Sunday, January 31, 2010

How My Cancer Was Discovered

So much has happened in the two weeks since my diagnosis that I feel like I have about 20 blog posts in my head already. But, I will start at the beginning, with the story about how my cancer was discovered in the first place.

Just after New Year's, I noticed a physical change in my right breast that had come on quite suddenly. (My modesty is preventing me from a full description here, but if you want to know please don't hesitate to ask me and I will gladly tell you.)

I kept my eye on it, but it didn't change. A couple days later, I noticed as I was trying to fall asleep that while lying on my stomach, I could feel a very slight tenderness in the right side, but not in the left.

A couple days after that (Friday, January 8th), I did a self-exam as I was getting ready for work. I did not feel a lump, but overall my right breast felt different - harder and more firm than the left.

Right away, I called my gynecologist's office and made an appointment for the following Tuesday. At the exam, my gynecologist told me that I needed to have a mammogram and sonogram. While she did say that "nothing was jumping out at her," the fact that there was a difference between the right and left sides, and that I had noticed a difference, was reason enough to get it checked out.