July 27, 2024, I found myself relaxing on the couch on a typical Saturday night when I made a discovery that changed everything. I was mindlessly scratching an itch under my breast when I felt a hard knot. At that moment, my heart sank. I immediately asked my mom to take a look. She confirmed what I feared—it wasn’t normal.
That Monday, I called my doctor and managed to get an appointment for the very next day. My doctor was straightforward with me, listing all the possibilities, including the one I dreaded: cancer. She scheduled an ultrasound for the following week. The wait was excruciating, but I tried to stay positive.
On August 5, the ultrasound came and went, but it left my doctor concerned enough to order a mammogram. That’s when things took another turn. The mammogram revealed not just the original spot I had found, but another one lurking behind it. My lymph nodes were also checked, and the results were unsettling enough for my doctor to immediately text her team to schedule a biopsy.
By the time I left the office that day, I was emotionally drained. But there was no time to process—I received a call on my way home, and the biopsy was scheduled for later that same afternoon.
We left for the hospital at 1pm in silence, with Tropical Storm Debby providing an ominous soundtrack of wind and rain. I checked in and was quickly called back to be prepped for the biopsy. The team was amazing—they even put out lavender, my favorite scent, to help me relax. They explained everything to me in detail, which I appreciated so much.
The doctor confirmed who I was and which breast was the focus. She was incredibly nice, but I couldn’t help but wonder if she was like that all the time, or if she had a different side at home. When they numbed the area with a needle, I felt the stick and a burning sensation, but it was tolerable—after all, I’ve had worse pain getting tattoos.
After the biopsy, I had another mammogram to ensure the clips they inserted were in the right place. I ended up having a surprisingly pleasant conversation with the mammographer, who was friends with the woman who did my previous mammogram. This small connection was oddly comforting in such a stressful time.
