Thursday, October 3, 2013

Laughter truly is the best medicine

As many of you know, yesterday was a big day for me.  A BIG OLE SCARY DAY!  I won't lie, going into this, I let my mind go to some pretty awful places.  I am going to be 100% real with you and share them.

1.  The moment the doctor felt the lumps, I immediately thought, "I can't leave my babies, I just can't, they NEED me".

2.  OK so is the real reason I have a blog and IG because I am going to have breast cancer and share the process with everyone.

3.  By sharing this, will I actually save someones life?  Being this open, just might encourage someone to go get a mammogram.  I know it took my mom and friend, Tiffany, to get me to go for mine.  I cancelled my first apt. because I had strep.  BUT thankfully, my doctor's nurse called me personally and told me I HAD to do it.

4.  After my apt. last Friday, I get home and watch Basketball Wives and it is the episode where Tammy and Evelyn meet with a woman that saw them get mammograms, so she got one.  THIS....saved her life!  So was this yet another sign???

5.  My apt. was the second day of October, which is breast cancer awareness month.  Ummm.....sign???

So as you can see, I am a worrier.  I play little games with myself and get all worked up.  UGH...wish it wasn't true, but that's just me.

Yesterday I went into the apt. with a good attitude.  Well as good as I could, for me.  I went in thinking that NO MATTER what the outcome, I will get through it.  First stop was the mammogram. Let me tell you, a diagnostic mammogram is NOT like your regular mammogram.  Oh dear Lord, I had know idea my boobies could move like that.  It was put your arm here, kinda stick your behind out here, so we can get you closer.  OK now don't breath and don't move.  AND....let's do that 42674 times!  OK next stop, I get to go sit in a waiting room, in my skirt, no bra or top, just the lovely gown that opens in the front, with 6 other women!  So me being the funny girl I say, "oh yay we all get to sit together with our boobies out".  Crickets....  Come on ladies, let's make this fun.  Not happenin!  So we all sat there in silence and watched HGTV.  I decided to text my sis and Ray.  We had some fun, at least! :)  As I sat and got comfy, they came back to get me for some more boobie maneuvering. DANGIT, I thought I was clear!!  This scared me some.  The tech told me she needed to get films of some "vessels"????  Oh well, all these pics can't hurt, they will only help.  After that it was back to the boob waiting room.  An hour later, I head to sono.  I got to lay on a nice comfy bed and look up  at one tile that was painted like a blue sky with clouds.  So hey, it could have been worse, right!  This part scared me even more than mammo.  The tech kept focusing on one area, the area that I wasn't as scared about, but was now.  I could hear the machine take the pics and hear it zoom. And it hurt.  This area is so tender.  After she spent a good 20 minutes on that boob, we were on to the next. I had to be propped up, of course because when I am laying down, my boob is pretty much under my armpit!  BUT....that is ok, I am going to embrace these healthy boobies from here on out!  After she finished she sent the films to the doctor and I waited.  Then came the knock and the doctor shaking my hand as I am laying there with my arm over my head and both boobs, under my armpits.  SEX-AY!  NOT!!!!  And of course he just had to be attractive! SO....he wanted to take one more look at the right boobie.  He said what is causing the lump and pain, is breast tissue.  He was almost 100% sure.  He only has to be 98%, so that was comforting! This is when I was able to breath and truly feel OK.  The left side is just fibrous and changes when my hormones do, during my cycle.  Ok, I can live with that.  AND...I can live with the right one hurting me, until I hit menopause.  I go back in 6 months for a re-check to make sure nothing has changed.  I walked out to meet Ray with a huge smile on my face and gave him 2 thumbs up!! 









As we rode home, I wondered, will all the ladies I sat with, be as lucky as me???  I pray that they will be.  I hope that even if they don't get as good news as I did, the never lose hope that they can fight harder than they have every fought, to kick cancer's ass.  Cancer doesn't have to be a death sentence.  This is why early detection is SO important!!  It is OK to be scared, but you have to do it.  If you are due for a mammogram, please go.  If you know someone that is due, please encourage them to go.  I am one of the biggest chicken shits I know, when it comes to medical stuff, so if I can do this, anyone can! 






