Some good news from latest mammogram & check up

This past Monday the 11th, I had a follow-up diagnostic mammogram on my remaining breast. I didn't realize there were differences in mammograms until the scheduler at the Women's Imaging Center asked what kind of mammogram I needed. She had called my cell phone while I was at the supermarket checkout counter, so it was a bit awkward saying that I needed a follow-up mammogram following a mastectomy, all this while unloading groceries with people around me. I've heard of screening mammograms before though, so I guess a diagnostic one captures more details/angles if a screening one warrants further investigation. So that day, I got my 3rd mammogram done -- the seconds of painful squeezing from the plates were bearable & less awkward & less messy than the two previous ones, when I was still breastfeeding & squirting milk all over the equipment. The technician was really nice & tried to avoid squeezing my port, which is still implanted in my upper chest. I also got an ultrasound right afterwards because as a younger woman, I have dense breast tissue & I wanted to get a lump checked out -- the lump, which I had suspected was a lipoma (a benign fatty tumor), was confirmed by the radiologist, who said a cancerous tumor would look more white. So that was a relief.

My latest check up with my oncologist also went OK a few weeks ago -- no noticeable/detectable symptoms. I mentioned I had a huge headache over 2 days around Thanksgiving, which pain killers didn't help -- I briefly thought I might have a brain tumor, but I felt better after my sister-in-law Ellen gave me a neck & shoulder massage -- I was really tense & knotted up. My doctor said he would be concerned if it was a chronic headache, so I shouldn't worry about that. I know I shouldn't be paranoid about every symptom I experience, but I guess I can't help but wonder if & when the cancer would reoccur -- despite a mastectomy, they say it could come back in the chest wall region. Now I'm feeling some tenderness around a lump that's near a scar left from a drain when I had my surgery. If it doesn't go away, I'll get it checked out after I get back from our winter vacation in the Bay Area.

So during our vacation, I'm hoping to get a consultation w/a plastic surgeon at the Kaiser-Hayward hospital. She does a muscle-sparing DIEP flap procedure that the surgeon in Hawaii doesn't do. So my old primary care provider is authorizing this consultation, so hopefully I can be squeezed in during the window of time I'm in the Bay Area. As long as it's deemed "medically necessary" & my Hawaii plan covers the procedure, my understanding is that Kaiser-Northern Calif. should cover the reconstruction as a visiting member.

Today was the last day of teaching the Word of Mouth tobacco prevention workshops for the semester. Despite trying to get over a lousy cold, I managed to get through five fourth grade classes at Waiakeawaena Elementary -- I felt a little "fuzzy", but I think I managed to get through to most of the students. One class was really sweet -- I got a box of chocolates & 4 leis! Another class gave me a laminated calendar w/a student's drawing. Another school I recently finished up at gave me a bound set of thank you letters. Other classes gave me thank you letters too -- they are all so cute. It's nice to feel appreciated & that they learned something useful. Some students wished I could keep coming back & that 4 classes was too short! Their smiles energized me despite my cold! :-)