Today started early - a 6:30am drive to Moose Jaw to visit with the KPO folks. This was part of a two-day trip to touch base with some our KPO colleagues and find out how things are going, where we could be providing support, etc. A bit of a whirlwind tour, to say the least! I was tagging along with my friend and colleague Deb, just in case there were any questions related to training and certification.
We had just walked into the Moose Jaw General Hospital when I suddenly realized my phone was ringing. (It still takes awhile for that ring tone to register in my brain.) It was the Breast Health Centre calling to follow up on my MRI from yesterday. It seems that I need to have a core biopsy.
This threw me for a bit of a loop because I really didn't expect the results to be processed so quickly. And I didn't think the next step would be a procedure, I was expecting a discussion with my doctor about what the MRI had shown. So...I'm pretty sure my blood pressure spiked for a few minutes.
The office wondered if I could come in the next day but I was still scheduled to be in Regina until Friday. Deb, being the great human she is, offered to get me on a plane that night so I could be back. But mentally I just wasn't ready. I needed a couple days to process. The next available appointment was on Monday. I'm meeting with the doctor first thing in the morning, then coming back in the afternoon for the biopsy.
I've had moments of anxiety and moments of calm. At the end of it all, it really comes down to this: I have something in my breast that needs to be removed. That something is either benign or it's malignant. Either way I'll get to find out soon so I can either relax or deal with the next part of the process.
I'm trying to remain calm. But the truth is, this has been the most stressful time of my life. I think I'm coping on the outside but on the inside, I'm all over the map. I feel grateful for the quick follow up I've gotten, but at the same time I've often found the whole process bewildering. I don't really know what they were looking for on the MRI, what they did find, or why it needs a biopsy. I have my guesses (fueled by rather obsessive Googling) but it's surprises me how little information is actually provided to the patient. I keep thinking, "Shouldn't I know what's going on with my own body?"
We had just walked into the Moose Jaw General Hospital when I suddenly realized my phone was ringing. (It still takes awhile for that ring tone to register in my brain.) It was the Breast Health Centre calling to follow up on my MRI from yesterday. It seems that I need to have a core biopsy.
This threw me for a bit of a loop because I really didn't expect the results to be processed so quickly. And I didn't think the next step would be a procedure, I was expecting a discussion with my doctor about what the MRI had shown. So...I'm pretty sure my blood pressure spiked for a few minutes.
The office wondered if I could come in the next day but I was still scheduled to be in Regina until Friday. Deb, being the great human she is, offered to get me on a plane that night so I could be back. But mentally I just wasn't ready. I needed a couple days to process. The next available appointment was on Monday. I'm meeting with the doctor first thing in the morning, then coming back in the afternoon for the biopsy.
I've had moments of anxiety and moments of calm. At the end of it all, it really comes down to this: I have something in my breast that needs to be removed. That something is either benign or it's malignant. Either way I'll get to find out soon so I can either relax or deal with the next part of the process.
I'm trying to remain calm. But the truth is, this has been the most stressful time of my life. I think I'm coping on the outside but on the inside, I'm all over the map. I feel grateful for the quick follow up I've gotten, but at the same time I've often found the whole process bewildering. I don't really know what they were looking for on the MRI, what they did find, or why it needs a biopsy. I have my guesses (fueled by rather obsessive Googling) but it's surprises me how little information is actually provided to the patient. I keep thinking, "Shouldn't I know what's going on with my own body?"