Today I went to the Women's Center at St. David's Hospital in Austin, TX for a diagnostic mammogram. I saw my doctor last Thursday, Jan. 8, for a quarterly checkup and he requested that I get a diagnostic mammogram within the next week or two. The annual date would be sometime in March but my two-year anniversary of the breast cancer diagnosis is the last week in this month. I had surgery on February 8, 2007. Generally I hardly give the diagnosis a thought, but for some unexplainable reason, I was edgy over this mammogram.
As silly as it may sound, but I'm sure you ladies can identify, the first thought passing through my head when the doctor said to get the mammogram within the next week or so is my hair is finally a style I like after 18 months of gritting my teeth every time I did my hair. First the hair grew in baby fine and frizzy, then straighten to very, very curly, then straighten to limp and heavy. I decided to keep it short but have a dominate cowlick in the back that doesn't do well with a short, layered cut. I got a body wave and was all curls again. I do not like curls for me, thank you very much! As this week progressed my mind started edging to the worse scenario - reoccurrence, chemo, no hair! But, praise God, the report was good and I'm clear!
The only time anyone has gone with me on one of these trips is when it was a foregone conclusion per the biopsy that it was breast cancer. A dear neighbor offered to take me for the ultrasound and I was grateful for her support. Earlier this week I was talking about this trip to the Women's Center when a friend who has been through a breast cancer diagnosis offered to go with me today. I cannot tell you how much her support meant.
Dear ones, if you have a friend going for a mammogram, for a recall, or for a diagnostic, offer to go with them. It becomes an event; you take their mind off possible bad news, and are there to share in the good news. Husbands are wonderful support; but frankly, ladies, nothing compares to a girlfriend going along to share in the news -- good or bad!
The reason for my writing about this very personal part of my life is to help someone who might be in a similar situation. Until next time, God bless.
6 comments:
I am glad you had good news from your doctor's visit!
Ashley
:D Thanks for your warm wishes. -Lynn
Hi Lynn,
Thank you for visiting my blog.
I enjoy reading your blog, so I've created a link of your blog at my travel blog.
Take care and in good health!
Have a good 2009!
I was jsut thinking about something similar when I woke up this morning.
This weekend my GF will drop her daughter off to her ex-husband's mom's house. The grandmother needs to visit the doctor regularly and her own children are not always able to help her get there due to distance, etc. GF has stepped up to the plate a number of times. And I know I would definitely do the same if I was needed.
No matter who needs a hand, we all need to help out.
To both astrogalaxy and MilesPerHour: Thank you so much for your comments and for the link, astro.
I'm so new to blogging that I would have replied individually; but after publishing your comments, I couldn't figure out how to do it. I'll have to look into that procedure.
MPH, your GF sounds like a very special lady. We are so fortunate when we have people like than in our lives.
Thanks much Lynn for joining us on our site. We went to your profile and gained a better appreciation for your intestinal fortitude. We're trying to get better organized right now after a computer failure, but we now have a new one along with a video camera for purposes of generating video blogs and podcasts.
Please keep in touch with us, since we would like to interview you in the not too distant future about "coming back." Thanks.
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