Talk To Taya 5
Mammogram Woes

In May of this year, I was home on vacation from my overseas job and I had a routine mammogram appt that I went to, and its normal to just get your results in the mail, especially if there’s nothing wrong. I got my letter in the mail from my doctor’s office, opened it and the message inside said, they wanted me to return for an ultrasound, I immediately rolled my eyes, I’ve had an ultrasound before.

My breasts are quite large and my weight gain has made them even larger so, I was like, “I’m tired of them flattening my breasts with that machine, that’s what the mammogram does, and it hurts! But the ultrasound is nothing like the routine mammogram torture, to tell you the truth, if I could opt for the ultrasound instead of the mammogram process I would, and trust me, I asked the doctors and was told no I could not, but I’m a little suspicious as to why not.

The letter I got informed me to return on what was going to be the day I was departing the U.S. back to my overseas job; I really was not feeling that ultrasound appt. date. On the day of my flight to anywhere, I like for it to be me just taking it slow, making sure I have everything I need packed; I definitely do not want to have to do something scheduled, and just thinking about the ultrasound was a bummer. I knew I was going to have to do it, just so my mind would be at ease, but I still did not want to go. I told my daughter about what they wanted me to do and that I might not go since it was on my travel day back to work, and she pretty much just said, you can do it, you have enough time since your flight is an evening flight, I know I told her, but I don’t want to do it, I treasure my last day just being free for me to get my mind right and ready.

The day before my travel day back overseas, I told myself I’d do it, I fussed about the doctors and hospitals always just trying to get money from folks, because the last time I had an ultrasound of my breasts, I had to pay out my pocket, is all I can remember, to find out it was nothing. So, I was like let me go just give these folks my money and be done with it, and thanked God that I could at least afford it.

The day came and just like I remembered I was hit with the bill that I had to pay right then and there; they were like, card please. I rolled my eyes (to myself), gave a sigh and handed the administrative person my card. After charging me for the ultrasound, it was only a few minutes before I was in the room, with the gel and the cold wand, but it was painless. The ultrasound process was quick, and the person, I am sure she was some sort of nurse or specialist, who performed the ultrasound examination, she told me the doctor would be back with my results,  I could sit up, and I could get dressed and wait, all I am thinking at this time is that I was ready to get out of there, time was of the essence, I needed to just be back in my condo tidying up and chilling before it was time to hop in a Uber to the airport.

The doctor showed up, all the people who worked at this facility are women, I noticed, I did not want to mention that, but I felt it necessary, anyway, the doctor walked in the room, I’m sure I said hello, and she introduced herself and just gave it to me straight, she said, we see something, my eyes grew wide, and she continued, to tell me that there was growth around my lymph nodes, and I tried to pay close attention as she continued with specifics of how large the growth was like I would know exactly what she was talking about and I didn’t have a clue, I was still trying to factor in what she said about the growth, and she continued to say, you will need to have a biopsy so we can determine if it is benign or malignant and we can go from there, she went on, we can schedule you as soon as a couple of days from today, so we can know as soon as possible. And right then, I came to, it was like I woke up, I said, ughhh, this growth, how big is it? She told me (it was not an alarming amount of growth, but it was growth), then she said, the sooner we do the biopsy the better.

I had to tell her I can’t come back that soon, but I will be back, I will make sure I have the biopsy soon. I left that day feeling quite different; it was weird. I kept my composure and the only thing I know I could do about it, was to have that biopsy as soon as possible, and I was not going to let anything stop me from getting that done, but I had to fly back overseas that night, so I did.

It was the end of the month of May, I told myself that sometime in July I’d be back home to get that biopsy, and as Murphy’s Law goes there were many obstacles that got in my way. Still, I scheduled my appointment, informed my job, and gave the managers above me the details and by August the 10^th I was home. My appointment was on the 12^th of August 2022.

