Got Mammograms?

This post is on a less political side, and more personal.

This morning I went and had my mammograms done. I'm 41 years old, typically at my age you start to get them every other year, but because of lumps found 5 years ago, I have to get them every year. As bad as they are, they are nothing compared to waiting until cancer is found and having to go through tests, biopsies, and surgeries.

Back in 2003 I had my first ever mammograms done. Lumps were found in both breasts and the alarms went off with my doctor. Within days I was told I needed to talk to a breast surgeon they referred me to. I did so, and she was wonderful. I had to go through more mammograms, then again for ultra sound testing. This eliminated all but two lumps, one in each breast. Needle biopsies were done on each one. This eliminated one of the lumps, but the other, I was told, would need to be surgically removed.

I learned this morning that a lumpectomy is when the lump is malignant, but my attitude is, if you have to go under the knife for this, it's a lumpectomy. Thankfully, mine was benign. With Decker only being deceased for a couple of years at this point in time, it was a bit scary for me, but thankfully I had my parents to see me through the whole thing, including the surgery.

My point here is, it's important to get these things taken care of and anything caught early, the stakes on your life are just too high.