(God, I can’t believe I just wrote that title. Someone smack me.)
Having a breast ultrasound is not as exciting as other ultrasounds I’ve had in the past. There’s no small person to peek in on, no thumb sucking to view, and you don’t get a picture to take home and show your friends.
What you do get, however, is peace of mind. And I got lots of that today. The verdict is that my breasts are composed of perfectly healthy breast tissue, although it is lumpy. The hardened area the doctor found is a large mass of fibrocystic tissue, which, while a little larger than normal, is harmless.
The advice I was given was to cut back on caffeine, get more exercise, eat right, and lower my stress levels. I laughed, and then asked the doctor if he realized that I had a toddler, making most of that impossible to do. He replied, “Well, for your own health, make it work.”
He also advised that if I have another child (which we plan to soon) to breastfeed for the first year. Apparently it helps with the cysts, and it cuts your risk of breast cancer tremendously. I told him I would do my best, but I couldn’t promise that child #2 would go for it.
I’m so relieved to know nothing is wrong. It was only a slim chance of being a problem, and my logical side kept reminding me that I’m not at high risk, but I still found myself dwelling on it yesterday. I wondered what steps I should be taking to lessen my risks of diseases like cancer. Should I start eating organic? Vegetarian? More exercise? Non-toxic cleaners? Nothing like a minor health scare to make you wake up and make changes to your life, eh?
My last minor health scare was 6 years ago, when I had an abnormal pap test. I was put through a colposcopy and a cervical biopsy to determine if I had cervical cancer. But the results from that took over a week, giving me plenty of time to review the choices I had made in my life and to scare the bejeebus out of my 23 year old self. Luckily, the results came back as benign, and after a year of follow up tests every three months, I was given the all-clear.
I am so, so grateful for my health. Now that I’m a parent, nothing scares me more than the thought of leaving Cordelia without a mommy. I want to be there for her as she grows up, and be the one she looks to for advice if she becomes a mother someday. Yes, I know I could slip on the shower floor and break my neck tomorrow, and I can’t predict when my time will come, but I’m willing to do all I can to ensure it’s not for a long, long time.
PS – Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. It meant a lot to me. You’re all awesome, and I wish I could have everyone over to my place for drinks. Hopefully I’ll see some of you at BlogHer!
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OK, now that I’ve openly discussed my breasts and my cervix with all of you, shall we turn our thoughts to something a bit more lighthearted? (Yes, this is a ploy to get my girl parts out of your thoughts. You’re welcome.) Check out these cute videos: Kenya, Badger, and the Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny. Work safe – as long as work doesn’t mind annoyingly catchy tunes.
I’m so glad everything went well.
I am so happy to hear all is well with your lady lumps!
Yay for a clean bill of health! I understand completely about valuing your health so much more when you have a child.
Consider yourself smacked for the title.
Oh, and I’m jealous that you’re going to BlogHer, by the way!
Love the title and thank you for updating us. The caffeine abstinence sucked the big one. Fortunately my lumps went away after switching birth control 6 six years ago. I’m back to my starbucks ways.
Also very jealous you’re going to BlogHer. Have a blast for me! And enjoy your day – you deserve it.
Meg & carrcakes – Going to BlogHer is not a done deal yet. I’m really hoping to go, and it looks like it will probably happen somehow, but nothing is 100% yet.
Maybe you’ll be able to make it next year, when they put it on the east coast?
Oh, and Jenna – they’re safe to view, but you miss so much without sound. When you get home, click and prepare to boogie!
What a relief! Glad to hear all is well with yoru lovely lady lumps. Certainly gives one time to pause and take stock doesn’t it and boy does everything change when you become a mom. Thanks for sharing your good news.
Glad everthing turned out fine! And glad you didn’t have to wait very long to find out.
Good for you. That is just fantastic news!
Phew, what a relief. I know what you mean about those scares, you can make yourself so many promises! I do it every time. I’m glad everything’s okay.
Wow! Scary. I’m really glad to hear that everything is okay. Before you go all healthy/organic/crunchy go out and celebrate properly (whichever way that is for you). You deserve a night on the town after a scare like that.
So glad everything is okay. I too had a conal biopsy of the cervix way back when, after they discovered the displasia was like at the final (ie very very bad) stage before it becomes cancerous. Sheesh. I haven’t had another abnormal pap since then, like 12 years ago. But what I discovered is that it is so so so common, it’s just that no one talks about it so I never knew. Glad you did. It’s good for all of us.
What no pics of the actual boobies? Oh the hits you will be getting. And PS — I’M SOOOOOOOOOOO glad!
Nothing is work safe when you don’t have sound. Boo. I’ll check it out at home.
I’m glad everything worked out fine. We often take our health for granted until it’s being threatened by something out of our control. I don’t talk about my health issues because I don’t want to think about them… at all. Blah!
Congrats! Yay for boobies. Healthy ones, that is.
I am so relieved to read that everything is ok. Your original post on the subject really moved me. Thanks for sharing your story.
soooo glad to hear everything is fine!! your health is priority number 1 when you become a mommy.
Hurrah Hurrah Hurrah Hurrah!
So, so glad that your lovely lady lumps are in fine form.
And that you are getting closer to the Blogher leap!
Thank goodness! I’m so happy you’re only lumpy. LOL! Still, don’t forget your monthly exam too – we all need to take better care of ourselves, especially as moms….
wow.. how truly scary. I am so happy that things are okay for you. Makes you want to hug that little girl even harder doesn’t it! I really like how you write. You are so honest about things!
Wow! I’m so glad to hear that everything’s normal with your LLLs.
Congrats! I’ve been through the colposcopy thing- I had an abnormal pap at my first OB appointment! I was so afraid because I was pregnant, and I had to wait until after I had the baby to do the colposcopy. Nerve racking, but in the end, everything was ok and I had a normal pap.