On Feb 8, 2023 I went in for a routine mammogram and I got called the next day and was told to come in for a diagnostic mammogram to get more images. After the diagnostic mammogram, the radiologist came in and showed me the teeny tiny white spots that they noticed on my right breast images (that hadn’t been there in the previous years) and said they would like to do a needle biopsy. Went in the next day (Friday) for the biopsy and met with a surgeon (who I adored from the get go), who told me he would be calling me on Monday with the results! That Monday while at work, I kept checking my chart every half hour and at around 3:30pm, I saw the biopsy results had updated and as soon as I opened it, I saw the words carcinoma… knew it was cancer instantly! The medical jargon accompanying it left me with more questions than answers and I stayed in the office and finished seeing patients for the day and went home to await the phone call from the surgeon. In the meantime, I forwarded the biopsy results to my friend Vinay (who’s a radiologist himself) and he was an absolute doll and really broke down the report for me and Richard! Good news - it was DCIS stage 1 - caught early and the bad part was there was an invasive component detected (which meant sone cancer had leaked out of the duct). Surgeon pretty much confirmed the news and said he wouldn’t know much bout the invasive component till the surgery. The next four weeks were a whirlwind of second and third opinions (luckily everyone said the same thing) and I had a lumpectomy done on March 16th!! Surgery was a breeze and I was the recipient of oodles and oodles of kindness and good wishes and food from my Uber generous friends!! I was back at my walks within a few days of surgery and two weeks later, started back at work! Best news was my surgeon called a day after surgery to tell me my margins were clear, lymph nodes tested negative for cancer and I would not be needing chemo - only radiation!! Huge whew!! Then underwent three weeks of radiation while working full time, and was super blessed not to experience the dreaded side effects of fatigue! I had resumed hiking within weeks of surgery and being out in nature is what I consider the best cure for all ailments! In my journey in the cancer world, I discovered how expensive this disease can be and while I was blessed with great health insurance and be financially well off where it didn’t affect me personally; I certainly saw the havoc it wreaked on some of my fellow cancer warriors, who weren’t quite as lucky!
I joined Susan B Komen race for the cure to do my part in ending breast cancer! Your support helps us get ONE step closer to a world without breast cancer. Funds raised help support breakthrough research and provide assistance to those facing breast cancer today who need our support!
In moments like this, your generosity can make a real difference. Together, let’s show breast cancer patients there’s a whole community standing by their side.
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