July 28, 2014
Exactly one week after Anissa’s diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound we found ourselves back in the same waiting room. Now the tests begin.
First up is a core needle biopsy of the left breast.During the past week, Anissa and I did our best to keep our emotions in check and not allow them to get the best of us. We certainly had our share of highs and lows and it seemed most of the conversations we had involved the words “what if”. What if it’s benign? What if it’s malignant? What if it has spread? For people like us, not knowing answers just plain sucks. “It is what it is, and we’ll deal with one step at a time” became a bit of our mantra.
This didn’t mean Anissa just sat back and accepted blindly what we were being told. If you know Anissa, you know she questions everything – especially doctors. While they may be highly trained, skilled and educated, they are still, after all, human.
So the research and web searches began. If you ever want to scare yourself silly or convince yourself you’ve got a disease that can only be contracted in the Congo I invite you to visit WebMD. If you want real information on Breast Cancer – visit a reputable site like
The Susan G. Komen Foundation’s.
So here we are in the waiting room. Hoping the biopsy will get us another step closer to having answers and possibly put an end to the “what if…” scenarios. While we wait to be called in, Anissa reads an appropriately titled book, “
Cancer is a Bitch” while I grabbed the camera and again, managed to snap another shot of Anissa in a waiting room (without her noticing).
I began to think about the very personal story that’s beginning to unfold. Anissa and I were getting more and more phone calls, texts and e-mails from close friends and family members with whom we shared the news. They were reaching out to us out of concern, to provide support, asking how they can help and also looking for an update if possible. I began to toy with the idea of beginning an email chain to keep people in the loop – but ultimately opted against it. Most of the information we could share or what Anissa was going through wasn’t ready for prime time just yet.
The door leading to the exam rooms opened and they called out Anissa’s name. This time I couldn’t join her. Off she went for an ultrasound guided core needle biopsy.
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