National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

I am an LPN who has gone back to school to finish her RN, it only takes one more year... Im dowm to my last semester with three weeks to go!! So excited! Im laying in my bed on sunday evening watching TV, I run my hand over the top of my chest, I feel a very distinct lump or thickening, I check the other side, it is not present on the left, only the right. I know that it is cancer,`I say to myself, "well there it is" as though I have somehow expected this to happpen. I ponder about whether to say anything or just put it off for only three weeks, thats all I have left of school, I have finals coming up, I do not have time for this. I speak to my best friend every morning on the way to class on our celll phones, I confide in her about my discovery... She has a 26 yr old daughter who recently survived brain cancer.. so I knew what her reply would be, I guessI just needed to hear it out loud, not just in my own head. I called for an apt with my OB/GYN that day (Monday), had a mammogram tuesday (my veryfirst one, I just turned 37 in March). I had a biopsy Wednesday, and my diagnosis Friday at 1:00pm. The following monday I made an apt to go to the Mayo Clinic, they did alot of tests, I received counseling, education and so much support. Even though this Clinic was in Minnesota, a seven hour drive from our home, I had received some reccomendations from women in my area who had been there for this treatment, It felt right in my heart that this is where I should be, I missed my family and friends that was the hardest part, but my husband was with me every step of the way, anyway I had the surgery one week after I arrived. I had a simple,skin sparing right mastecomy with immediate reconstruction, the put in this spacerto allow my chest musclesto expand enough to hold an implant. I took my finals two weeks early (the day before I left)and passsed, I was able to make it home fro the hospital in time to attend my Graduation! I feel so lucky to have found this tumor, I feel brave that I was able to be assertive enough to tackle it immediately. I never knew I had a brave or assertive bone in my body! God is with us all of the time, He knows us even if we dont know ourselves.
PS. T1 N0 MO