wish to remind my readers that I am coming from a faith perspective. For me, my faith in God and the knowledge that He has promised me good health, made all the other aspects of the discovery, diagnosis and successful treatment of the cancer possible.
October 2011
At last, the boys are in bed. I have brushed my teeth, put on a clean night t-shirt. My bed is waiting to receive me in all its cotton comfort. I still have a few things to do. Multi tasking even in bed. I pick up the phone and return a friend's call.
Whiles we are catching up on what is going on in our lives, my free hand goes to my breast and I begin the gentle exploration of probing and prodding to make sure that there is no foreign matter in it. We are advised to do this periodically to detect any abnormalities in our breasts. Then I feel it. Is it my imagination? No! I can definitely, feel a small hard lump somewhere in there. Warning bells immediately go off in my head. I have a very restless night and first thing in the morning I try to get in touch with my family doctor. He is away on vacation for about 2 weeks. I spent a torturous two weeks expecting the worst.
My doctor gives me a call after two weeks and we schedule an appointment for me to go and see him. He refers me to do a mammogram. I do it immediately. I do the mammogram a couple of days before a long weekend. I tell the technician that I am freaking out and explain that I had lost my husband to cancer less than three years ago. I have two young children and this situation is terrifying to me. The technician is very kind and promises to let me know the results as soon as possible, faster than I would normally get it.
A couple of days later I get a call from my family doctor. He says "Janet, good news! Your mammogram was normal, nothing suspicious was found. I heave a sigh of relief.
Lessons Learnt
1.Don't panic when you discover something that is concerning or frightening.
2.Ask the Lord to take away the fear and to give you a plan on how to tackle the problem. Call your Pastor for support.
3. Seek medical attention immediately. Get an appointment with your family doctor and let him examine you. You know your body and the way it behaves more than anyone else. Ask your doctor to refer you for tests so that you can get a diagnosis of the issue you may be facing. If the problem is identified and a name is given to it, it can be treated more effectively. Early diagnosis may save your life.
Above all, DO NOT PANIC OR GO INTO DENIAL IF YOU DETECT SOMETHING ABNORMAL.
Don't think it will go away if you ignore it. The quicker you get yourself checked out, the earlier your treatments can be started if necessary. If it happens to be nothing to be concerned about, you will know and have peace instead of being unsure about it. You have a better chance to beat the condition.
What was most important for me in this was the realisation that God reveals to redeem. It is not God's will that we die prematurely. God is in to heal you and save you. So when you detect a problem, go to Him for peace and courage to deal with the problem in the knowledge that you discovered the problem because God wants to heal.
Here are a few scriptures for strength and courage (NKJV):
Psalm 30:2
O Lord my God, I cried out to You and You healed me.
Psalm 34:4
I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 46: 1&2
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear.
Isaiah 41: 10
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.