Not One, But Two

So I should title this post:

The Rock ‘N Roll Marathon – The REST of the Story…

But I won’t.

Since I finished what was to be my 3rd full marathon, and ended up being my 3rd HALF-marathon, barely over a week ago, I have new answers…and new questions.

The ANSWERS came at a dr’s appointment on Wednesday.  We traveled to the city for x-rays for my ribs.  After still feeling quite a bit of pain, Dr. P wanted to take a look and get a scan.  We stopped by his office at Siteman and he wrote us out the order that we then took to radiology.  We got checked in and waited for the tech to come get me. 

Now I have to tell you, there are 4 words I have heard over and over and over since my breast cancer diagnosis in September 08 [and I’m sure that other young survivors hear the same thing ALL the time, as I do],

…But you’re SO YOUNG!…

They all say it.  The receptionist checking me in at radiology, “Oh but you’re so young!”

The tech who gave me the gown and took the x-rays, “Really???  You’re so YOUNG!”

The lady at the bone density registration (more on that in a moment), “Wow, you’re so YOUNG!”

It is almost always the first thing I hear when someone finds out that I have been diagnosed with breast cancer.  But it’s true.  Did you know that the median age for a woman diagnosed with breast cancer is 61?  SIXTY-ONE.  Breast cancer in young women is rare, but no unheard of.  Just because you are young and have no family history [Ahem.] doesn’t mean that you aren’t at risk.  Take care of yourselves, ladies, and remember to check your breasts.  Breast cancer caught early is a HUGE PLUS!

---ok, stepping off of soapbox---

So I got my x-rays and went back to the dr’s office, where not long after we arrived, Dr. P came walking down the hall looking at me with a half smile, shaking his head. 

“What?”  I said.

“Your rib is really broken.  Want to see?”

We followed him back to his office and checked out my scan on the computer screen.  And there it was.  A lower left rib, obviously split in two, with a gap in the break, jagged edges. 

“Whoa!  Are you serious?!”  Is the first thing I said.  Now I knew something was wrong but I didn’t really anticipate it being so badly broken. 

After a while, my hubs exclaimed, “And can you imagine, she could only run 13.1 miles with it like that?!”  Funny guy

So then it was on to the QUESTIONS and thinking as to how this may have happened.  No trauma has taken place, no bumps or accidents I can remember, no rough-housing with the kids (or Jack ), nothing to suggest how my rib was broken.  And upon further review by the radiologist, there are actually TWO ribs broken, thankfully the second one discovered isn’t as bad.

Of course, my first question was about it being a cancer-related break.  And my dr said that of course that’s always a possibility and a concern, but he would think that my PET scan from the first of September would have showed SOMETHING, even though it was seven weeks prior.  But it showed nothing.  Even a review he had the radiologists do of my PET, focusing on that area of my ribs, revealed nothing. 

We are now awaiting the results of the bone density scan that my dr ordered and we had done last week.  I’m very interested see the results and see how my bones are handling their post-estrogen life.  Are the broken ribs a sign that they are literally cracking under the pressure – Haha, sorry I couldn’t help myself!  

So we shall see, folks.  We are anticipating test results very soon.

Peace and Blessings.

xoxo