In my last column I shared with you that I was walking down
the path of determining whether or not I had breast cancer. A routine mammogram
led to more images, which led to a biopsy, which led to a lumpectomy.
The whole experience took place over about seven weeks.
Seven weeks of the constant question in my mind being “Do I or don’t I?” I
contemplated what I would tell my children, I wondered how my family would deal
with it. Even with the odds being in my favor that it wasn’t cancer, my mind
played out many scenarios.
I’m not someone who likes to spend a lot of time dwelling on
a mystery, unless it is one in the pages of a good book. I knew I needed to
focus my mental energy in a way that had me moving forward while we went
through the process, which would take time.
While I kept busy and passed the days leading up to my
lumpectomy, I found peace in knowing that my worst-case scenario still meant
early treatment. Additionally I realized
that whatever it was, already was. No amount of worrying or “what-ifs” would
change anything.
What I needed was to focus on something that didn’t involve
abnormal cells, a mass, surgery etc. We had been making plans for months with a
Giant Schnauzer breeder in Illinois to have a dog join our household.
Two weeks before my surgery we headed to Chicago to pick up
what became the best distraction ever.
Odin was 10 weeks old when we brought him home. Between work, my day to
day life and Odin, the next two weeks leading up to my surgery flew by!
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| Odin 10 Weeks |
Between the start of the holidays and watching Odin explore
his new community, I was having a wonderful time. He met Santa for the first
time at the Excelsior Real Estate Annual Free Kid’s Movie, he went on his first
horse drawn carriage ride down Water St. in Excelsior. He even spent and will spend a few days a
week with us at our store J. Novachis getting socialized.
When I saw my Doctor at a scheduled appointment she said I
was the first patient she has had show up to a pre-lumpectomy physical who was
smiling and laughing. I shared with her that I knew no amount of worry on my
part was going to change anything, good or bad. I also told her about Odin, the
joy he was bringing to our lives and how it helped to keep me in the moment, rather
than worrying about what may or may not be.
The day of my surgery arrived and I was ready. My surgery went very well. Within two days I
got the news I had been waiting for. The surgeon said that though they found
more abnormal cells, I had no cancer cells! The mass removed during my
lumpectomy shows no cancer. Needless to
say I was and am thrilled with this news.
Unfortunately, I came down with a pretty bad case of
bronchitis while recovering. There is nothing like sailing through a lumpectomy
and then being almost taken out by bronchitis. When I got home from the hospital
Odin remained right by my bedside during my recovery, which has taken much
longer because of the bronchitis.
I did learn a valuable lesson after my surgery. When you are
recovering from the affects of anesthesia or narcotics, it is best to log out
of your Amazon account. Otherwise, within a few days odd things start to arrive
at your home. Did you know you can get a beanie type face mask for winter that
make you look like an Octopus? You can, I now own them in green and gray.
I’ll be following up with my doctors and staying on top of
future screenings. I’m in a high risk category, but today I don’t have cancer.
That’s good enough for me at the moment.
This experience has reminded me about keeping things in
perspective. We can’t always change or control what is, but we can control how
we choose to respond to it.
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