It’s Not a Tumor!
posted at 10:29 am
on May. 17, 2011
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File this under No-News-Is-Good-News.
Susie recently had a health scare, and after a mammogram, an ultrasound, a biopsy and 18 sleepless nights, we’ve discovered that she has, and I quote a medical professional here, “extremely firm breasts.”
Whew.
A cancer scare is horrible experience. It’s even more so, when the death from cancer of another friend is so fresh on my mind.
From the first doctor’s visit through the quick analysis and diagnosis at the Rapid Access Breast Clinic (talk about false advertising, by the way), Susie was certain, or close to it, that the lump was a malignant disease. I was convinced (or convinced myself I was convinced…) it was a harmless blip—and it did turn out to be what the doctors called a harmless lipoma of adipose tissue. Or as Susie puts it: it was breast.
What’s interesting, though, is that before a diagnosis, we were dealing with the same situation, but with very different understandings and points of view. That was true for the few people Susie told, too. Some were very supportive, some were dismissive, some commiserated, others simply told her not to worry because everything was going to be alright.
It showed me how important it is for everyone to be on the same page. And how fighting a disease is a complicated social problem as well as a medical one.
It also reaffirmed that I’m the Polyannish one and that Susie is the worrier. Never have I been happier to be right!
Life isn’t simple. It’s scary at times. And you can’t know if you’re right. What I learned is, you have to treat people well, and take them seriously, and pay attention.
And make sure you pay close attention to the breasts in your life.
