It amazes me how life can suddenly change with the blink of an eye. One minute you can be on top of Mount Everest, the next you’re finding yourself just trying to get your feet under you. Life has a way of throwing a curve ball at any given moment. What will help us duck for cover or take the hit as it comes is having the necessary tools and circle around you to help you pick up the shattered pieces. This past week I found myself the target of a curve ball regarding my health that I didn’t even see coming.
After almost 10 months, I’m still nursing which means I still get the exciting liberty to pump every day. Fun. One particular day I’m pumping like normal when I feel something. “What is that?!” It felt like a pretty hard knot. At that moment I didn’t think too much into it. Laila is pretty rough and likes to hit and play with me, so I figured it was just from the roughhousing. The next day, same time, same place, I felt this knot again. This time is was pretty obvious and the other side didn’t have this knot. Without hesitation, I knew I needed to call my doctor. I made the first available appointment I could get, which would be the next day.
The following day, my doctor felt the same knot I was feeling. He went through a ton and one scenarios with me of what could be going on. However, unless I had a mammogram and ultrasound of the area, we would never know. Pretty bummed about this news, I set up the first available appointment with the Ultrasound specialist and doctor the next day.
After an uncomfortable mammogram & several ultrasounds, they still couldn’t determine what this was! They could see it. They marked it as a “mass” but they couldn’t make it out. The next option was to have a biopsy done of the area to take samples of the area to see if it was cancerous.
Wait…what?
Keep in mind this was all in a matter of a 2-day span, so my head at this point is spinning. Although I knew it would be okay, I immediately broke into tears. Where is this coming from? I’m healthy with barely any medical issues or concerns. How can this be?! I’m only 31! Regardless of my feelings, I made the first appointment possible at the hospital to have the procedure done. My faith had to be bigger than my fear.
The day of the procedure I had all the confidence in the world I would be taken care of. Regardless of the diagnosis, I was prepared for whatever. The procedure took all of 10 minutes and didn’t hurt at all. I left with a band aid, an icepack and all sorts of information “in case this happens.”
I was told I would have to wait 2-3 business days for results. I left, grabbed a bite to eat and decided I was going to be happy & not waste time being scared or upset.
Within 24 hours, I received a call from the nurse that my tests came back benign! Thank you Jesus!
During this entire time I was so unsettled and uncertain of what would happen. However, I kept saying my faith had to be bigger than my fear, no matter how things looked. God was putting me through this for a reason. Regardless if the tests came back in my favor or not, I knew my story could be shared to possibly help someone else.
As women, we have the sharpest, spot-on gut instincts, and yet, we fail to make a move. If you are feeling a lump, not feeling well, found something out of the ordinary, I urge you to not ignore it. Don’t brush it off. Don’t sit and wait on account of fear. We are women, wives, fiancées, mothers, sisters, aunts, & daughters. Please go get yourself checked or tested. If it’s treatment or testing or whatever medical procedure you have to do, get it done! I knew I had a beautiful family that loves and needed me. I have too much to live for and you do too.
I’m glad you’re okay! Health scares are never fun. Thank you for sharing this. Maybe it will help people that don’t take their health seriously change their minds.
Glad to hear you’re okay. I’ve had a few health scares myself (gluten sensitivity and pre-diabetic) and it has made me more appreciative of life.