With My Hairdresser As My Witness...I Will NEVER Skip my Mammogram Again....

This past Monday morning started out great.... a beautiful, crisp sunny day. Every 5th Monday morning, I get my hair colored....It is a half-day job....I have alot of hair. :) So this Monday, I was sitting there in the hairdresser's chair.....chatting frivolously with Suzanne.....my MOST AWESOME hairdresser. She has been "Doing my hair"...for nearly twenty years. I was one of her first clients....she was fresh out of Beauty School....and I let her do my first "Spiral Perm"...(Looking back, that was probably a bold risk to take, but it turned out beautifully!)....I looked like I had a hundred hula hoops on my head...wish I had a picture of that day to share....we would all have a great belly laugh!!

Somewhere between putting the foils in....and taking the foils out....I decided to step out into the parking lot and get my phone...when I arrived for the appointment, I realized that it was low on battery, so I had left it charging in the car. I nearly startled the poor UPS man to death when I stepped out the door......a head full of what looks like tinfoil...and wearing a lovely black Redken cape....quite a unexpected site I suppose! When I got the phone....I had several missed calls....the most recent one from my husband.....then two prior from our local hospital and two prior from my Gynecologist's office. NOT as good sign. I knew I had just had my mammogram the week before (see prior posts) and had not gotten the "Your mammogram is fine" post card yet. The nurse in me put the clues together....and I just knew there was a problem.

I called Mark first....he was frantic.....the Hospital and the Dr's. office had both called him at home and on his cell. He was FREAKIN' OUT....and they would not tell him anything, except that it was very important that I call them ASAP. I hung up with Mark, checked my messages, and the hospital had called to pre-register me for a "Left breast diagnostic". The nurse from my doctor's office left me a message to call her back at my earliest convenience. My gut reaction...NOT Good.....not good at all. Noticing how all the color had drained from my face, Suzanne knew something was wrong. She knows me well. She was wonderful....trying to encourage me....speeding up the hair process so I could get out of there.

By this time the Dr's. office was closed for lunch. Great. S0...for about two hours, every worse case scenario ran through my brain. When the nurse called back, she said that I had "a thicker, denser area on my left breast, and they wanted to do some additional testing". But she also commented that they did not "see" anything, so not to get worked up at this point. She said that almost half of the mammos they got back, that they had to send the patient back for additional testing for clarification. I am thankful that I have an attentive doctor and that she doesn't just "wait and see". So I did feel better. I let my Sunday School and Ladies Bible study groups know, and of course, my closest girlfriends :) People were immediately praying.....some before I even hung up the phone. I am soooo blessed to have ladies like that in my life!

I felt the prayers...slept well....and did not freak out at all....UNTIL.....I walked into the breast imaging room for the tests....and saw the x-ray of my boob hanging up on the viewing screen.....with "IT" in it...."it" looked like a pencil eraser.....I could see it easily! It was so odd to see it there....and not feel it....not know it was there in my own body. Since I was a little nervous....I started taking photos with my cell phone....thought I should document the process....anything to keep my mind and hands occupied until the tests started! (See added photo.)

Luckily, "it" only showed up on one view of the first mammogram....the same radiology tech that did my initial mammogram was with me again. Her name is Susan, and she is an angel. She talked me through everything, and most importantly to me.....she knew I wanted to know what the results would show. She promised me I would know one way or the other before I left. She had a hard time finding "it" on any other view....even with the compression (EXTRA, extra smooshing of the breast)......but she finally found what she thought was a faint shadow....so she moved me down the hall to "Ultra sound". I had to lay there a few minutes, waiting for the test to begin. S0.....I began praying: ~Lord, You are Holy and awesome....I am unworthy to even ask. I ask for Your will.....and I ask that Your will is that this "it" is nothing serious.....I know I am selfish, and do not deserve any special favors.....but I'm asking for Your help here.....knowing that if You lead me to it....You will lead me thru it.....I love you....~

Susan came in....Propped me up on a wedge, and squirted me with the gel....began the ultrasound....probed, prodded, rerouted the wand.....she kept looking...and looking....and could not find anything! ~Thank you Lord.....This sounds like good news.~ She left and went and got the radiologist. He said that it was only fibrotic or lymphatic tissue, and that I could go home, and that I did not need to come back until next year.

I was estatic...thankful....relieved...blessed...and taken over with emotion...all at the same time!!

I could not help but think about my friend who has been battling cancer for quite some time now. She is so brave. I only got a faint taste of what she much be feeling......and I am here to tell you ....it is NOT a good feeling. Sue, you are my hero. We are still praying and trusting God and asking for healing....we love you!!!

In my last post, I talked about the uneasiness (without obvious reasons) that I was mysteriously experiencing.........Maybe it was God preparing me for Monday's phone call......I don't really put much stock in premonitions or fortunes or luck......but I must admit, I was quite relieved when my Fortune Cookie on Monday night said "You are about to experience a miracle".....NO LIE....can't make that kind of thing up!! It really said that!! I kept the little white paper as proof!!! I personally think that God knows what a wimp and doubter I am at times.....always asking for Him to speak to me....preferably in neon signs :) .....so he rigged the fortune cookie in my favor. God is SOOO cool like that!

I have felt so loved and prayed for over the last few days.....God has given me so many awesome people in my life.....I am overwhelmed just thinking about it as I write this.......You know who you are....and I love you all dearly....and am so thankful to have you all in my life!!

I will no longer take for granted being healthy.....and I will never forget how much I am loved.....by my family.....by my friends.....and by my God.

Lastly, I will NEVER skip my mammogram again.....I promised that to Suzanne as I was sitting there trying not to panic in her chair.....and we all know.....a woman is always honest with her hairdresser.....because there are just somethings....only you, and God and your hairdresser will ever really know. :)

Still rejoicing Y'all!
~Scarlett