Court's Medical Fund
Donation protected
I found a lump in my left breast in October and I was sure it was nothing to worry about, but I decided to poll all of my friends about what I should do because it literally came out of nowhere. They convinced me that it was better to be safe than sorry, so I made an appointment to see my PCC (primary care physician). Dr. Anne Tuttle, who I've been going to since I moved to Kirkland, who’s the best, wasn't too concerned given my family history and healthy, ordered a mammogram and ultrasound.
One of my very best friend's Kelli insisted on coming with me to my appointments. I just wasn't scared, I don't know why. During my appointments, we laughed and made inappropriate comments. I was still confident nothing was wrong. The ultrasound tech assured me that it was nothing also, but when the radiologist said that we would have to do a biopsy to confirm what the lump was.
The next Monday I went in for a core needle biopsy. They assured me they would call me with results ASAP, but given that it was the week of Thanksgiving, I would hear from them on Wednesday or Friday.
The radiologist who took the biopsy said the pathologists may have to do more washes on the sample if it was more complicated than they thought, so if it was bad news I would be more likely to hear from them on Friday. They didn’t call me on Wednesday. For the first time since I discovered the lump, I began to get nervous.
When the phone rang first thing in the morning Friday November 25, I knew by the number that this was the phone call I had been waiting for.
It’s hard to explain how I felt. She said the tumor was malignant and I knew what malignant meant, but I couldn’t register what she was saying. Then she said you have breast cancer. I couldn’t even write down what she was saying to me because I was shaking so hard. I didn’t understand much about breast cancer, my breast cancer at this point other that it wasn’t estrogen receptor or progesterone receptor positive. She told me that just to assure me I could continue take hormonal birth control.
I called my sister first and then a number of my closest friends. I avoided calling my parents because I knew it would break their hearts. That was the hardest part. I hadn’t even told them about the lump because I didn’t want to worry them.
One of my very best friend's Kelli insisted on coming with me to my appointments. I just wasn't scared, I don't know why. During my appointments, we laughed and made inappropriate comments. I was still confident nothing was wrong. The ultrasound tech assured me that it was nothing also, but when the radiologist said that we would have to do a biopsy to confirm what the lump was.
The next Monday I went in for a core needle biopsy. They assured me they would call me with results ASAP, but given that it was the week of Thanksgiving, I would hear from them on Wednesday or Friday.
The radiologist who took the biopsy said the pathologists may have to do more washes on the sample if it was more complicated than they thought, so if it was bad news I would be more likely to hear from them on Friday. They didn’t call me on Wednesday. For the first time since I discovered the lump, I began to get nervous.
When the phone rang first thing in the morning Friday November 25, I knew by the number that this was the phone call I had been waiting for.
It’s hard to explain how I felt. She said the tumor was malignant and I knew what malignant meant, but I couldn’t register what she was saying. Then she said you have breast cancer. I couldn’t even write down what she was saying to me because I was shaking so hard. I didn’t understand much about breast cancer, my breast cancer at this point other that it wasn’t estrogen receptor or progesterone receptor positive. She told me that just to assure me I could continue take hormonal birth control.
I called my sister first and then a number of my closest friends. I avoided calling my parents because I knew it would break their hearts. That was the hardest part. I hadn’t even told them about the lump because I didn’t want to worry them.
Organizer
Courtney Lynch Tritt
Organizer
Kirkland, WA
