For the past month, I've been posting in my Facebook friends feed about my breast cancer experience. Because it's been valuable not just for me, but for the many other women who have experienced it, I've decided to make the posts public here.
This is the first one:
Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month...
Get screened folks.
Last month, during my regular mammogram, something came up, and I was asked to return for an advanced mammo and ultrasound. The radiologist found a small mass in my left breast and recommended I seek a breast surgeon. I did, and she showed me what was raising all kinds of flags for her.
The surgeon identified it as stage 1 and told me that the purpose of the biopsy would be to see what type of cancer it is, how fast it's growing, and what feeds it. The biopsy revealed that I have an invasive ductal carcinoma that likes to eat estrogen and progesterone.
So, later this month, the surgeon will conduct a lumpectomy and remove the sentinel lymph node to see if it's moved beyond the breast. A month later, I'll start radiation therapy and begin taking an estrogen blocker.
I know some of you might be flipping out about this because it's cancer -- and that's scary. But, we've caught it very early because I went and got a mammogram. If you didn't get screened this year, please consider getting a mammogram.
Go get screened.
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