There you have it, a day in the life of me and my boobs!  Thank you all for the love and support through this scary time!  It means more to me than you will ever know.  And if you are scared to go and want to ask me any questions, please email me. I will ALWAYS email back! 

                                                                            XO,
                                                                            Lori

19 comments:

  1. So happy everything turned out ok. I think exactly like you do..trying to link everything together all while trying to figure out the meanings. It's funny that our mind can make us go crazy like that. Love ya lady and your fibrous melons. lol

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  2. Praise the Lord!!!! I am so relieved, sweetie!

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  3. A very similar thing happened to me. It was very scary--I cried to my friends. But it all turned out okay in the end. This year, a friend had a breast lump removed, and she was the bravest person. She told me there was nothing she could do but be brave because it was going to happen anyway. :D

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    1. I am so sorry you had to go through this as well, Marion. It is SO scary! Thank goodness you had some great support to turn to, SO glad you had a happy ending. I hope all is well with your friend. xo

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  4. Jenn (IG: jlreeves97)October 3, 2013 at 7:40 AM

    So thrilled that everything came back good for you. I had a scare similar at the end if last year/beginning of this year, so I know how crazy your emotions and thought process was. Medical issues get this mind of mine in absolute panic driven overdrive.

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    1. Thank you, Jenn!! I am sorry that you had to go through a scare as well. It's just so hard not to think the worst. UGH! xoxo

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  5. Oh lord I'm so glad everything is ok!!! I was thinking about you all day yesterday.

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  6. I had a lump come up when I was breastfeeding and just ignored it until I finally went for my womanly exam (over a year later). My doctor wanted to do an ultrasound just on case even though be were both sure it was nothing. To only be 31 and going to a breast care diagnostic center was crazy to me. I knew it was nothing but, in those moments of waiting to hear Dr. confirmation that it was nothing was nerve racking. I had all the same crazy thoughts as you. My MIL is a survivor and I almost convinced myself that is why she ended up as my MIL was to help me through breast cancer. Ha!

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    1. It is SO scary. I know you must have been a mess, I sure was! Especially being a mama, we start to go "there" with our thoughts and how we just can't put our kids through that. I am SO glad everything turned out for you. And God bless your MIL! As women we have to just be brave and no matter what happens, it will all be ok. We can't put this stuff off, even though we want to. xoxo

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  7. I'm so, so glad that the results were good! I had my first mammogram this year and that was an experience in and of itself. Don't mind me, I'll just stand here while you manuever my boobs around.

    I'm sure the relief you feel is palpable. I felt the same way when I had those moles removed this past summer and one came back with "abnormal cells". All those thoughts that run through your mind! Anyway, love you and so happy for the good news!

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  8. Yay glad it turned out that way!!!

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  9. Happy to hear the good news! My appointments next month :)

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    1. Thank you, sweet Jackie!! And GOOD GIRL!! We gotta make sure we make the appointments! Proud of you! xoxo

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  10. Love you Lori... I am so glad it turned out okay... and I would definitely be thinking of the other women too. You have a good heart my love.

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  11. Lori, I'm so glad it was good news for you! Lady, feel free to call me anytime! I would've done my best to divert you and send laughs. I had a scare just over a year ago myself. Hubs & I were separated and I didn't tell anyone. Went on my own & actually thought I'd rather fight cancer then fight a divorce. They had to do an ultrasound after the mamo because they weren't certain of the lumps. Turned out my breasts match my head - dense! Just have lumpy boobs. Now why don't the lumps make my boobs bigger?!!! Lori, SO glad you're okay! Here's praying the rest of the ladies have the same good news.

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  12. I am sorry I am just now seeing this. This week has just been nutso! You have no freaking idea how happy I was to read this! TEARS HAPPY... FREAKING TEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!! God I love you woman!

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  13. So glad. Thanks for sharing the story.

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  14. I was so happy to see this news that all was ok. As some of the other girls, I went thru this as well and it's so hard to keep perspective and not have yourself dead and buried! so relieved for you.

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