In August 2001, a year after my Mom had passed away as a result of metastatic melanoma (skin cancer), I felt some pain under my arm. I felt to see what was going on and discovered a lump. I figured I had some type of glandular infection and scheduled an appointment with my primary care doctor.
She did a breast exam, suggested I take vitamin E and see her in 3 weeks. After the Vitamin E, the pain disappeared but the lump was still there. She ordered a mammogram. Three weeks later, she told me the mammogram did not show anything and she didn't think the lump was anything. She also said she didn't think it "felt like cancer."
The experience in taking care of my Mom taught me to be my own advocate. I told my Doctor that I didn't think she really had felt the lump that I was talking about. Then I put her hand on it. She immediately referred me to a surgeon for an ultrasound and possible biopsy.
The surgeon also said she also didn't think it "felt like cancer", but scheduled an ultrasound. After the ultrasound I had an ultrasound-guided needle biopsy.
FIFTEEN days after the biopsy, I was told that I had breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy and lymph node disection (17 lymph nodes removed but only 3 had cancer) in Dec. 2001, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. I had aggressive cancer... invasive ductal carcinoma.
Although I've had numerous biopsies since my surgery, they have all been benign.
I'm in my NINTH YEAR as a cancer survivor!!
I've also walked the Breast Cancer 3-Day four times!
I am confident that God led me to find the cancer. I'm so thankful that I pushed for a biopsy! BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE!!!
San Diego, CA