UPDATE AND FAF

MAMMOGRAM UPDATE:

If you don't have time to read this or are here for Fat Ass Friday I want you to know that all is well and I do not have breast cancer. Thank God for the blessing he has given to me. I talk to God each day but I was truly being a pest the last few weeks with this recheck hanging over my head.

Normally my mind is writing blogs in my head each day. The last few weeks I have gone from being dead & buried to being a breast cancer survivor who had a double mastectomy with reconstructive surgery with new smaller perky breasts. I am not making light of this, I know several people who are breast cancer survivors, those who lost their lives and those whose cancer has recently returned. My heart aches for them, I pray for them all the time. I also support several cancer research centers with donations.

Maybe 15 years ago my MIL and I were talking about breast cancer and other female cancers. We were actually talking about medication for menopause at the time. She mentioned to me that the first thing they do is take woman off of birth control pills and hormone replacements pills. (I'm not sure if this is still true) I often wondered if these diseases are more prevalent because of the use of these medications. Maybe, maybe not. I also thought that maybe I wouldn't get breast cancer because I was only on birth control pills for one year. I had reactions and at that time, 40 years ago, they didn't have the options of all the varieties available today. Also I did not use hormone replacement therapy to go through menopause. I am a firm believer that if our ancestor could do without it so could I! We also do not have any breast cancer in the family but I also don't know my mothers history after age 56 since she passed away.

So when I went on Tuesday for the mammogram I was really nervous. Yet in my head I knew that I most likely would not know anything for at least a week. I hate that! So I got called in and the mammogram was done on my left side with more intense/close up pictures taken. The woman said I will take these to the doctor to make sure we don't have to do more, just wait here. So I waited, then she came to get me telling me that my ultrasound would be next and that the doctor should have the results in about one week and they will send me a letter also.

So I am sitting in this long hallway, only one chair, waiting for my ultrasound. I hear the doctor in the room with a woman telling her that there is nothing to worry about at this point, we will check again in six months. I was sitting there thinking that that was pretty good news, wonder if I will be so lucky. Doctor went back to his own office and the technician went in to drop off some paperwork to him. (Yes, they keep a doctor on staff so no one has to go home and wonder. Whether it is good news or bad news they tell you on the spot what they know according to what they see) So as the tech is closing the door to the doctors office I hear him say "I don't see what they think they saw on Pucci." I got a little excited but knew that the I still needed to have the ultrasound.

So here I am like I said, all alone in this long hallway sitting in the one and only chair when Wendy the technician came out. I had to laugh because she asked for Deborah Pucci like she was speaking to a large waiting room full of people. I kinda waved my arms and said here I am, in a joking way. So the ultrasound was done and I was so worried. It seems like it took forever and I kept feeling some pain as she pressed over certain areas. I thought this is going to show something. So she was done, took the pictures to the doctor and then they both came in the room.

He said you have a very tiny cyst that is benign and it is nothing to worry about. I told him that I had a cyst removed from my right breast 25 years ago. He said they have learned a lot since then and don't remove them anymore. He told me just follow up with my yearly mammograms.

I thanked him, he left the room and I started to cry. I could not believe the gift that God gave to me. I do believe things like this give you a different look at your life and what you need to do to improve it so you can live longer. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

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I haven't been around in awhile. I am not really working as hard on this weight loss as I should be. I was a bit disappointed when I got home from my 3 weeks in Europe. I thought after being so active each day, walking an average of 4 hours a day I thought I would have lost some weight. I didn't even eat that much while I was gone, food just wasn't a priority for me which is unusual. I did have a dessert with dinner on the days that I was actually out having dinner. Remember I was alone a lot and often just grabbed something quick to eat. Well I weighed exactly the same thing when I came home.(206) Maybe I lost some inches! So I am trying to watch what I eat and make better choices since I've been home. I have managed to drop 6 pounds!

Starting weight ~ 212
May 13th ~ 206
July 22nd ~ 200
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Total lost ~ 12