Breast Unit 1st June

Chris and I pootled off to RUH on the Park and Ride and settled down for a long wait at the Breast Unit. Poor Chris had a longer wait than expected.

The mammogram was the worst. The radiographer had to keep changing the plates for smaller ones (small breast or small lump??!!), so I was a little sore by the end of it. After that it was into another room for the ultrasound scan. This is where I was told that there were 2 areas of calcification and an enlarged lymph node in the armpit, so they were going to take some core biopsies under local anaesthetic. Brace yourself Tracey! Certainly had to do that........9 biopsies later!

Then we saw the consultant and the breast care nurse who I'd be assigned to.....mmmmmm.........what does that mean and why? Consultant told me that we just had to wait for the results before anything could be discussed, but that it did look suspicious. We were to make another appointment in 1 week. Irene, the breast care nurse gave me her card and said to ring at any time, that it would be a tough week and to be kind on myself. BANG! That was a bolt out of the blue - didn't quite expect that.

The tears started in the toilet, but I had to pull myself together, because we'd come on Park and bloody Ride!

There was also the task of telling those closest to me - my Mum, Dad, Dad & Heather and the kids. Oh God, what was I going to say to the kids? More tears.

None of that was easy. We decided to tell the kids, in the event of bad news the following week. It would be awful if I suddenly had to tell them I had cancer and they didn't even know I'd been tested.

The kids were ok about it, convinced everything would be ok. My Mum cried with me. Everyone tried to sound positive - wished I could feel the same.