Darn! I did get a call back from them and I need to go in for an ultrasound tomorrow morning. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

For the past several years, I have had my annual mammogram done in October. Every time I book it, they always make me add a day from my last mammogram to ensure that the claim is not rejected by insurance. So what that means is that my mammograms are now at the end of October and in a couple of years my mammograms will be in November!

Ok, this may not seem like a big deal but it is to me. I like going in October.  October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Also, it reminds me that I am doing something important for myself. Sometimes I treat myself to lunch before or afterwards. I always wear a pink bra in honour of all women with breast cancer and because of the breast cancer scare that I had 9 years ago. And soon I won't be going in October anymore!  And that bothers me. Stupid insurance.

And P.S. I quite a few mini calcifications on the mammogram images today and of course I have worked myself up today into believing that I have cancer. And the tech said "They will read the films tonight and call you in the next day or two" ~pause~ "if they see anything. Or you will get a letter in the regular mail if there is nothing". Which made me think that she saw something too! It is funny because I have never, ever worried about my mammograms other than the first one after the biopsy until today. Arrgh!

Are You Doing It?

I went for my annual mammogram today. I love the centre that I go to. They hire the warmest, friendliest women who are kind and caring and make a huge effort to make one feel comfortable and relaxed during a rather uncomfortable procedure.

Our centre recently moved to digital mammography so I had the "benefit" of being able to get some extra images taken. The tech explained to me that in the past, when film was so expensive, they just took 4 standard images. Based on what she saw (nothing serious, just fibrous tissue), she knew she would need to take additional images whereas in the past, I would have had to wait for a radiologist to review the films then call me back in to have images taken at different angles.

She also showed me where I have a little marker in my right breast from my past stereotactic breast biopsy. Cool but weird at the same time.

All this and it took less than 15 minutes.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Remember that early detection is the key to surviving breast cancer. Ladies, if you are over 20, do a breast self-exam every month. Have your doctor do a breast check at your annual pap check (you are getting that done too, right?!). If you are 40, schedule a baseline mammogram (or at age 35 if your insurance pays for it*). Go for an annual mammogram. Do it!

Great information can be found at:
Feel Your Boobies
Susan G. Komen
National Breast Cancer Foundation

* I had a baseline mammogram at age 36 and a half (I was pregnant and nursing at age 35+). When I had a follow-up mammogram at age 40, they were able to see a clear difference between my baseline and the new images. Follow-up images and a stereotactic breast biopsy ensued. Fortunately, it was "almost certainly" not cancer. These teeny, tiny calcifications would never have been felt with a breast self-exam.

I made the call and canceled my surgery. Even though I had already decided not to go ahead with it, just making the telephone call to the doctor's office was an even bigger relief. Whew! Well, I just left a message for the doctor's nurse.

Today I also had to go out and buy my annual pink bra for my mammogram which is scheduled for Thursday. I stopped by Nordstrom's first to see if they had any pink bras in my size on their clearance racks but no luck so it was off to Victoria's Secret. It was so dead at the mall today so I cannot believe the service I got at VS. Made me feel a little special (when really, I think they were all just bored). Anyway, I used my $10 off coupons that they seem to send me every other month so it was a good deal.

So, I left VS feeling special with my pretty pink bra (and free panties!) and thought I would treat myself to a hazelnut creme truffle at Godiva. When I walked in the store I noticed a few customers hanging around the counter but no salesperson. I walked over and spied the yummy one that I wanted and I waited and waited and waited and waited for a salesperson. No salesperson materialized. One of the people waiting at the counter walked out and another drifted away to look at something else. Still I waited. Finally, I heard a voice from the back say "Oh, do you want something?" and I said "Yes, I want to buy something" and she said "I'll be out in a minute. I am just doing something for a customer who called in". And I replied "Well, I am a customer and I am right here waiting to pay". One of the others who had been waiting snickered. But the salesperson did not come out so I said "Well, I was a customer but now I am leaving your store". and I skipped out of the store. Drats, no chocolate! But, I had some smug satisfaction of saying what was on my mind. I laughed out loud as I walked back through the mall.

I did not really need that chocolate anyway.

Good News

I received the official letter in the mail today in regards to my mammogram and it said "there is no indication of cancer". Much better than "almost certainly benign". :)

Painter finished the main colour on the house. It was threatening to rain today and was misting a little this morning but then the rain held off and he got it done. He probably will not get to the trim work until next week because it is supposed to rain for the next several days (my lawn needs it!). Stephen and I are going to fold all of his drop cloths and save myself 2+ hours of work that he would otherwise charge us. Stephen doesn't know it yet though. :) I think I will also have Stephen paint the door to save us even more money. These two things should save us some of the cost of the extra scraping that was needed to be done.

Now, off to finish making dinner and then watch the kids play their new video game: Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy.

