Normally, my style is satirical in nature and soon I will go back to making fun of both our genders and hopefully make you laugh or at the very least roll your eyes. But, last week wasn't much fun, so please indulge me in this very important post:
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My maternal lineage is peppered with breast cancer and that means my sister and I are considered "high risk." It's not a fun label. It stinks quite frankly. So, we do our monthly breast exams religiously, and we show up every year for our mammograms and hold our breath until we get that letter in the mail stating all is well.
My mammogram was two weeks ago. After your exam, if they don't see anything glaring back at them, they send you home to await the "all clear" delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. I was sent home with no preamble and all seemed fine ...
sigh ... until the next day. No letter in the mail, just the phone call.
"There's a 'spot' on your mammogram."
After I swallowed the instant panic, I was able to ask, "What does that mean?" A compassionate scheduling clerk on the other end of this conversation noted that it wasn't a lump or a mass. It was a spot; probably a flaw in the film, nothing to worry about.
Yeah right. Does she not know the women in my family panic first and ask questions later? She understood my concern, but it would be a week before they had an open appointment - pure torture.
I softly hung up the phone, dialed my friend Kay and burst into tears. Within two minutes of hanging up with her, the third in our wine-drinking, girl-talk, gut-busting, shoe-shopping trio ran into my office, threw her arms around me and let me cry some more. Monica's not psychic; Kay dials fast. When I stopped crying, Monica ripped open her blouse, pointed at a scar on her breast and exclaimed, "You're not alone; we'll get you through this!"
I love my friends.
The appointment: I walk into suite 102 of the Invision Sally Jobe Breast Center. You don't want to have to go to Suite 102. Suite 102 is for those who are in need of follow-up because something of "concern" was found on their mammogram. A pleasant technician leads you to a room, tells you to strip from the waste up and put on a gown with the opening in the front (keep your purse with you). The spiel is well rehearsed, but the pat on the arm from the departing technician is genuine.
Once changed, you sit around the perimeter of a room the size of a standard office and wait your turn along with other women wearing matching gowns. We make eye contact, but only briefly. Nobody speaks, and we all have the same look on our face - fear mixed with nausea.
One by one, we are called back for our follow-up exam and then returned to that room and asked to wait while a radiologist reads our film. Of course, I had to break the tension upon my return with a light hearted, "Are we having fun yet?" (I just can't help myself.) Quiet snickers and exhales were brief. Then, back to silence and that look - me included.
After a while, another woman and I were the only ones left. We knew each other's thoughts telepathically and gave each other half smiles. We both waited for permission to go home. I got the "all clear"; she did not. My personal prayer of gratitude was silent. As I left, all I could do was squeeze her arm and tell her that I hoped it all worked out. How inadequate.
I've thought about her a lot in the past week, and I pray she too received good news.
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October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
It's time to make a difference and give all women the ability to breath easier.
The amazing people at Invision Sally Jobe help women every day. As they say, "It's what we do." And, they do it with kind hearts and understanding.
Invision Sally Jobe has a
goal:
to assemble the largest team at Komen Race for the Cure. For every registered team member, Sally Jobe will donate $5 to
Sense of Security, an organization that provides financial assistance to women as they undergo breast cancer treatment.
My goal: to show Sally Jobe just how fantastic the YourHub community is with a boost in team member registrations and/or donations.
Please be a part of this important cause and help the wonderful people at Sally Jobe reach their goal. To register (this includes sleeping in for the cure):
- Visit
www.komendenver.org and click "Register Now"
- Choose "Join an Existing Team"
- Find our team by entering "Sally Jobe" in the "Team Name" box.
- Choose "Sally Jobe" and follow the registration instructions.
The deadline to register is at Noon on Thursday, September 18th.