On the day of the biopsy I had a prior lunch appointment with two longtime friends to celebrate Christmas and our friendships. During lunch they asked me about how I was doing I said that what had struck me the most in the last several days was how much I mattered to others and how much the responses to my texts, informing family, friends, and work colleagues, had really impacted me.
I shared with them that the anxiety of the not knowing what lies ahead was likely not what this experience would be about but rather about learning, in my heart, how much I am loved and how much my life really matters to the people around me. I am struck by how the disease is providing an opportunity to rethink aspects of who I am and what I want.
Following lunch, one of my friends and her husband drove me to the imaging center where I met my husband. We entered a lovely appointed breast imaging center for the ultrasound biopsy. Unlike other appointments, he was allowed to join me in the exam room and remained with me throughout the biopsy. I can only image the memories that flooded back from his prostate biopsy less than a year earlier as the needle loudly clicked away pieces of tissue from deep within my breast.
The physician continued to reinforce that the mass was "tiny" (which also made it difficult to biopsy). She also conducted a second ultrasound on my lymph nodes and stated that they looked normal. This was very reassuring to me and filled me with hope.
The biopsy results would be the next step in our journey and we were told we would have them no later than December 23rd, prior to our departure for a 4-day quick trip to New York City.