I was very concerned about the pain of the procedure, no one seemed to elaborate on that besides telling me that the procedure only took about 30 minutes and I would have local anesthesia. I’ve had local anesthesia before and it worked like a charm but this procedure is quite different, we talking about entering into my breasts, the breasts I am always complemented on, I didn’t; know what to expect, I didn’t really have anyone to talk to. I was so calm and so prayed up and so positive and had just finished reading a book titled, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, mentally I was ready! And I was not concerned about the results, to me, they were going to be negative, there was no cancer in my breasts or in my body and I believed that! Still, I had to have the procedure, it was the only way to prove it, and now, I was very concerned about the pain, and somewhat concerned about the discomfort afterwards.

On the 12^th with my daughter by my side, we both bravely entered the Doris Sheehan Breast Center in Atlanta, strong, braced and secure. They told my daughter that she had to sit outside the office patience waiting area, in the hallway, I didn’t want her to go, not so soon, but we were cool and I guess they could see or feel, or felt compassion for me later, because after I in processed they let me go sit in the hallway with my daughter, I did feel so much better with her while I waited. Oh! Let me make mention that while in-processing I asked the administrative person if she might know the pain level of the procedure, she remarked, honey you had a baby its nothing compared to that.

And I thought, that’s horrible!! Giving birth is nothing easy! 95% of the time, maybe the percentage is even higher for suffering during childbirth, are you kidding me lady! I thought, that is not what you tell someone about to have this procedure, it’s not as bad as child birth, really!! I told you my daughter about that conversation and we had a good laugh about it!! But it was not funny at all.

And in minutes a person came for me, I’m not sure if she spoke more than saying my name, Ms. Jackson, and began walking in front of me once I said yes and stood up, and began to follow her. I had to go to the bathroom, and she was walking and talking so I stopped walking, that got her attention and I then said to her, I need to use the restroom, and she said let me show you where to put your things and the restroom is right there as well, I said, ok and continued to follow her.

Once I got undressed just waist up, I believe, right now, I can’t remember, but once I was ready and sitting in the waiting room near where I undressed and secured my belonging, it was not five minutes and someone came got me, it was time.

I laid on the table I was led to, followed instructions on how to lay on the table and in minutes the doctor was describing what she would be doing, like I wanted to know or hear, what she was about to do. She informed, how I was going to hear these clicking noises and how every clicking noise was an indicator of tissue being removed from the lymph node tissue inside my breasts. The biopsy consisted of the doctor putting some needle like instrument through the pit of my arm into my breast tissue to remove pieces of it for sampling, to determine if the growth/tissue snipped off was cancerous.

I placed my free hand onto the table I was laying on near the end so could grip it if and when I would feel pain, and thank God there was never a time, not even once that I had to grip the table. The local anesthesia worked!! All I felt was a mild tickling sensation and I never looked at the screen in front of me to watch the procedure, I close my eyes and said my two favorite prayers as the doctor rattled on about everything she was doing and I answered with a Mmm Hmm, eveytime she asked if I was okay, and before long it was over, the procedure was over.

I had to go see a nurse who broke it down to me how I would in informed about my results and what that would mean, and it would take 3-5 days to receive the results. She handed me an information paper with two types of results, so I would know what each meant, I immediately scratched out the results I did not want to hear, and told her, I’m good and there was no need for me to have a definition of anything else, she smiled and said she loved my faith and wished the best for me, I was free to go.

And as I was walking out of the office the administrative lady that told me, if I had a baby I could handle this procedure, walked up to me and said, are you okay? She was kind and meant well and I said to her, yes, I am, as I was departing, and then, I remembered what she told me and quickly I stopped and said to her, in a whisper-like voice, Ma’am, the procedure was not painful at all, let people know that okay, she said okay, and I said, thank you, goodbye and felt good as I walked away with the side of right breast under my arm all patched up. I had done what I needed to do for me.

On the 18^th of Aug 22, I was emailed the below results

FINAL DIAGNOSIS

YOUR VALUE

LYMPH NODE, RIGHT BIOPSY:

-Lymphnoid tissue

-Negative for malignancy

And on the 22^nd of August I flew back overseas to work.

Hallelujah!!