Biopsy & Diagnosis

Ok! Here we go!

August 30, 2021-
This is where it all begins. This is the first step in finding out what we are dealing with. This is biopsy day.

My whole SQUAD is here. My ROCK of a husband, My SAINT of a mom, My SAFE HAVEN of a dad! I am a little worried the hospital is going to get mad at us for mobbing in with all the COVID protocols. They weren’t! They were so excited and welcoming to the fact that I have such a great support system!

I give all my kisses and hugs and go back with the nurse. I am a little nervous about the fact that they just numb you up for this and you have to be awake. I am red headed and we don’t numb well! (It’s a fact! Look it up) I do have some comfort in the fact that so far everyone at this facility has been great! Patient, calming, assuring. When I voiced my concern about the numbing they hear me and overly express that they will make sure I am numb. Ok… let’s get this done!

They are doing 3 biopsy’s. Two spots in the breast and one lymph node. They explain to me that they will use a different machine for each spot to do the biopsies and remind me that after they have the samples they need they will place the marker clips. They have the markers that have the cancer ribbon printed on them. HORRAY!!! (It’s the little things y’all)

This takes about an hour. They joke that they had used every tool and different dressing they have in their room. They laugh at giving me the full experience. I joke back that if they were to tell my husband this he would not be surprised. Haha

The procedure was not bad at all. I am a little nervous about the soreness over the next few days but I’m going to be good and do everything they tell me to do!

They walk me to the same office that they took me to to tell me I had cancer. And once again… my warrior husband awaits me and greets me with his magical forehead kiss!

The nurse coordinator goes over all of the don’t again with me and hands me these little round gel cold packs! (Little did I know these were going to be my best friends over the next few days) I told her which surgeon and oncologist I want to see before the procedure started and she already had my appointments set with them before we left. Can I just PREACH about how amazing this staff has been to me?!? She explains that my results of the biopsy will be in hopefully by Friday at the latest!

The key for me in this journey is being realistic and logical. You have been told that this looks to be cancer. You know they don’t tell you that if there was really any doubt! But there is still this small part of you that wants to believe and hope that this is going to come back as nothing. That they were wrong. It happens. Not often, but it happens.

So now, we wait…

September 3, 2021-

I have this app called My Chart. This thing is a blessing and a curse! All your appointments, charts, balances and results are in this app! You get a notification every time something is added. I have been anxiously checking my messages all day.

I finally get the notification we have been waiting for! Test results have posted. I have this weird moment of second guessing myself.

Do I want to read these now?
What if it’s bad news?
Do I want to ruin my holiday weekend?
What if I can’t understand?
My appointment with the doctor to review these results is not for 9 days.

So, what do I do? I call that WARRIOR husband of mine. Of course, He totally understands where I am coming from and has similar thoughts. However, It all boils down to this… I know the results are there and not looking at them will be all consuming.

In that moment, I had clarity… I am going to look at them now but I want to be alone. I feel guilty for a minute. This is not just my journey. This is my husbands. I cant open this without him.

I have my phone opened to the my charts app and the test results page is up. All I have to do is click on the results. Do it Samantha! You need to know! And then, my phone screen changes from My Charts to a phone call coming in… It’s Dr. Summit

Let me back track for a minute! (I know, I know… BUT THE RESULTS) Dr Summit. She is my OBGYN Doc. She is the one that found my cervical caner 5 years ago. She was so sweet and gentile when she gave us the news the first time. She assured me that she was sending me to the best oncologist there is with the US for this and I was going to be ok. When I found the mass with my self exam she was the first person I knew I needed. I trust her!

She asked me how I was doing and I explained I was anxious. She started to go over my results with me and her demeanor was just as I remember. Compassionate about giving the news but optimistic.

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
Estrogen Positive
Progesterone Negative
HeR2 Indeterminate

Well… We have a diagnosis. Now what?