Save Second Base...

I’ve missed blogging. I’ve been following a number of friends bloggers, and a few anonymous ones. Mostly I miss writing and sharing.

Today, after spending three hours in yet another hospital, I’m ready to share with my friends and family my latest Medical news, which I have carefully tried not to allude to on Facebook for a little over 4 weeks now… I just wasn’t ready. And Facebook seems like a silly way to announce to the world you’re going to have surgery.

I’ve been diagnosed with Fibrocystic Breast Disease, and I have a total of five nodules/fibroadenoma’s in both breasts. Everything is currently benign.

After ultra sounds, biopsy’s, blood work, examinations and most of my “fun” money on co-pay’s and prescriptions, I have been scheduled for an MRI and have a consultation with a surgeon in two weeks. I have now gotten three opinions on the surgery, and although I am devastated to face multiple scars on my breasts, I am convinced and resigned to the fact that this has to happen.

Although pronounced benign, the common opinion is that the tissue is a sitting housing for possible malignant grown in the future. And with no known breast cancer on either side of the family, I wouldn’t be going in for my first mammogram until I was forty. Although now I will have radiological check ups every nine months until I am thirty, when I will have my first mammogram.

*The reason I have not yet had one, is because for my age my breast tissue is very dense, and only shows up white on a mammogram, which camouflages the also white nodules.

Everything has escalated in one short month all the way to surgery because I’ve been in consistent active pain the entire time. The MRI (And possible spinal x-ray) will determine if there are any other factors causing the pain, as they believe the level of pain to be inconsistent with the fibroids. The pain in my back (I’ve also been seeing a chiropractor every week) may or may not be related.

So. That’s that. I’m not sad, per say. I probably will be devastated when I get my first look at the incision scars after surgery, but right now I can’t think about that. I’m mostly angry that before today, meeting with my new gyno, I felt like none of the radiological, primary care, or pharmacists could get their story straight and talk to each other before farming out the referrals, giving me conflicting prescriptions and advice and all within 5-10 minute visits in and out. I am not a farm animal to be herded! Gah. And I’m depressed. Everything hurts. Car rides – every bump in the road depending my pain level is either uncomfortable to absolutely torturous. I can’t SCUBA, obviously, as I can barely put on a bra without cringing, I cannot fathom squeezing on a wetsuit and carrying 70 lbs of gear on my back. And with impending surgery and recovery time my Holiday dive plans are ruined, unless I over-do it, and SCUBA anyways. Which I am seriously considering. Screw it, I’m already in pain, right?

I certainly welcome prayers and positive thoughts, but I’d truly appreciate it if we could not speak about this on Facebook. There are only a select few of close friends I know who will read this, and the other 250 friends on facebook don’t need to know :p

Thank you for reading, and for your concern. Love you all much!

- A semi-drugged lunch breaker.