Over the last month or so, too many of my friends have wondered if I have cancer now. Sometimes my own writing trips me up: I didn’t intend to leave anyone wondering.
The tests I had at Moffitt were thorough. I don’t have breast cancer in either breast, and I don’t have cancer that’s spread. So I don’t have cancer. If you were worried, I’d like to apologize.
To be fair to the factual side of me, breast cancer takes a long time to grow. It can be moving along, un-noticed and invisible, for 10 to 20 years before you’ll find out you’ve got it. With that little factoid in the back of my mind I know I might have cancer growing somewhere, but so could you and all of our friends and family combined. So why even think about it? If it comes up, you (and I) will deal with it by doing what seems right at the time.
The experience I had earlier this year at Moffitt was what happens when a patient is given the wrong diagnosis and is left thinking she’s got a year or two left to live. It’s not a comfortable place to be. But don’t skim over the fact that the doctor was wrong. I didn’t have an aggressive and deadly form of breast cancer. I didn’t even have cancer. The “cancerous tumor” the doctor felt in my breast was really a sack of fluid that had collected after the surgery I had in September of 2011. That’s all it was.
So…. I don’t have cancer and I won’t ever have it again, unless it happens to show up. And then I’ll deal with it.
Better?
Breast Cancer Redux 
Hi Robin!!! Long time since we’ve been able to chat. How are you? Whats new in your corner of the world? I bought a Nutri Bullet to make smoothies and other types of healthful recipes with. I’ve had it for a couple of months now and I just love it. Its got me on some new foods. It uses all raw foods, nuts and seeds to make the recipes. I’ve been making my own raw energy bars and they’re so great. Nice and fresh. The flavour is incredible. They way the drinks work is a 50% greens, 50% fruit and then on the top you sprinkle your superfood and add a bit of water. Thats it! They sent a recipe book with this and I have also made a Quinoa Stuffing and its really good. So is the recipe for the Protein Pot. No meat in it. Enough about me though. Whats going on with you? I had emailed you awhile back and didn’t hear from you. So I didn’t want to bother you. Are you feeling alright? Take good care of you. I hope to hear from you when you’ve got a moment.
Dear Patricia,
You’re such a sweetheart to keep me in mind. It means a lot to me.
After Mike and I got home from Florida, we’ve been jammed at work (he owns a moving and storage business, and I’m his second-in-command). We’ve had a couple legal issues come up with employees and my background includes being a paralegal, so I’ve had my nose to the grindstone pretty steadily since we got back. I’m still in the middle of it. I like the work, but it doesn’t give me much time for anything else.
The Nutri Bullet sounds wonderful! I’ll check it out when I get some time!! I’m not comfortable with all raw foods, but wouldn’t mind more than just salads for the raw part of my diet 😉
Physically, I’m struggling with lower back pain which I’ve had MRIs done on and have learned I simply have an “old lady’s back” (my beloved doctor’s words). That means I have some old compression fractures and arthritis in my lower back. I got acupuncture on it yesterday and am supposed to be getting referred to a back specialist so I can be put into helpful physical therapy. For now, I’ve stopped doing any yoga, since that’s the way I keep hurting my back…. although I DO love it… it both heals and hurts me, and I’ve yet to draw the line well enough between the two.
Otherwise, I’m feeling quite good and had a wonderful meeting with my breast cancer surgeon in Massachusetts. She’s so supportive and understanding of where I’m coming from. What a blessing.
I did manage to get away to see a movie last weekend: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It’s wonderful! I highly recommend it.
And now I’ve got a pile of work sitting next to me, waiting for my attention.
Thanks again for being there.
Big hug, Robin