One year ago today, I got a biopsy on my left breast on my 39th birthday. The reason I got it done that day? The day before, on October 28th, I had my mammogram and ultrasound. I wanted to get the biopsy done as soon as possible. “Next day appointment…you have an opening. Great!” I never really thought about it as being my birthday, more of the fact of getting it done to finding out quickly. It took 4 days to get the results and on November 2nd, I found out it was positive for cancer.
Today is my 40th birthday. My chemo is done. My hair is growing back. I am working again. I am still on the Tamoxifen for 4 more years. I still have some finishing work to do on the reconstruction. Other than that, I am alive and happy. I am a Survivor. The cancer will be just a blimp on the radar after a while. Yes, I will have to go to the oncologist for the rest of my life, but that is a small price to pay for my life: to watch my son grow up, to grow old with my husband, to be alive.
This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This month, people will wear pink and wear ribbons. There will be walks, talks, articles and reports about Breast Cancer. Women and men will do their self-exams. Yes, men get it too. But you have to continue to be aware. Keep doing your self-exams. I did them periodically. I felt something in July 2009. I had my annual checkup with my general practitioner. He examined me, but ruled it out as the muscle being a little firmer. That is what I thought too. I saw him a few more times that month for high white blood count. Something was going on with me, but we figured it was just some infection because my numbers finally went down. I forgot about my breast issue until I went in to see my gynecologist 3 months later on October 13. By that time, it had broken through the walls of the milk duct and you could feel a pea-sized mass. It wasn’t there in July. I was nervous, but she was optimistic. She told me to get the mammogram within the next few weeks. I was 38 years old.
I was lucky. I was “only” Stage IIa ductal and infiltrating carcinoma with microscopic traces in one of the lymph nodes. If I hadn’t seen my gynecologist when I did, it could have spread further. Since I was sporadic at best about my self-exams, it could have been a lot worse. I am now more diligent about my self-exams, even though I get one from one of my many doctors every 2-3 months now.
This is not how I imagined being 40, but who imagines having cancer? On the plus side, I get to try out new hairdos as my hair grows back. I got a tummy tuck from the reconstruction surgery. Hello flat stomach! I also belong to a group that no one wants to be a member of, but has some fabulous people in it.
So, Happy Birthday to me! I am proud to be 40. I am happy that I made it to 40. I am happy that I am alive and healthy. I am happy to have a wonderful husband, son and family. I could not have gotten through this year without their support and help. Here’s to 40!
