Pink Promise

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close, I decided to share my story. This is unusual for me because I tend to be a fairly private person. But if it encourages even one woman to make her mammogram appointment, or one man to encourage his loved one to do so, it will be worth it.

 

In early December of 1991, I went to the doctor due to a bad case of bronchitis. While looking through my records, she mentioned that it was time for a mammogram. Because I worked for the school system, I said I would wait until June to have it. But, since the imaging center is in the same complex, I decided to stop in to see if there was an opening during the Christmas break. I was able to make an appointment for December 26th.

 

After the radiologist examined my breasts, he said that he couldn't feel anything unusual, but he had seen something on the film that he didn't like and wanted me to go to a surgeon.

 

The surgeon couldn't feel anything either but, to be on the safe side, he wanted to do a biopsy. Unfortunately, the results were positive. He told me that it would have been at least two years before the tumor would have been large enough to be felt.

 

I had a mastectomy, at which time some lymph nodes were removed for testing. The surgeon thought that the cancer would not have spread to the lymph nodes because the tumor was so tiny, but it had spread to two of them. It could have spread even farther had I waited until June for that mammogram. I received very aggressive chemotherapy and took Tamoxifen pills for the next five years.

 

So here I am, nearly eighteen years later. I wonder if I would still be here had I not had that mammogram. If it is time for yours, please don't put it off.

 

Pink Promise is the official rose of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

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