My Little Mammies! ;-)

Yesterday Scott, Jesson and I made the trip to see the surgeon in Saskatoon about my “micro calcifications”. The surgeon’s name is Dr. Hansen and he is very easy to talk to and was quite willing to answer all of my questions patiently without looking at the clock or pacing around the room. After grilling him for 15 minutes, I feel he has my best interest in mind and isn’t just out to make a buck by cutting me open. Yes, after a long discussion, surgical biopsy is really the only option.

Dr. Hansen described the calcifications as little spots spread all over the place. He said they compare to using a straw to shoot paint at paper. For this reason it would be next to impossible to properly locate sufficient cells with the less invasive needle biopsy method. Although, on my left side, there is a cluster of these little spots grouped together close enough that he’s positive he’ll get a good sample to test from there. Dr. Hansen had been doing breast surgery for 33 years and I’m only the third woman he’s seen with bi-lateral calcifications of this kind. Don’t I feel special! When he said that I almost laughed because “I’ve never seen that before” is usually what we hear from the car dealership when we show up with a problem. He did say that the likely hood of finding malignant cells in this type of tissue is only 2-3%, which is somewhat comforting.

So, I guess when “the call” comes in we’re off to Saskatoon for day surgery. The procedure is supposed to go something like this – I first go to the radiologist again who will locate the cluster using the mammogram machine and while I’m still compressed in there, he/she will insert a little wire (with a hook on the end so it can’t move around) into the cluster for the doctor to follow in surgically – then we cross the street to City Hospital to have surgery, luckily that part is under general anesthetic. The whole thing is only supposed to take part of a day. I’ll attempt to document as much a possible about the whole thing.

If you’re reading this on our Blog site and I have not yet phoned you in person, I apologize but if you're upset you’ll just have to get over it. Between doctor visits, an ailing cat, and chasing Jesson, I will eventually phone everyone but these things take time and feels like I’m phoning to ask people to feel sorry for me and that’s a little uncomfortable. Besides, I write a story a lot better than I can tell it in person so now you have the details.

Take Care, Jacki