Check-Up Day

Hey y’all!

How was your week?  Are you glad it’s Saturday??  I know we are for certain, because it has been a crazy, crazy week.  Three baseball games, a cross country meet, a birthday, and three trips to St. Louis have had me looking forward to today…a day with nothing on the schedule.  Ahhhh…

The third of those trips to the city happened yesterday.  Yep, it was check-up day.  For me this time.  Every three months I see my oncologist and have labs done, and every 6 months I see my breast surgeon and have alternating breast MRIs and mammograms.  Yesterday was the mammogram appointment. 

Praise God, everything went well and all looks good from yesterday’s visit!  Yeah!!  Want to see how my day went?  Keep reading…this is what check-up day looks like for a breast cancer patient…

My day started when the alarm went off at 4:30.  I know, it’s early, but we had to leave by 6:30 and I wanted to get my workout in and have plenty of time to get ready.  I don’t like to be rushed…or late.  I knew it wouldn’t be a problem, though, because I haven’t been sleeping well anyway.  And I was right, it wasn’t. 

I put in 4 miles of running and incline walking while I watched the morning news.  It felt good to sweat out some of the anxieties of check-up/scan day.  
 

My dad came over to take Katie to school and the boys headed to cross country practice and around 6:30 we were off.

We valet parked at 9:30am.  And I know I’ve said this before, but I lovelovelove that my doctor’s offices have valet parking.  I also love the feeling that I have when I pull into Siteman.  Safe.  Nervous, yes, but so safe and well taken care of.
 

 

We headed to the seventh floor, which is where Siteman Cancer Center is located.  I signed in for my labs and got my pager <-----which always scares me to death when it goes off.

 

I got to love on Tucker, the therapy dog, who was making his rounds through the waiting area. 

I have been there once before when Tucker was there, and he is beautiful.  He reminds me so much of our dog, Tanner, who passed away just after I was diagnosed in 2008.  He was 11 and we loved him so much.  He is still missed.  Tucker looks just like Tanner and I could have pet him and loved on him all day long.  It really was soothing to pet him and talk to him while I waited for the pager to go off.  After about 5 minutes or so, I had to let him move on to soothe some other patients…but oh I didn’t want to!

Labs-

And for probably the first time ever, I had a nurse who was in a bad mood and wasn’t very nice.  She wasn’t mean, just not friendly.  I seriously wanted to cry when I walked out.  It wasn’t a big deal, but I am a big baby tend to be a little emotional when I go there…because I can be. 

I was also a little upset that she gave me the green arm wrap instead of the pink that I know she clearly heard me talking about.  Hmphh.

But as I told, Tiffany, (while we were having our usual text-a-thon) I would wear the lime green proudly for her since it is the color for lymphoma.  It kinda felt like she was with me.  

We took our usual waiting room picture (gosh, he loves it when I do that ) and filled out some paperwork with questions about how I was feeling and symptoms I may be having or whatever. 

 

I was called back and we waited…

After Tim came in and declared me still healthy and addressed all my complaints issues (which today included hot flashes, night sweats, not sleeping, and feeling like I’m ninety), I got dressed.  I went and said “HI!!” to my “little sister,” Allyson and her Momma, and we headed downstairs for my next appointment…and my hot date with the boob-squisher. 

At Julie’s office we were granted a veryyyy short wait (Thanks, Jolynn!!!!) and I had my mammogram, which, as I said before, was NORMAL! 

I couldn’t WAIT to get back upstairs to see Ally, who was waiting for her next-to-last chemo treatment!!!  Every single one is something to celebrate as you get closer and closer to being DONE!!  She is doing GREAT and I am so thankful that OUR favorite chemo nurse, Renee, put us together. 
 

It really seems like it wasn’t that long ago that Renee was taking care of me during MY treatments-

She and I go way back to the very beginning of my journey and will be friends forever.  I will never forget how much love and kindness she showed us during my year of chemotherapy.  She is simply amazing and I love her SO much! 

After getting to visit with Ally and Cindy (her Momma) for a little bit longer, we had to head home to get back for the boys’ baseball game.  I was sad to leave them…I wish we could have stayed the rest of the afternoon with them, but we just can’t stand to miss our boys’ games.  We are their biggest fans.   I left a part of my heart there with Ally.  She is my girl.

So that was yet another check-up day.  We made it to the baseball game in the second inning to our kids and my parents who were all happy to see us.  I’m good for three more months with my oncologist and until February with Julie when I have my MRI.  And I slept like a baby last night. Thank You, Jesus. 

Please check your calendars, ladies, and see when your last mammogram was.  If it has been more than a year, pick up the phone and make your next appointment.  It could save your life.  I know it can be scary, but potentially catching something early is much less scary than the alternative.  Do it. 

God bless.

xoxo