It Gets Real.......

10/31/12--Wednesday--Day 18--Whew...It's Over
Wednesday I was relieved to be back at work.  My breast was a bit bruised, but it was over.  My results would be back that day or the next, and we would be done.  I wondered what they do with a cyst?  I'm sure they just leave it there and watch it in the future.  Oh well.

11/1/12--Thursday--Day 19--Strange
Hmmm.  Kind of strange that I haven't received a call.  Thought for sure I would.  They were probably busy.  No, wait.  The radiologist said they had actually been getting results out within a day or two recently.  That's odd.  I finally decided to call the imaging center.  Nope, nothing in the computer.  Will probably be put in before tomorrow.

11/2/12--Friday--Day 20--The News
It was almost noon and I had not heard a thing.  I called the imaging center again.  Nope, no results in the system yet.  Holy cow!  I didn't want to go the weekend without this thing resolved.  I had to find out something.

No one at my office knew anything about any of this.  No need to worry anyone over nothing.  But I had to make some calls.  I had to find out something.  I went down the hallway and ducked into the testing room.  I called Charlene, Wanda's daughter who had worked at Banner hospitals for 30 years.  She gave me an inside number to call the pathology lab directly and find out which doctor had my case on his/her desk.  She then explained how they do the testing.  Tuesday the sample would have sat in solution to firm up then it would have gone into a machine overnight.  Wednesday it would have been sliced and read.  If they found something, they would put a different dye on it, let it sit overnight.  Thursday, if what they found the day before was confirmed, they would dye it again to type what kind of whatever it was and let it sit overnight again.  That would lead to Friday.  This was Friday.

 When I called the lab, they put me on hold, then came back and said they should be faxing the results to my primary care doctor in just a few minutes.  Finally...thank goodness.  I texted my doctor.  I hoped she didn't mind.  She did tell me I could use that number at any time along the way.  I told her the results should be on their way shortly.  She assured me she would call me and to call her back at 3 if I hadn't heard from her.  Finally, some relief.  What a hard day it had been.  I began to review in my head what Charlene had said earlier about the process.  I wondered if having to wait this many days might mean something bad.  I texted Charlene.  "They are supposed to fax results to my primary care physician.  Thank you.  I'm glad I called." "Good," she replied. Let me know how you are."  I exited the testing room to find Gail, the superintendent's secretary, and Stephanie, my secretary looking for me and a bit perplexed when I come out of that room.  "I just needed to make a phone call where it wouldn't be loud and I wouldn't be interrupted," I tried to explain.

After I got back from lunch, around 2, I called my doctor's office.  Yes, they had the results.  They would make sure the doctor knew they were in.  I text Charlene and update her.  She texted back, "Are you by yourself?"  "I'm at work," I told her.  "I'll go to my car to take the call," I texted.  That's odd.  Wonder why she said that.  I text her again, "Timing wise, would you predict good or bad results?  Be honest."  I read her reply and my heart dropped a bit, "I would say it is positive for something..."  I thanked her.  At 3 my phone rang.  It was the doctor.  Thank goodness!  Finally!  I got up and close the door.  Carol was already gone, so that was good.

I wish I could remember exactly what she said.  It just quickly ran into a blur.  "Your biopsy report came back positive.  I'm so sorry, Susan.  It is cancer.  They have typed it as Ductal Carcinoma In Situ..."  I remember freezing for a second and tears beginning to well up in my eyes.  Okay, hang on.  Wait a minute.  What?  It's what?  I opened a blank page on my computer.  "Can you tell me that again?  What did you called it?  Can you spell it?"  I typed what she said.  She mentioned something about it being good because it is still in the membrane.  She said something about calling and getting an appointment right away with the cancer center.  She reminded me to text her or call her if I needed to and to update her with what I want to do.  She could have her office get an appointment set up with them.  I don't really remember everything else.  I think I went into shock at that point.  Oh my gosh.  Wow.  Really?  I really, really didn't expect that.  I was crying.  What am I supposed to do now?  I called Greg.  "The doctor just called..." was all I could get out before I choked up again.  He figured since I was calling him on the phone, it was a good result.  "What?"  I crackled out "It's cancer.  It's breast cancer."  "Susan, are you okay?  What did you say?  What were the results?"  I tell him again through my tears.  He asked again in disbelief.