One Lump or Two?

Unfortunately, this isn’t about a walk on the beach. That’s my dream, to return to Oregon in August and take time among the sand, sea and driftwood. But for now I have an interruption in my life.

A few weeks ago I noticed this thing, a hard spot in my left breast. After a few days I commented to husband, “Can’t figure this out. Think I have a lump.” Only I really thought it might be just a part of my changing hormonal chapter. (This spring the doctor suggested I wean myself off those HRT pills I’d taken since 1984. The hot flashes are a killer.)

Then I noticed a pain. “Quit being a baby, you probably slept wrong,” I coached myself. Only neither the pain nor the lump went away. Last weekend husband said, “Do something.” Monday I called and Tuesday morning I had my first appointment. That doc made an appointment with the surgeon before I left her office. Okay, that’s fine with me. Obviously this thing isn’t going away—we’d better deal with it.

I left the first doctor’s office, drove to Valentino’s for a Christian Business Women’s Fellowship (CBWF) luncheon. Over my salad and chatter with friends the speaker, April Kelly, convinced me I’m missing a huge marketing opportunity by not pursuing Linked-in. When I left CBWF I had great plans for all that new info, only first I had to see the surgeon.

Surgery I can handle, done this before, it’s okay. Only when I drove in the driveway and saw CANCER CLINIC blazing a trail across the front of the building, I felt a little a twinge of fear. (Just a twinge.) That’s when it hit me. This can’t be about any little ole lump, this side trip is not planned in my schedule. It must be a huge marketing excursion for Capsules of Hope: Survival Guide for Caregivers. I quick called a friend and asked her to pray for the person(s) I felt certain I’d meet.

Well the surgeon now has my book and said she’d write a testimonial. (Think I’ll refuse the surgery until she reads the book and writes the promised words. Hmmm.) Surgeon sent me to radiology for an ultra-sound. Ugh a little messy and quite painful. The radiologist said, “We need another mammogram to compare with the April one.” Ouch. After the squish and smash routine, nothing shows on the mammogram. Go ahead ask, “What does that mean?”

Bingo, the radiologist doesn’t know. The lump is about the size of a baseball and totally unknown. This I do know: I’m scheduled for surgery, Tuesday, July 28th at 9:15 at Bergen Mercy Outpatient. (Tuesday is my 12th anniversary of medical billing at Custom Computing Corporation—what a way to celebrate.)

Please keep me in your prayers,
I’ll write more tomorrow.
Kat still lionhearted

Tomorrow I’ll tell you who is on her way to OR to meet me.