My journey so far...

I have started this blog because so many of my friends said it would be a good idea to document everything and because it is easier than repeating what is happening everyday over and over again.

In July I felt something strange in my right breast. It didn't feel exactly like a lump, more like a thickening and certainly not "right". I was going away and having tons of people to my lake house so I figured I would get it checked out when I got back if it was still there. I got back and it was till there. I called a breast surgeon, Dr. Virginia Maurer. They gave me an appointment for the next morning.

Dr. Maurer is awesome. She checked it. She said she didn't like it and did a fine needle aspiration in the office. It was an 18 gauge needle, not so fine in my opinion, and really hurt a lot. That was on Thursday August 6. She also got me an appointment for a mammogram and sonogram for Tuesday August 11th.

On Tuesday August 11th I went for the mammogram and sonogram. The spot was visible on the mammogram but it was extremely evident on the sonogram. It measured 11 x 11 x13mm and there was a second spot almost on top of it that measured 4 x 4 x 5 mm. The radiologist said it was very suspicious and wanted to biopsy it the next morning.

The next morning I went for the biopsy. The number the area and made a small incision with a scalpel. They then inserted a probe type of device. It made a loud clicking noise and sounded almost like an ear piercing gun. They took 2 or 3 samples. I watched the whole thing on the sonogram screen. They also inserted a titanium seed to mark the spot of the biopsy. After the procedure they did a quick mammogram so they could see if the seed was visible. It was and I was sent home with an icepack.

The next day I called Dr. Maurer's office to find out about the fine needle aspiration biopsy. They said it showed no evidence of malignancy. Yippie!!! I was in the clear. What was the likelihood that this would be negative and the other could be positive. Slim to none I figured. WRONG. I found out on Friday August 14 that it was positive and that I have breast cancer.

Hearing this made me feel like I just couldn't catch my breath. My life is awesome. How could this be happening? It took me so much time in fertility treatments to have Julianna. She is here and the light of my life. I was trying to get pregnant with a second baby. I know now that I can't try for another and that is the biggest blow of all. I don't want Julianna to be alone, but most of all I want to be with her as she grows up.