1st Day Of School

Jax and Dex went to school today. Peanut issue is far from resolved but we have some precautions in place. Jax will not eat lunch at school until everything is implemented. It has been a very emotional tumultuous few days.

Looks like we are getting our house painted this weekend, after all! Neighbour Painter is coming to power-wash the house tonight. I will buy the paint on Friday and he will start painting on Saturday. He told me I had to cut my Rhodies back. Normally I would say NO WAY because it is not the right time of year to trim them but I cut them at the beginning of July which was too late in the season at that point and they are not doing well. In fact, I think I may not be able to save them. I know they will not bloom next May now so if they do not bloom the following year, they will have to be ripped out.

I am all set for the mammogram this afternoon. I have on my pink bra and underwear plus my magenta t-shirt. GO PINK! And fingers crossed for no new calcification spots.

Edited at 1:50pm to add: Hurray! Mammogram films were good so I am back on a yearly schedule. Must have been my lucky pink underwear! ;)

Huh?

In today's mail, I received the official letter from the Breast Center with results from last week's mammogram:

Dear Ms. Pez:

We are pleased to inform you that your recent breast imaging examination (mammography and/or breast ultrasound), performed at our facility shows that the area of your previous biopsy has remained stable, confirming that it is almost certainly benign (not cancer).

"Almost certainly" doesn't really sound as reassuring as they probably intend it to be.

Boobies

Today at MOPS, our speakers were two bra fitters from Nordstrom. They told us about the benefits of a good bra fitting. I was already won over. My online friend, Jill8102 (hee, I don't think of her as just "Jill", isn't that funny?) convinced me about 5 years ago to go to Nordstroms, get fitted and buy myself a Wacoal bra. So I did and I have been in love with those bras ever since and only buy them after a proper bra fitting.

Anyway, tomorrow and Saturday, Nordstrom is having a Fit for the Cure event and for every bra fitting, they will donate $2 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and if you buy a Wacoal or DKNY/Donna Karen bras, they will donate another $2.

So, I am off to Nordstrom tomorrow evening with a group of ladies from MOPS. We have an 8pm appointment for bra fittings. Then we'll head somewhere for dessert. :)

Oh, and today I had my 6 month follow-up mammogram and all is ok (the radiologist view the films right away for any follow-up mammograms so no waiting - yeah!). I go back in another 6 months and if all is ok then, I will be back on a yearly schedule.

Benign!

Good news - benign! The calcifications are fibrous tissue from cystic change. I need to go back in 6 months for a follow-up mammogram to create a new baseline then yearly after that again.

A huge sigh of relief. Thanks to all for their thoughts and prayers and good vibes!

Want the good news or the bad news? Ok, let's do the good news first:

Today was the "Meet'n'Greet" at school for the boys. Both Jax and Dex have two teachers this year. The school district is big on job sharing (good way to retain teachers, I guess) and they both happen to be in the classes in their grades that have job sharing teachers. I guess it is a good idea (but it means double the teachers' gifts at Christmas and end-of-the-year, right?!). Anyway, they are both excited to start class on Wednesday. The first Wednesday is a regular day but beginning the following Wed and throughout the year, they have early dismissal and get out at 1:30.

The bad news? I went for a follow-up mammogram today. Then I had to have a follow-up follow-up. Then a meeting with the radiologist who showed me, with the help of a magnifying glass, tiny calcifications in my breast. She called them "suspicious" and recommended a biopsy. Of course they have an opening tomorrow but I swore off having any procedures done on Tuesdays again because the results always come out on Friday so if I miss their call I have to wait all weekend long to find out. Anyway, I am going in on Friday afternoon for a stereotactic breast biopsy (it is x-ray guided and less invasive than regular biopsy).

I have been saying prayers of thanks all day that I went for a mammogram last week. Honestly, these things are so tiny and they would *never* be felt with a breast self-exam.

Now I have a migraine for being so uptight and crying. What a wimp! And I cannot take any imitrex or aspirin or ibuprofen from now until two days after the biopsy so I will just have to go to bed and hope it is gone by tomorrow morning.

Summer O'Fun Day xx

Kids spent the morning at Ash's house while I went for a mammogram. What a barrel of fun that was. Actually, when the technician announced I was all done I was thinking that it wasn't so bad as the last time (baseline done about 3.5 years ago). However, I thought too soon and she announced that she had to redo two of them and then the painful contortions started. My boobs do not hurt as they are being squished. What hurts is having the little shelf jabbed into my ribcage and then being told to not move or breathe for what seems like 4 minutes (but it is actually more like 15 seconds).

Anyway, I shall hear back with the results in a week or so. And since I have hit the magical number, I now get to go EVERY year.

I have read where friends get together and make a day of it - mammogram, lunch and shopping. Ah, to have such good friends nearby to do that...