I went for the screening because my doctor said it was a good idea to get a ‘baseline’. She said it wasn’t urgent, but I did want to be diligent, so I made the appointment a couple months after she mentioned it. The screening mammogram was August 8th. The technician carefully explained the percentages of how many women are called back for an ‘additional view’, especially for their first screen. I don’t remember the exact number, but knowing that percentage made me less worried when I was one of those called back for the additional view.
I had the follow-up mammogram on Aug 13th. The second technician, tasked with getting a more thorough look at the one side that needed it, was less chatty about percentages and the like. I sat afterwards in a row of four women, each of us representing our unique and diverse demographics, and all there waiting for the same thing. None of us said a word to one another. I wondered what they were thinking. I wondered about their stories. When the technician had the approval of the radiologist that they had a good picture, I was on my way.
About a week later my doctor’s office called. My doctor was away on vacation but the locum doctor wanted to see me and the receptionist was offering me an appt the next day. I tried to work past the urgency of such an offer by taking an appointment a week or so later when my doctor would be back. The receptionist kept calling me back offering me other appointment times with the locum, making great efforts to get me in sooner, even on a Saturday if that works better. I acquiesced with a bit of a pit in my stomach.
The appointment was right before my dance class. The locum was kind but serious as he explained that there was a finding of ‘multiple microcalcifications’ on the right breast. ‘What are they?’ I asked, and he said ‘This is what we have to find out’ and ‘They are made of calcium, which is a byproduct of cancer cells’. Also, after reviewing the next step, a referral to BC Cancer Agency for a biopsy, he said ‘I’m sorry.’
I was surprised by his seriousness, frankly. I thought pragmatically (that’s my way) that we were just going through the motions of next steps in a process and that statistics were on my side. I picked up a feather on my way back to my car and since I was early for my dance class, I sat in the park for a bit of processing. Then I went and danced.
There was kind of a dreadful wait to hear about the biopsy appointment. In the meantime I told a few people what was happening, and saw my doctor to discuss where I was at and she assured me that yes, I would hear from the Cancer Agency directly when there was an appointment for me.
So I waited. Not too much longer. At the biopsy I was impressively okay, with the support of my mom, my meditation practice, and the hard boiled eggs Mom had brought in her purse for us to snack on (classic Mom move). I remember reading something on a wall somewhere about the percentages with regards to biopsies. Something about 80% showing normal outcomes.
But guess what? I’m in the 20%. I’m one of the 1 in 8 women that is diagnosed with breast cancer. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. As my doctor said, a very scary name for a cancer that is 100% curable in my case.
And so now I move onto next steps – surgery, radiation, the job of curing. It’s a lot, yes it’s scary, but I’m doing okay. And I want to tell you what I’m most grateful for right now (apart from the amazing support of friends and family): B.C. has a breast cancer screening program.
I literally could not have discovered this any earlier, thanks to the screening program.
Don’t let my story scare you out of getting screened, let it remind you of the fact that screening works, and book the mammogram.
Just do it.
I’m so glad I did.
