Discovery

March 17, 2015: The beginning.

While laying in bed one night, feeling sore from crossfit I was rubbing my chest and I had a fleeting thought of: "Oh, maybe I should do that self breast exam thingy they always recommend you do." So after performing it, I ended up discovering a lump in my left breast. And of course, my initial thoughts are. "Oh shit, I found a lump, just like they told me to search for.” Rather than freaking out instantly, I decide to call in an assistant, my hubby, Tony Day. After he confirms it's a lump we decide maybe we should just watch it for a few weeks and see if it changes.

To my lady friends, apparently lumpy breasts is common in many women. I do not have lumpy breasts and so this was very clearly a new lump. Also, you are more than welcome to feel the lump to give you an idea of what to look for! :) 

March 20th: Doc Visit. 

Although we were going to wait a few weeks I called my gynecologist to ask her advice on if I should have it checked out. She said it is probably nothing but to be safe have it looked at. I was leaving on the 20th to go to Moab for 5 days with my entire family and I didn't want to think/stress about it all weekend. So I got set up with a doc in Carbondale and had it checked out. Dr. Smith at Roaring Fork Family Physician was really great but after he inspected the lump he recommended I play it safe and have an ultrasound performed.  Bummer. More money, time and stress. But okay.

March 24th: Ultrasound. 

I decided not to tell anyone in my family about it because I didn't want to stress them out. Us Mathers tend to overanylize and stew over things. But I finally tell my mom because she and my dad are planning to come back to Coloraodo with us for a week. 

Driving back from Moab with my mom and dad we stopped in Rifle, CO to get my ultrasound. We stopped here because Grand River Hospital offers 50% discount to those that pay upfront (not ran through insurance). Since I was assuming/hoping this would be the last stop regarding this lump, I planned to just pay for it upfront and save myself the money. 

Dr. Udeski performed the ultrasound and read it as he went. Basically he told me: “I think this is just a fibroadenoma, which is common in young women. That’s a benign tumor that won’t harm you. I feel 99.99% sure that’s what it is.” At this point I am jacked thinking we are good to go. But he follows it up by stating, “but I recommend you have a biopsy done to be sure.” He did say I could also come in 3-6 months later and have it analyzed again, then do that again 3-6 months after that. But he recommends the biopsy.

So, I get it. You can’t give me the 100% green light. I get it, you legally have to recommend the next step. But when you tell me 99.99% sure, that is really pretty awesome odds. I would go to Vegas and make a bet with the bookies for $50,000 with those type of odds. Like really? I should still get a biopsy? You’re just covering your ass.

I spend about a week talking to people trying to figure out if I really should take this next step. Another radiologist at Grand River reviews my file. My doc in Carb looks it over. I am involving a lot of people in this decision making process, sorry all! After the convo with my doc, who said he also thinks it is nothing but it’s my life we are talking about and it would be much safer and better to make absolutely sure. He said right now they feel I am a 1 in million chance of it being something bad. They just wanted to do the biopsy to make me a 1 in 10 million, make that percentage go to 99.999%. So I suck it up and book the biopsy, even though every rational thing is telling me this is a waste of money and time. A Guardian Angel was watching over me with that decision.

I really was not that freaked out at this point. I mean come on, 99.99% sure, I wasn't even worried at all! Man did this cancer thing crush the idea of what 99.99% means.

Because I am a Mather, I of course want to find the best deal. So I spend a while calling Valley View Hospital, Grand River Hospital and my insurance comparing the costs of the biopsy and what this will cost me. I had a crash course in Insurance 101 those days. The gals at Grand River were so amazing dealing with all my phone calls and questions. For those that know me, I am very aware of my money and always looking for the smartest financial decision.

April 8th: Biopsy. 

They wanted to schedule my biopsy on Tuesday the 7^th, but that would mean I wouldn’t be able to go to my favorite crossfit class which is Tuesday at 5:30. Not cool. And if I did it Wednesdsay then I could also attend my Wed morning class, do the biopsy and then take a few days off like they said I would need to. We gotta make sure to get our crossfit fix in!

Again, I wasn’t even worried about the results. I wasn’t thrilled about the needles and the actual procedure but I’m an out of sight, out of mind person. I just made sure to not look at the tools they would be using. Oh and I made them talk crossfit to me for the entire procedure so my mind was totally distracted and happy. Poor radiologist and technician who are not crossfitters and probably thought this was true: 

The biopsy did not hurt. A little pressure, a little weird but no real pain.

They told me since it was Wednesday we might know by Friday but it could also be next Monday. Again, I’m still not concerned and don’t really care that much when I find out the results as it’s a 99.99% chance of being nothing.  They send me on my way and tell me to be careful and to not do any exercise for a few days and to probably hold off on dips, muscle ups, etc for 5—6 days. Darn.