How I got to this point

Let me write down the details of how I got to this point in my new life's adventure.

I have hated my breasts ever since they started growing in my pre-teen years, and felt like they never were going to stop. I never had a "training" bra. I think I went straight to a C or a D cup. I have wanted a breast reduction ever since I was 15 years old. It had just been a "pipe" dream, until this year. We were talking one day at work, and my friend Connie told us that she had had a breast reduction, and that she had never regretted it. I have several patients who have had reduction surgery, and they all say the same thing, do it. So I finally decided that now was the time. My neck and shoulders have bore the brunt of carrying these large things for way too long. I have permanent dents where my bra straps have rubbed.

So, I made an appointment to see a plastic surgeon in Springfield. He has a very good reputation, and he did the reduction on a daughter of a friend of mine. They were very pleased. The plastic surgeon agreed that it would be medically necessary. He guestimated that they would remove 1200mg from the left breast, and 1000mg from the right breast. We're talking over 5 pounds of breast tissue. Of course, before he did the surgery, I would need to have screening mammogram. It had been just a year since my last mammo, so I was the good patient and got it scheduled.

November 13 I had the mammogram. The next day, radiology was calling to schedule additional views and an ultrasound. No big deal, I see this all the time. So I schedule the additional view. Dr. Fernandez was there, and we went over the films. In the one o'clock region of the left breast there was an irregular region that looked suspicious. Of course, we couldn't palpate anything. The recommendation was to go for a breast MRI. I am claustrophobic, and thought I would try to circumvent the MRI and just see a surgeon. Dr. Feinberg, the surgeon, thought that we should do the MRI as we can't palpate anything. If it doesn't show up on the MRI, then it was just stacked fibrocystic tissue, and I could go on with the breast reduction. So I steeled my courage, took my alprazolam, and had the MRI. It was okay, because I was face down, and they send you into the tube feet first. Unfortunately, this small region again showed up on the MRI, and was very suspcious for malignancy. So the next step was to go for the needle-localized biopsy. Now this entails having yet another mammogram. But instead of releasing after the film is shot, your breast remains "trapped". The radiologist then inserts a needle into your breast to guide the surgeon as to where to cut. If you are lucky, they get it with the first shot. Took two needles and several films, but they finally got the wire where they wanted it. Then I went back to surgery, where the lesion was removed under conscious sedation (Versed, fentanyl, propofol................out like a light!) The offending lump was 7mm in size. The pathology report was available the next day. Well differentiated infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Stage 1. Estrogen receptor and Progesterone receptor positive.

I have breast cancer.