Let's Get Caught Up...

 Two days after my fortieth birthday, I was diagnosed with Stage Three Breast Cancer.

So... how did we get here???

August 15th, 2024: I noticed a fairly large lump under my right arm pit. The lump was soft and moveable and didn't cause any pain. I assumed that the lump had something to do with the fact that I was still breastfeeding Braydon, but because I needed to schedule my annual exam, I decided to do that. 

August 16th, 2024: I scheduled my annual exam for the following week, August 21st.

August 21st, 2024: My best friend, Kendra, met me at my OB's office and took the kids to breakfast while I had my appointment. It took forever. My doctor agreed that it was probably breastfeeding related and did not schedule me for a mammogram as I was still actively breastfeeding. He referred me to have a sonogram and told me that he likes to be aggressive so if the lump was at all questionable, he would send me for a biopsy. Immediately after this appointment, I scheduled my ultrasound for September 3rd.

September 3rd, 2024: I went to have the ultrasound. The tech was very kind and told me she was sending over the images to the radiologist immediately to see if they needed any additional imaging. Once she sent the images over, she said the radiologist shared that what I was feeling was in fact not a lump, but it was my lymph node that was rather enlarged. She asked if I had recently had a cold or virus or any immunizations. I hadn't. She said I needed to have a mammogram (even though I was breastfeeding) and more than likely a biopsy. 

September 9th, 2024: I fed Braydon before leaving home for the mammogram in hopes that I would empty as much milk as possible. Then, when I got to the appointment, they had me pump again to make sure the images were clear. Then, I had my first mammogram. After the mammogram, they said the breast tissue, although dense, was clear and they saw no abnormalities. For this reason, they thought it best to do the biopsy right then to rule out lymphoma. They numbed me up and got right to it. The biopsy process took about fifteen minutes, and the pain afterwards was minor. They told me that I should have some results by the end of the week or as late as the beginning of the following week. 

Week of September 9th, 2024: For some reason, I made up in my mind (without telling anyone) that if results didn't upload in the virtual app that was bad news. I was barreling towards my 40th birthday and didn't want to stress about it too much, but as the days went by and no results posted, I just knew. 

September 14th and 15th, 2024: I had a wonderful birthday weekend, planned with such love and dedication from my family. I got to spend time with some of my absolute favorite people and then had a "The Office" themed costume surprise party that was beyond wonderful. I was totally overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of my family and friends. 

September 17th, 2024: I finally got a notification in the app, it was a message from my OB's nurse at 7 a.m. asking if I could come in today. Once again y'all, I knew. I already made an appointment that morning to take Bryson into his pediatrician, so I arranged childcare and scheduled my appointment for that afternoon. I went into my doctor's office and when he came in, he didn't mince words, "I got the results of your biopsy, and they say it's cancer." in his heavy Jamaican accent. The room didn't spin, I didn't cry. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I already knew. I was referred to a surgical oncologist and wished well by my doctor. Before leaving his office, I scheduled a visit with the surgical oncologist for the next day. 

September 18th, 2024: I met with the surgical oncologist who officially deemed me Stage Three since the biopsy of the lymph node showed Breast Cancer that had spread. We had a very in-depth conversation about my next steps and I left with many, many referrals. I had to schedule appointments with the following offices: 

• medical oncology
• dietitian
• geneticist
• PT/OT
• radiology
• MRI
• financial counseling
• bloodwork.

My best friend, Jen, offered to come to town from NC so I could schedule all of my appointments, and she could cover childcare, if needed. So, I got to scheduling.