How?
I suppose this is a rather obvious thing to ask, but How did this happen?
I had a mammogram 1.5 years ago. Okay, it was my first and only ever one so they had nothing to compare it to. But I am under the impression that this thing was too small to show up then. And yeah I wasn’t doing self exams. But still. 1.5 years from not showing up, to 8 cm and possibly spread? WHAT THE HELL???
How did I get to the point where I’m calmly discussing whether to let someone stick a needle through my lung into my liver? The only hesitation is that it is so awkward that a negative result will not mean anything, because they might have missed. So I’m thinking, shouldn’t we just assume it’s positive?
The oncologist was out on Friday so we have three days to wonder what happens, either way we decide.
Hang in there. You have a good point about treating it as if it is positive. Would you have a different treatment course if it was negative? Talk to you docs and if you don’t like what they have to say talk to some others. You’re not alone, sorry you’ve got to join the club but remember you’re stronger than you think you are.
Thanks. All the encouragement helps.
I told my doctor “I’d like to do the opposite of what you said was normally done” and she said “okay” so I’m good with her at the moment.
The reason I was able to do that (go for the cure, instead of maintenance) is because of all the encouragement and happy miracles stories I’ve been getting on the internet.
It’s pretty freaking unbelievable. Everything you say makes sense. How come they have to go through your lung? I am not a genius when it comes to the human body, ignoring mine as much as possible.
As far as the self exams, even when I think of doing it I’m not sure I’m doing it right.
I always wonder how old you are — I just can’t figure it out.
Fuck this cancer shit. That’s my prayer:)
I’m gonna be 48 in June. In other words, we’re practically twins, I figure.
I think the idea of the self-exam is, you see what it feels like most of the time, and then notice if anything changes. I for sure would have noticed this hard, foreign object sooner if I’d been looking. But I bet you can get some doctor or nurse type to help you figure out how to do an exam.
Apparently the liver sticks up and a little donut of lung surrounds the top, and that’s where my spot is. The other option is to go “the long way” I guess.