The beginning of my journey

It is a funny story how I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  My mum and I live a distance from the nearest mammogram centre, so she asked me if I could drive her to her checkup.  When I rang up to organise her appointment, the lady said why don't you have one as well, you're over 40. So I booked myself in for one as well, establish a baseline I thought, you know for when I have my next mammogram when I'm 50.

I received the letter on Monday saying there was an 'area of concern' in my left breast and could I attend the clinic on Wednesday.  Over the next two days the breast was pushed and prodded by me and my husband...we couldn't feel anything or see any changes.  Hubby said it was probably one of those false positives and we would be shopping by lunchtime.

Wednesday - the day my life changed.  I had more mammograms, ultrasounds and examinations by more doctors.  Just before lunch Hubby and I met with one doctor who dropped the bombshell that it was cancer.  'But there isn't a lump!" I said. There doesn't have to be.  I had DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ) in other words calcifications in the milk ducts and it was over an extensive area.  I had breastfed my three children and had performed monthly breast examinations how did this slip past me.  I had a needle biopsy taken of the area, the results of which would be known two days later.

After lunch, which neither of us ate much, but spoke about how we were going to tell the children.  We met with a breast surgeon who was fantastic and answered Hubby's questions patiently and repetitively.  I just sat there and felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. 

My dad had died of cancer and all I could picture was him.  He hadn't been diagnosed until it was terminal and the surgeon took a long time to emphasis that mine was early breast cancer, but due to the size of the DCIS a total mastectomy was the only option. WHAT! Cut my breast off.  I am on the large size and my breasts were my one feature I was really proud of.

That night we went home and told the children, at first they thought we were getting a divorce...as if.  We followed the surgeon's advice and answered all their questions openly and honestly with as much knowledge as we had.  I then emailed all their teachers informing them what had happened; they have been brilliant supporting them and keeping a watchful eye on them.

We chose to only tell a small number of people until we had worked it through in our own minds.  We were having enough difficulty without having to deal with other people’s shock and reactions. 

Two days later we received the pathology diagnosis of DCIS from our local doctor.  By the time we had the appointment they had already organized an appointment with the breast surgeon and had further tests set up.

Then the journey really began…but that’s for another post.