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Just a Touch of cancer

There it is, in black and white and on the Internet.

 So it must be true.

 I have a touch of cancer. (A tumor, 3 mm to be exact, in my left breast).

 I discovered the lump, when it was but a babe, maybe half the size, last August. I had had a mammogram scheduled but cancelled it.

 WHAT????? I can hear you all screaming at me now. You cancelled your mammogram after you found a lump? And you have two sisters and two aunts that have had breast cancer? WTF??? (for my kinder, gentler readers that WTF stands for Well That's Freaky).

 Yes, I cancelled the mammo because I had a trip of a lifetime planned for October with my handsome hubby of 30 years. And I did not want to:
A. Possibly cancel the trip of a lifetime;
B. Put a possible cloud of doom and gloom over Ireland while on our trip of a lifetime;
C. Let my wonderful hubby of 30 years know about the lump because he would have worried and fretted and argued vehemently (He's an attorney after all) that the trip should be postponed until we knew if the lump was cancer.

 And we went to Ireland and London and had a most wonderful time. If you saw the gazillion posts and pics on Facebook, you know how wonderful.

 And when we returned, I made the call to schedule another mammo. But when a few weeks later it was getting larger and tender, I made the calls to switch it from a routine mammo to a diagnostic one that included an ultrasound. The appointment was for Christmas Eve. The doc reviewed the images and told us that it was highly likely that the tumor was malignant, based on my age and previous MRI images from less than a year ago when there wasn't a any sign of a growth.

 Merry Christmas. Not sure if the three not so little Piggins thought this same way, but John and I were grateful they were all home so we could share the news. 

 Unfortunately, they have had to deal with sick parents on too many occasions. Besides my MS, John's throat cancer 9 years ago and his heart attack four years (or was it five?) ago- they've weathered their unfair share. I hope this means that when we're old, we'll be a breeze to deal with!! Know what I mean??

 It's good it's early, stage II, and breast cancer treatment has come a long way.

 But the best part, for me, is that I got that trip to Ireland before the diagnosis so now I know where I want to go to celebrate recovery. Or I think I know, Galway or Adare or Waterford?????
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