A Nagging Itch
May 09 '00
Pay attention to the "little things" Your body may be trying to tell you something. If a symptom persists check it out. Please don't be embarrassed if it is a personal issue. Don't be afraid of mammograms, find out now! I have had cancer on and off from the age 23 to now, and by golly I'm still alive, well, and very happy.
I had a "little itch" on my left nipple a few years ago. I lived in the land of Boeing 747 mosquitoes, so I dangerously presumed it was a bug bite. After waiting for a few weeks and noticing the nagging itch still there I thought it best to go to a doctor. There was no openings so I was referred to a Physician's assistant. She diagnosed it and sent me home with a topical ointment. After treating it a couple weeks no relief occurred, in fact it was getting a bit crusty. I in the meantime had been searching in just about every book I could get my hands on. Of course being in my upper, middle thirties cancer only remotely enter my mind.
I thought, what the heck, better go back to the doctor. My regular family physician looked at the breast and suggested a mammogram. Of course I had heard the horror stories about monograms, and pictured my over ample breast being paced between to glass plates and SQUISH, did not appeal to me what so ever. I considered taking my usual approach to things, avoidance. No, guess not, that darn thing ITCHES!
Early morning appointment with the mammogram on wheels people. Of course most of you know the routine, take shirt off, and wait until your call. Then your called, you look at the glass plates and wonder how your could do this with any composure at all? Tell joke, that usually works, sure get the gal laughing as she is flattening your breast, smart move. It's over, thank you very much. ugk. Really wasn't any where as bad as I had heard.
Waited just a couple days, if that, and got a call from the physician to come in for a "talk." This didn't sound to good in my book. He said I should go in for a biopsy, though there was no mass found, there was a large amount of calcification. Calsi who? OK, when? Tomorrow, great. UGK!
No, food, no drink, ok will maybe just a cup of coffee. Show up at hospital. Cute doctor! He describes he's going to take a cone shaped sample under my nipple. It's going to be how big? Just take the whole thing off then...geez. Wake up, go through the whole routine, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, need more drugs,..oh I can go home now? Great! Go home and wait for the "news" phone call.
Very late the next night I got a call from the surgeon. He starts in and says I hate to say this over the phone, you have advanced cancer and I need to do a mastectomy first thing in the morning. I instantly break down, cry.. OK, that's all, asked every question I can think of. By then of course I had regained my humor, heck, can't dance! Never actually learned how. Got the details for the next morning surgery.
No food, no drink, well maybe a cup of coffee. The surgeon met me before
surgery and explained what he was going to do. Hey, that's like the WHOLE breast, plus some and all lymph nodes too. Then in that case take both, I'll be awfully lopsided! He says, no, I can't do that. Not ethical.
Woke up from surgery, something my kids, husband and I we're very fond of was gone. Oh well, life goes on. I'm hungry, thirsty, more drugs. Cool, I can go home!
Phone call next evening, late. Do these surgeons have watches? I called to let you know the results of the tests on the removed breast. I said something to the effect, it's lonely, right? He said it is an aggressive cancer and the other one had to come off too. But I told you yesterday, take it off then. Back in the hospital, next morning.
No food, no drink, just a little coffee I would soon be breastless. Will, right breast joined left breast in breast heaven. Now folks that was the easy part. The next morning I was informed I had to have chemotherapy too.
The cancer I had was a very rare form of breast cancer called Pagets. It reared it's ugly little head by showing itself as a slight itch, a tiny little crusting on the nipple. In the breast was no tumor per say, but a bunch of cheesy like material. I had bladder cancer before, but was told that bladder cancer does not mastise into breast cancer.
A few years later I was looking at the alternatives to reconstructive surgery. I didn't want implants, too fake. Just my opinion. I did find a surgical procedure in a book, where they take your stomach muscles along with a artery and they form breast with this. It turned out to be an 11 hour surgery, my heart was damaged and my lung collapsed. On top of that Fargo had one immense blizzard and most of the staff couldn't make it to the hospital. Lucky me.
I ended up with staph infection and a flesh eating infection. Neither which responded to antibiotics. Through many months, home nurses and about 12 surgeries by plastic surgeons I got angry and asked if my general surgeon had any ideas on how to save my life. He said yes, cut it all wide open, leave it opened, and it would granulate back together. Along with many more weeks of IV's home nurses, I began to come around. The massive hole did fill in. The reason I included this in the "cancer" story? If it's an elective surgery, with todays infections, give it serious consideration before you go forward with it.
Questions can be directed to djgeiger@adstreamaddiction.com
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Member: Diana Geiger
Location: Huron, South Dakota USA
Reviews written: 146
Trusted by: 343 members
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