and every one of you, my blog friends...all 3 of you (Hi Mom!).   Seriously though, DO IT!

'Night friends!

Love to all,

Andee

Stress

NEWSFLASH: you don't have to have cancer to get stressed. No, I'm not kidding!
I try to keep my cool on the outside but there are just some days that I look like this...

...on the inside. It definitely got worse when I went through my "dark period".  I'm out of it now but, like everyone else, there's still stress in my life. I'm an adult (so they tell me) and I don't know of any adults who are 100% stress free.  What I have figured out is that there are ways to manage it.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor, mental health or fitness professional. I'm going to share what I have experienced. Do with it what you will...

There are many different kinds of stress. Stress from worry (is that a tumor?!), stress from work (deadline/conflict/project/problem/personnel), stress from daily life (how in the world am I going to make to soccer practice on time? I'm a horrible parent for feeding my kids what's convenient on soccer nights) and stress from trying to keep it all together (I have to be a perfect wife, perfect mother, perfect employee...all in a 24 hour day...what's going to suffer today?).  See - you probably saw yourself in one (or more) of those.

Here's what I can tell you, I have done an unplanned experiment over the last few months. I stopped exercising (for valid reasons but stopping was not good), I stopped putting myself first and my mental state, my attitude and my health suffered. Exercise, without a doubt, helps me manage stress, makes  me feel better overall and is good for me. It makes me stronger, nicer, I sleep better...all the things you hear the experts say. I felt overwhelmed and down and I did not like that feeling. So I'm back on the wagon. I finished day 4 of a 6 week plan for myself. I already feel better and a couple of people commented that I looked better. I don't think that's coincidence.

Exercise and a shift in focus helped me. 60 days ago cancer was on my mind all the time and I was terrified every minute of every day. I'm over the hump and back on track and I'm feeling good and smiling. Whatever your pain point is, don't let it win. Do something that makes you feel better and happy! Every single day is a gift, don't forget to enjoy them (even the stressful ones).

Love to all,

Andee

Can't you finish anything?

I have no fewer than 5 posts in draft status. That's just sad.

I will finish one each night this week...starting tomorrow.

I finally got Dean Winchester on the blog!  Woohoo.

My nerd is showing again, isn't it?

Milestones and new adventures

Good evening all!
I'm still under the weather but I'm not going to write about that because...well...who really cares? This post will be brief but I have some updates. It's nice to not have to read the same old stuff, right?!

First, a milestone...of sorts. Today marks 1 year since I returned to work. Granted, it was only part time but it was a big step for me and one that I wanted long before it happened. (Remember, I dream of normal)  So, happy one year back to work day for me!

Second, the new adventures. The next phase of my journey is getting underway. I'm scheduled to have my port removed on Friday September 11. Yes, I'm going under the knife again...it's been a while so I felt like it was time. ;-)  The removal is much easier than the placement. If you've been around for a while, you know that placement required that I go under general anesthesia and they had to be careful and make sure that they didn't puncture my lung, etc, etc.  Removal will be done with a local and a scalpel. No, I am not scared and I'm not weirded out. I expect all to go smoothly and I'll be out of there in a couple of hours. The procedure will only take a few minutes but I have to get there an hour early...yada yada yada.  :-)

I can now report that I have a date with plastic surgeon. Yes, the process will begin with the first appointment, scheduled for mid-October. It's hard to believe it's time to even consider this already. My fabulous surgeon has referred me to, what I expect to be, an equally fabulous plastic surgeon. He also took time during my visit yesterday to tell me a little bit more about what to expect with reconstruction...or what, in my case, is delayed reconstruction. I thought I knew what was coming but I clearly still have a lot to learn. Radiation does bad things to skin. I thought they just meant during treatment but it seems that the effects are more long term. He said if they opened me up for reconstruction along the existing surgical scar, the skin wouldn't hold up. That means they will cut that out and take skin from elsewhere. EEEWWW. Also, he said the process will take most of the year. EEEWWW.  As always, I will share the details as soon as I have more specifics. I'm still going to go through with it and I'm still going to smile as I do it. Some days you just need a reminder that you are tough and can handle a lot. I've been through Hell (physically) already so this will be a piece of cake! It will likely be a little uncomfortable but I'll come out better on the other side...and my clothes will fit!

I'm off to bed. I'm hoping I'm not up every hour like last night - EEEWWW.  :-)

Have a great night everyone.
Love to all!
Andee

I'm letting my assistant write this. Fun, right?

I'm early for my appointment so I thought I would knock out a blog post. The problem is, all I have with me is my phone. Not to be deterred, I will move forward with the post with the assistance of my assistant (LOL) Siri. Note: I changed my Siri voice to male, so the above picture is appropriate.

Disclaimer: I will do my best to catch all typos but I'm sure some will be missed. This should be interesting.

So, it's been a while since I've posted. Looks like almost a month. Wow! I'll start by saying that I haven't had any more "low" periods. I haven't had much time to ponder any negatives. Thankfully, life is keeping me busy. As a matter of fact, it's keeping me a little too busy on some days. I've recently clocked some 10 and 12 hour work days, The kids are back to school and the activities are starting up.By the end of the day most days I am absolutely spent.I still tire out pretty easily but I feel like that's not an acceptable complaint to the general public eight months after treatment ends. If people ask how I am, I've now started saying "I'm just fine!"  When I have no more to give, part of me says I need to suck it up and push through and the other part of me, the more sane part, says don't overdo it or you're going to crash. Don't worry, I'm paying attention. I don't want to end up sick so I will figure out a way to balance it all out. No worries!

In other news, I get to see my surgeon on Monday! We should be discussing port removal so stay tuned. Been a little over year since I went under the knife and he promised me the last time that we could dance in the OR this time around. 

Well this was a rambling, random post. But it's a post! I have 4 others drafted so more will be coming. 

Gotta run, I have a date with a needle. 

Love to all. Back soon!

Andee