3) Pre-diagnosis: The Biopsy"Tassia Haines?", the shrill yet friendly voice startled me so much I nearly let go on the front of my robe, revealing all. I hurriedly grabbed my things and pulled myself toward the small smiling nurse standing in the darkened doorway. Upon entering the Biopsy room, I left behind the friendly pastel of the waiting room and found myself submerged by a very dark grey room, looking up from the floor I was greeted with five nervous pairs of eyes all looking directly at me. They introduced themselves as the Radiographer, the Specialist, my soon to be Consultant, the student and the nurse. All eagerly awaiting for me to strip off and see my ultrasound scan, clipboard in hand. Now was not the time to be shy!
2) Pre-diagnosis: The Breast Centre
It took nearly two months from an urgent referral from my GP, phone calls and letters left and right, until a specialist at the Breast centre finally agreed to give me a once over. It turns out, the chances of getting breast cancer at 24 is extremely rare, but such stats offer little consolation and can actually serve as a hindrance at the pre-diagnosis stage, due to the feeling of doctors sweeping you aside because of the low probability. Regret is an awful thing... the lump under my arm had grown considerably between the discovery in October and diagnosis in March. In hindsight, the breast centre is like how you imagine the child catcher. You are lured into a false sense of security by the cheery colours, friendly staff, easy chit chat and endless cups of tea. Its normality at its best. But behind the facade lies the potential of having to deal with the most negative life changing news, complete with intense insecurity, uncertainty, dull shock and extreme sadness. 1) Pre-diagnosis: Finding the LumpWhy do some women seem to want to ignore the obvious warning signs that their breasts are trying to silently murder them?
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A ' no holds' page about my life with incurable advanced Breast Cancer, in the hope it will give a realistic, detailed account to other young women going through the unfortunate illness.
Follow the banality!
Archives
September 2023
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