2019 Paint the Paper Pink

2019 Paint the Paper Pink Lincoln Daily News October 2019 Page 47 However, the lump was a concern for Mary and she had it checked out. It was non- cancerous, but also a cause for concern for her doctor, who recommended that Mary be diligent with self-exams and mammograms, even at her young age. But, even though it had always been in the back of her mind that she could have cancer someday, when the day actually came and she was diagnosed with cancer in her left breast, it came as a little bit of a surprise. The surprise was that though diligent, Mary had not felt lumps in her left breast. Mary explained that she went in for her annual mammogram five years ago with no expectations there would be an issue. However, when the mammogram was read, doctors noted “a spot” in the left breast and recommended that Mary consult with a surgeon. Mary went to St. Joseph Hospital in Bloomington for a needle biopsy. However, that didn’t work out very well. The ‘spot’ that had been identified earlier wasn’t immediate found. However a second try revealed that there were actually three spots in Mary’s left breast. A needle biopsy was finally done on all three spots and it was found that two of them were cancerous. Mary said that after the biopsies were finally done, then it was a wait to hear from the doctor. When the call came, she said that all she was told was that the doctor wanted to see her. But, “when they called me, I knew. And I think I prepared myself then for what was coming.” On the day of her doctor visit, she said that her husband Charlie went with her. They sat together in the doctor’s office with Charlie holding her hand when they got the news. Mary said that her doctor was a wonderful communicator and told them everything they needed to know. Mary remembers, “I was surprisingly calm. I knew what it was, I knew where it was, so all I wanted to do was deal with it.” Mary said telling family and friends was a challenge, especially with her mother. She explained that right as all this was going on, her mom was preparing to take a vacation trip to visit Mary’s brother. Mary did not want her mom to know about the cancer until after she had enjoyed her time with family. So she held off and shared the information with her mom when she returned. Continued n