October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month... get your mammogram!

Ladies... this is a reminder to get your mammogram. I don't care if you think you are too busy, too poor, too- whatever. Get it done. Take your sister, mom, grandma, or neighbor with you too. This is serious business...

Last week I had my yearly mammogram.Yes, I am young but I am high risk so we do this yearly. I went in on Wednesday afternoon... chitchatting with the tech who was doing it... not thinking a lot and I hear "Something came up on your mammogram, we need you to stay for a while longer". Ok... this happens just about every time I get done. I have fibrous tissue and cysts. Something always shows up. Then I go back for another set of films... something is still there, but not as bad. Ok, that sounds better... I guess. Then they say they want to do a ultrasound... although they are sure nothing is going to show up on it... until something shows up on it and the next thing I know I am scheduled for a biopsy for a few days later.

On the way home, the hospital called me back and said they want to do an MRI before the biopsy so the next day I calm my claustrophobic nerves and go dangle my boobs from an MRI machine. Mind you, the people were awesome and they had music. I think I fell asleep... without Valium, mind you. Huge victory for me.

That evening the hospital calls me back again and said the specialist wants to meet with me Friday morning. Hmmm... maybe its not nothing this time... people always tell me things on the phone. I never have to go in. I spent a lot of time in prayer that evening.

Next morning I went in to the hospital to meet with the specialist who deals only with breast imaging. First thing he tells me is that I caused him heartburn and that he didn't get any sleep the night of my mammogram b/c he thought he was going to tell a 33 yr old mother that she had breast cancer.

He showed me the mammogram images and for not knowing what I was looking at, they looked ugly. It was a white spot of tissue that looked like it had spider legs. I asked him how he knew it was ok and he brought up my MRI and it was clear. If it was cancerous, it would have glowed a blue color.

He suggests I get mammograms done every 6 months now and an MRI once a year. Remember, I have been told in the past "Its a matter of WHEN you get breast cancer and not IF you get it"... so I am all about screening and prevention. If I do get a diagnosis, I want it early. I want a chance to fight it.

So for now... I am breathing a sigh of relief, although it doesn't stop me from my advocacy. Do self-checks, do mammograms, follow up with your doctors, raise funds to help find a cure... the Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk is on October 8th in the SLC area.  If 1 out of 8 of us is going to get it, we cant just sit around and do nothing.