well, I never thought I'd be in this position...I'm 45 years old, a wife, mother and high school English teacher, and have been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Invasive ductal carcinoma, to be more exact.  To fully understand this you have to know how I learned of this not wholly surprising diagnosis.

Mid-may I was walking around the Westwood Mall, and my left breast started to ache.  that night, the pain woke me with such intensity I almost cried.  That was a Saturday night...on Monday morning I called my doctor's office...got an appointment that Friday.  The pain lessened, but I kept my appointment.

My doctor felt a mass, and scheduled me for an ultrasound and  mammogram.  The mammogram showed 2 spots, the ultrasound was even more questionable, and I was scheduled for a biopsy...again, about two weeks later.

The Friday of my biopsy was like a dream in slow motion....starting with delays to get in as the rooms were all full, to the doctor's thoroughness in his explanation of what was happening every minute.  As I watched those tiny worm-like segments being cut, and then sucked, out of me, he let it be said that one was very close to, if not actually in, my lymph nodes.... I remember telling the doctor I had a party to go to in an hour, would it be ok to go?  He advised me to drink with my right hand.  We went to the pool party, I mingled and made small talk, the whole while ruminating on the doctor's words..."your ultrasound is very suspicious."   How do I explain, but I JUST KNEW the news was not going to be good.

That was a Friday...I was told I'd get my information on Monday.  I heard nothing.  I called my doctor on Tuesday....still nothing.  That was my last day of school for the summer....I cleaned my classroom, finished my grades, and got my first week of the new school year ready for September....I also made meticulous notes...to myself?  A substitute?  I was sure that I would be getting news soon, and fairly certain of what it would be.

The next day, my doctor finally called...asking me to come in at 4:00 to get my news.  Nothing said on the phone...of course that was very telling.  I called my husband, also a teacher, who was still in class and gave him the news.....
We had a date with my doctor, at 4.