Last year I turned 40 and scheduled my first mammogram. As a bra fitter and bra educator, I was already keen to prioritize my breast health; but after my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer the year prior, a screening felt even more urgent.

Screening

"They will definitely call you back to do an ultra sound," the technician told me as we were wrapping up my very first mammogram. This sentiment had been echoed by my OBGYN when he told me that I had dense breast tissue earlier that year. So, I did not panic when I was called back to come in for an ultrasound and additional images of my right breast. (Ok, I maybe panicked a little bit when they said that, but I also knew that it's very common for your first time.)

After a round of enhanced mammography images (this time they clamped down on those paddles a little bit harder—ouch!) and an inconclusive ultrasound, I was sent for a stereotactic biopsy. My images showed many calcifications on both sides and an architectural distortion on the right. (Doesn't that make me sound like a wobbly old bridge?! Ick)

The biopsy was where things really got nasty. I was back in the mammogram room, but this time seated in a chair and wheeled right up to the machine. Then a bunch of technicians and the radiologist went behind a wall to do what I can only describe as play Battleship on my boob. They did some more imaging to find the spot in question, typed the coordinates into the machine and then the doctor said, "Deploy the needle!" and I tried so hard to wait until it was over to laugh because I really didn't want move the target on them. 

A few other juicy details that I did not know to expect from a core needle biopsy: There was more blood involved than I expected; I looked at it even though they told me not to and I regret doing so; I bonded with the technician assigned to put pressure on my then bleeding boob while I reclined, upside down, in my chair for the last ten minutes. 

Diagnosis

After my biopsy, I shoved an icepack in my bra and flew to Florida. Schools had a long weekend and we had all been looking forward to some time at the beach. "This might be the last day that I don't have cancer," I very dramatically stated to my husband when we woke up the next day. I was nervous but stayed away from my email and MyChart portal and tried to enjoy the sun. I didn't expect a call back so soon and missed the doctor when she reached out that afternoon. "I have the results of your your biopsy and they are not good," she said. I'm surprised I didn't drop my phone into the pool as I scrambled to get my husband and get someplace where we could call her back. She explained that I had DCIS or Ductal Carcinoma in Situ, a form of breast cancer that is located inside the milk duct. Thankfully, it’s a very early stage and not yet invasive. Because the cancerous cells are still located inside the milk duct they have not formed a mass yet. Which means I wouldn’t have found this doing a regular self check at home.

Getting a cancer diagnosis while you're on vacation is a very strange thing. I wasn't sure if I was glad to be away from home and have a distraction from what was happening, or if I was pissed that breast cancer had just ruined my beach vacation! I quickly learned that I was feeling both of those things, and that was ok. I would have plenty more mixed feelings about my breast cancer journey as it trudged forward. 

I spoke to my OBGYN on the phone later that day and he told me that this would be an ongoing process of diagnosis and treatment, and they'd be happening simultaneously. And since that sounded like my absolute worse nightmare and I was still at the beach, I took the limes life had just handed me and made myself a margarita!

My next step would be meeting with the breast surgeon, and an eventual mastectomy and reconstruction.

Here’s my call to action: Book your mammograms and do your self checks. I was incredibly lucky that my cancer was found at an early stage. Thanks to that mammogram, I was blessed with a best of the worst case scenario. If you’re not yet 40, talk to your doctor about your risks and family history. Don’t ignore changes in your body, even during pregnancy and breast feeding. Make your breast health a top priority!

Read Part 2 of my DCIS Diagnosis here.