Shortly after I was diagnosed, I read an essay by a journalist who had just died from stage 4 breast cancer. In her essay, she said that the average life span for women diagnosed stage 4 was 18-24 months.
Two years ago today, I received my first bit of really, really bad news.
The first biopsies had been done a few days prior.
Three core/puncture biopsies of the right breast without sedation. That was truly and utterly the most horrifying and painful experience of my entire life to date.
Those biopsies had revealed invasive ductal carcinoma.
That diagnosis resulted in the ordering of a breast MRI, which revealed another tumor on the left side.
That diagnosis resulted in the ordering of biopsies on the left side (done by a far more compassionate doctor, and not as awful), which were done Dec. 29 (?), which determined Tubular lobular (in situ) was on the left.
On Dec. 31, I was in the chair of an oncologist's office.
He recommended a double mastectomy, and ordered a PET scan and a brain MRI. By the beginning of January 2015, I had been to the surgeon for an initial consult, and had heard the worst possible news that I could ever have imagined.
Stage 4, bones, liver, and lymph nodes. Average max life span? 5 years.
But today marks the day which started that cascade of horror. I think I will do my best today to celebrate that the "18-24 months" is OVER, and I am still here, and still thriving.
Next goal? BLAST past that 5 year mark, and still be here, thriving!
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