Check your boobs – How it all began

So its fair to say with everything happening with Drew you don’t really pay attention to yourself, let alone do what all women should do and check your boobs. Like a lot of women your boobs change a lot, but one morning I woke up and without hesitation said to myself “that’s not right”. I can only say my left breast felt like it had rocks if not a giant boulder in it. Not wrong to say I panicked a bit, how long had this been growing etc etc. Well I didnt bury my head in the sand and within a couple of days was at the doctors. Pre kids like a lot of women I was quite shy about these things but the joy of having kids is nothing embarresses me anymore. My doctor gave hope that cysts are quite common in women iof my age (not hard to feel old after tht comment) and she couldnt feel anything in my arm pit, she advised she would refer me to get this checked out and I should get an appointment within a couple of weeks. So home you go trying not to worry and definately not going on google, hve learned the hard way its best to just get the facts from the professionals. Its hard however not to think the worst, beating yourself for not checking, how long has this been growing and knowing deep down this isnt probably a cyst. At least with everything else going on I had a distraction.

So I was waiting for my apointment letter to come through when I got a call, we’ve had a canncellation, can you come in on 3 October and so off I went, by myself to the breast unit of Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

On arrival at the unit I take a seat in a waiting room full of women, wow this place is busy. I’m called in and asked to put on a very fetching top. I then get to meet Mr Wild and a student nurse whose name I cant remember. She is a qualified nurse but is having training so is technically a student again. So Mr Wild gets to see me in all my glory and have a good old feel, there’s no doubting what he can feel and he immediately says I will have an ultrasound and mammogram and in all likleyhood a biospsy. He then turns to the nurse and says this case will be a good one for you to follow. Well that told me everything I needed to know, this wasnt a cyst. So off we went making small talk, seeing the look in their eye when you get round to explaiing your son has leaukemia, and knowing they know something is up with you. So the mammogram happened, then into the room for the ultrasound and the lady there saying it does look like cancer. You then get told it looks like its in your lymph nodes. Thats when blind panic hits a bit because you just assume cancer in your lymph nodes means its gone on holiday somewhere else and I’m a gonner. I was a bit teary at this point, looked her in the eyes and said am I going to die? It’s an unfiar question to ask really, whats she supposed to say but the look she gave me, tilting her head and giving me puppy dog eyes was crushing. After that a bit of waiting around until I was back in to see Mr Wild who said the change I experienced in consistent with breast cancer. The imaging showed a 65x25mm area in the left breast as well as lymph node with usual apperance that could represent a spread of the cancer. The results of the biopsioes will take a while but he expects to see me the next week with the results of these and will likely be discussing my cancer treatment.

I dont remember the drive home, I do remember telling Jase in our back garden quite matter of fact the events of the day