Well, today just got really, REALLY annoying

[annathepiper]

Just the other day I was posting to the social networks that I’d just realized that I’d passed the five-year mark since my original breast cancer diagnosis in 2007, and was closing in on five years since I’d been pronounced cancer-free and had commenced reconstruction surgery. (All that got started in 2008, until everything was finished off in 2009.)

I’d just had my latest mammogram this past week, and was expecting it to be routine. They’ve been having me in for regular mammograms ever since the 2007-2009 excitements, and they’ve been keeping a really, really sharp eye on me in general.

Which means that when they see things like new calcifications in a mammogram, this trips all their alarms.

Calcifications in the breast, for those of you who don’t know, are one of the very early warning indicators of breast cancer. They are in fact what got me started on the first round of fun, with my first mammogram back in 2007. Apparently now I have some new ones–this time on the left side.

They are very tiny, only 3mm in size. But the fact that they’re there at all, given my history, is suspicious. So the team at Evergreen has scheduled me for a biopsy next week to see if they can get a better look at them. Since the calcifications in question are so tiny, however, a biopsy might not even work. In that event, we punt to Plan B–sending me to the same surgeon I worked with before, who’d take out the suspicious area. The biopsy is scheduled for Monday. The backup surgeon visit is scheduled for Tuesday.

And Wednesday is my birthday. Which means I get a biopsy for my birthday. And another possible round of DCIS, depending on how this goes. I don’t mind telling you, Internets, I’m really nervous about this, because really not in the mood to do this again.

All good thoughts, crossed fingers, prayers, lit candles, fluffy small cute creatures, awesome bouzouki players, podorythmic fiddle players, or crack ninja assassin teams to take out whatever gnomes have dedicated themselves to taking over what’s left of my breasts would be most appreciated. If I have to do this again, though, at least this time my choices will be much clearer. If there’s anything going on on the left, we’ll be going straight to mastectomy.

More bulletins as events warrant.

Mirrored from angelahighland.com.

Comments

[janne.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry you have to deal with this again. Sending good wishes your way, and crossing my fingers for a false alarm.

[annathepiper]

Thank you! A false alarm would be nice. I could handle that.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

Oh for fuck's sake.

I'm sorry. Hang in there, and I am thinking positive thoughts.

[annathepiper]

Thanks much! And yeah 'OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE' about covers it.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

*hugs* and good thoughts to you.

i just got screened for the brc genes, we'll see if anything comes up.

[maellenkleth]

Good luck with the .brc and whatever you do, genetically, don't you dare turn out to be my thirteenth cousin seventeen times removed or something. With my Baltic origins, **anything** is possible :/

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

four to six weeks for full results! we shall have to sit and mull when they come in :)

you are my sister of the soul, & that outdoes anything.

[maellenkleth]

*heh*

Hugs the L'il Orc fiercely -- shall be in Massawhoozle
the first week of February, weather permitting! ^_^

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

whee! looking forward to hugging your in-person elven self :)

[maellenkleth]

Jahh, likewise. Now trying to figure out if there's anything we can do to be supportive of Anna above and beyond thinking thinky-thoughts of vanquishing the bffn.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

if there is let me know!

[annathepiper]

I will! (This whole 'in different cities' thing does make things a bit difficult.)

[annathepiper]

Anna certainly appreciates the good thoughts over here!

[annathepiper]

Thanks! *hugs* Hope the screening has good results.

[mdlbear]

Good thoughts, and good luck!

[annathepiper]

Thank you!

[framlingem.livejournal.com]

Well, crap. Keep us posted - I hope everything goes well.

[annathepiper]

Thanks! More news next week.

[maellenkleth]

Oh bloody hell.

**hugs** unto thee, Anna-Chan!

[annathepiper]

Bloody hell, crisse du tabarnac, and various other swear words, yeah.

YAY! No wait, did I mean YAY? I meant FUCKING HELL.

*hugs*

[agrimony.livejournal.com]

Good luck! *hugs*

[annathepiper]

Thank you! *hugs!*

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

Sorry you're having this hassle all over again, hon. Hope you get your results quickly.

[annathepiper]

Thank you! Me too.

[kisanthe.livejournal.com]

Oh, lady. My best wishes and crossed fingers that it doesn't come to anything more than the biopsy, annoying as that is on its own. You deserve to have this problem *go away*.

[annathepiper]

Thanks much!

[peregrine-ek.livejournal.com]

I hope everything is benign and goes well for you.

[annathepiper]

Thank you very much!

[jedishampoo.livejournal.com]

Aw, man! ::crossing fingers it's nothing::

::sending lots of good thoughts your way::

[annathepiper]

Thank you!

[cruisedirector]

I'm so sorry -- best wishes it turns out to be nothing serious!

[annathepiper]

Thank you! I'm really hoping it turns out to be "the mammogram pinged off of scar tissue from the previous procedures", which is within the realm of possibility. We'll see on Monday.

[prettyshrub.livejournal.com]

*HUGS* *GOOD MOJO*

[annathepiper]

Most appreciated, thank you!

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

Raised some energy in your direction at the Friday night ceilidh at Arisia. Hoping everything is going well (still not caught up on current LJ).

[annathepiper]

Aw, thank you for thinking of me! :)

Got GREAT news this morning, the results were clear, so maybe your energy through music helped! :) :)

Re:

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

It was a ceilidh, it was hard not to think of you. :)

I'm SO glad you got a clean bill of health!

*big hugs*

Re:

[annathepiper]

Me too! And yay, me associated with a ceilidh! *hugs!* :)