A tale of two boobs: Part 1
I remember running laps in sixth grade gym when I felt the slightest hint of a jiggle.
“Awesome,” I thought, “I have boobs!”
But as we all know, most thoughts we have at age eleven are critically flawed.
Fast forward to this January. I’d been contemplating breast reduction surgery for a couple of years. To the casual observer, I pass for a 36D, maybe DD depending on the day’s wardrobe. But clothing and flab betray the tininess of my frame.
32FF is not a bra size sold in stores. In fact, 32FF is a size that makes my doctor’s eyes bug in horror.
Ordinarily, I’d have been sent directly to the plastic surgeon — the finest in the land. But given my family history of breast cancer, Doc thought maybe I should get a mammogram first. Just to get the ducks in a row.
Two years ago, my mom had her annual mammogram. The film came back and there were small calcifications on her left breast. Her doctor said, “Your mammogram is bad. We caught it early. I’m sending you to a specialist, do everything they tell you.” A second mammogram, a biopsy, a second surgery to remove any iffy margins, and a round of radiation later, she is cancer-free.
Today my mammogram came back. It looks eerily similar. Calcfications, left breast, three-o-clock.
The radiologist gets a closer look at 8:30 a.m. on the 24th.
Part 2 coming as soon as I know what comes next.
Katie: It’s scary times, but it doesn’t have to mean the same thing as what your mom went through. My sister’s going through something similar right now, … she had a biopsy in January which was benign, but then an MRI showed another “mass” they wanted to biopsy. But THEN the radiologist said the “mass” was scarring from the January biopsy, so now we’re waiting for another MRI to see if the pictures have changed. She had breast cancer before, and my mom had it a couple of years ago, so we wait and hope.
My thoughts and prayers will be with you for a good test result.
Alice
Comment by Alice — 4/15/2008 @ 11:17 pm
How scary =(
I’m sending all my well wishes..
Comment by Gry — 4/16/2008 @ 1:33 am
Good news:
(not to be the eternal optimist or anything, I just don’t do bad news well, you know?)
My aunt just had the same thing happen to her Uncomfortably large bust which she has wanted reduced since the age of 15, calcifications, the whole mess-she is now a cancer survivor two times over. Anyway, apparently in the state of KS when you have breast tissue removed from one side, your insurance has to cover plastic surgery to make the other side match. It’s like a breast reduction that legally has to be paid for. My aunt is pretty excited that she’s down to a C. Best of luck.
Comment by Stephanie — 4/16/2008 @ 7:34 pm
Hey Katie!
I’m sorry to hear that you’re having to deal with that. I can sympathize a very little bit. About a year ago I had a biopsy and I must say that I never realized how scary and important boobs are. It is hard to imagine how you must be feeling, but you are awesome and you can pull through it! I hope everything goes well! I’ll be praying!
Comment by Amanda Knoll — 4/16/2008 @ 8:44 pm