Opportunities

So far, so good with this round. Granted its only been 24 hours, but I'm feeling pretty good, just tired. Here's hoping everything stays status quo. This entry is titled opportunities, because I realized I had two amazing opportunities to tell my story this week to women I don't know very well or at all.

The first was actually at the vets office when Mark and I stopped there for Jaeger our dog. One of the vet techs knows me because I have taught her children. She had asked how I was doing and began asking me questions. As I was talking, other employees began to gather to listen as well as another lady who had her dog there. I basically told them it was my regular annual mammogram that caught the tumor and even though it was hard to detect(due to my dense breast tissue), the persistence of the doctor to run more tests to confirm what he thought he saw. We talked about my other tests, my surgery, why I chose the type of surgery I did, and my treatment.

My second opportunity came after treatment yesterday. It was 2pm when I got done. I was feeling good and I was hungry so my dad and I decided to get a quick bite to eat at a diner close by the treatment center. It's pretty obvious I am probably in treatment because I have no hair. I ordered a chicken souvlaki and some greek potatoes. I figured I could taste those. The salad I could but not the potatoes. When the waitress came back she asked me if there was something with the potatoes. I said no, I just couldn't taste them because I was in chemo and I have trouble tasting things. She asked if I went for treatment next door and I said yes. She asked what type of cancer I had and after I told her, she said she had recently had a breast cancer scare, but the lump was benign. She wished they would take it out because it bothered her. She asked a lot of questions, and I answered them all. She told me she thought it was wonderful how honest I was about my situation and willing to talk about it.

The point I made with all of those ladies is to go get your annual mammogram. I know it's uncomfortable and can be scary. Take a friend with you, ask me to go, just go. It's something I've gotten used to lately. I will be scanned often now, so if you have questions about any of the procedures I've had, just ask me. I'll be honest with you, I have thus far!