The Procedure
As I’m climbing up on the table (a dignity stealing torture device!) to place my breast in the hole, I can’t help but think: Will the hole be large enough? I climb up as gracefully as I can (I’m sure that was a sight!) and place my breast through the hole. Lucky me! The person who developed this device makes sure it’s adjustable and my breast fits just fine. So there I am laying prone, my breast down through a hole, my head to the side, holding the nurses hand. I can’t help but think that not only am I worried that I might have cancer, I have to go this procedure to find out! The word dignity doesn’t seem to fit here. The table is raised. They adjust my breast and put it into a vice like grip – think of getting a mammogram laying down. When I’m all set, McDreamy rolls under me in his chair - OMG – I feel like I’m at Uncle Ed’s Oil Shop.
I’m in place, the kind nurse holds my hand and the procedure begins. The part I’ve been really dreading happens. My breast is numbed. I felt a tiny prick followed by a stinging sensation which lasts about 5 seconds. Doogie McDreamy explained every part of the procedure. There is one point in the procedure where you will hear a popping sound. You are warned of this by the doctor ahead of time, not because of any pain you will feel, it's so you won’t jump at the sound. This is when the tube is placed into your breast to begin pulling out the samples. The only other thing I felt was a tugging when he was pulling out the samples but there was no pain. A clip is put into the area for future identification should the biopsy come back as cancer. The procedure itself doesn’t last long, band aid on and I’m ready to go home. I ice my breast for the rest of the day – no worse for wear. I learned two important lessons that day: (1) apprehension is sometimes worse than reality and (2) I need to stay in the present moment and stop letting my mind wander. Little did I know this is something I will need to embrace in the future.
