Breast Self-Exams and the Pigheaded 40 year old Filipino...an update

This is how I told my friends, near & far,
that I had cancer. It saved having to tell
them all individually...and I didn't have to
see the fear in each of their eyes...that
helped me a lot.

Hi Gang, As many of you are aware, I am turning the big 4-0 this September 11th, 2006. With that in mind, I have been eagerly planning a big trip to Italy. My 1st LONG vacation. I can't wait. Everyone tells me that 40 is the new 30...we'll see. God tends to throw in a few speed bumps along the way to remind us that with all the good in life, there are times that you will come to a glitch or two....a minor rut along the pavement....or a big, body jarring pothole. This past April, during a routine breast self-exam, I found a tiny, lentil-sized bump. Nothing too out of place, but different from usual. In May, during a trip to Vegas with friends, I noted that that tiny lump had grown; now it was the size of a pea. I freaked. Immediately went to see my doctor. "It's probably nothing" is a phrase I hope never to hear for a very long time. Thank God I'm pigheaded (those of you who know me would say that that's an understatement) and insisted on a mammogram. The mammogram lead to an ultrasound, the ultrasound lead to several suggestions that "It's probably nothing" but that if I insisted, I could get a needle-aspiration biopsy. I opted to push for an open, excisional biopsy. After much eye-rolling from various physicians, I got my way and had a small, seemingly innocuous1cm X 1.5cm lump excised from under my right nipple on June 15th. After an week of healing, I got my results on June 22nd. I wish I could tell you that my doctors were right. I wish I could say that I'm just a big hypochondriac. I wish a lot of things. But as I said, God tends to throw in a few potholes in the road of life; this is one in mine. I have breast cancer. I'm doing okay...for now; the time for freaking out will come later. I'm getting to the pissed off time now...."It's probably nothing"....is now something and part of me wants to go up to each and every one of those doctors...1GP...2 radiologists...and 1 surgeon...and mop the floor with them. Now, you all know that I have some great friends who happen to be great doctors. Caring, diligent, smart and compassionate, all of them. But if there are any real lessons that I can pass on to them and to all of my friends its this...When someone...a patient....a friend...a family member...tells you that something is "wrong", something is "different", something "isn't right" BELIEVE them. And for all of you who don't do your self-exams...two words: DO IT. And BELIEVE it. We should know ourselves well enough to know when something isn't normal for our body. If you even have the thought in the back of you head "oh, that's different" get it checked out. And DO NOT let ANYBODY tell you that "IT'S PROBABLY NOTHING". Be persistent. Be insistent. Be PIGHEADED. And have a plan of attack in mind if you do get bad news. I want to take the most aggressive approach. It's early days yet and no surgeries have been scheduled. I have been referred to an oncologist and a plastic surgeon. Because the cancer was found right in the nipple area, the usual treatment is a mastectomy and I'm okay with that. As a matter of fact, I wish to have both breasts removed to eliminate the chance of reocurrance. My surgeon seems to think that I'm being a bit reactionary, but hey, what does he know...he thought that it was "probably nothing". Anyway...that's my life as of today. I have every intention of stepping off the plane in Rome come September 9th. I intend to celebrate my 40th by toasting a Roman sunset over St. Peter's Basilica on September 11th. I intend to see Florence and drink wine in Tuscany. I will be seeing Venice and the pigeons in St. Mark's Square. I will be visiting my friends, Lisa & Steven in Sicily. I will be chasing Zachary around Sigonella. And hopefully, if Lisa will cooperate, I will still be there when she has Zachary's little sister! These were my plans before this little bump in the road, these are my plans now. If you thought I was pigheaded before...you haven't seen anything yet.