Now that I've had a minute to sit and take it all in...
I've never really been afraid of the doctor. Dentist yes, doctor no. Sitting with my husband on some appointments, sister too. Emergency room visits with best friends when a softball goes rogue. Never seemed to phase me.
Until this last week.
Long story short, my best friend sent me a text a few weeks ago about what she thought was something going on with her breast. She saw the doctor, they told her it was spider bites, but they went ahead with a mammogram just to make sure that it was nothing else.
Few days later she gets a message about a scan showing what was a mass in one of her breasts.
She called me, told me about it and said her biopsy was set for the week ahead. She asked if I could come with her for the results, and with no hesitation I told her I would.
All last week, my mind kept thinking that this is nothing.
It's all nothing and we are worrying about absolutely NOTHING.
Sure I talked with Kyle about it, he told me that she's just too young to have something like cancer.
My friend is healthy, lives a healthy lifestyle, no family history of breast cancer. She's good to herself, her body and good to everyone around her. So there's NO POSSIBLE way that this could be anything.
Friday's appointment came and I couldn't help but be nervous for her. You would never know if she was. Before we got out of the car, I said "No matter what happens in the next 30 min, I will NOT let you do this alone. It's going to be fine and YOU are going to be fine."
We walked into her appointment for the results, escorted back to a back exam room and told to wait. While we were only in that room for 10 min it seemed like 10 hours. I started to sweat, Elaine had this peace about her. I was in envy of how cool she was. This appointment wasn't about me, it was about her. HER LIFE ahead of her.
The radiologist came in, sat down on the exam table and straight looked Elaine in the eye and said, "This is not the news that I wanted to tell you, but you have cancer."
I could feel the tears come, and I started to choke up. Doing my best to hold it together, but damn. Couldn't do it. As everything was being explained to her about the prognosis, steps moving forward, I watched her face be so stoic. She held it together better than anyone that I know could after being told you have breast cancer.
After the nurses and radiologist left, we shared some tears, hugs and words. I cried all the way home after I left her house that night.
've know some pretty strong women who've had breast cancer and have beat it and I know Elaine will, too.
Good news is, it's stage 1, non-aggressive and she's making the steps to getting this removed and on the road to recovery.
She's my best friend. She married my husband and I. She's been a part of some pretty significant milestones for me personally and professionally. I think the world of her and to see her in this vulnerable state breaks me.
I know she can and will beat this. I have faith in her and faith in God - that he will see it that she will come out cancer-free.
Last thing Elaine said to me that Friday was "thank god for spider bites" because if it weren't for those, she would have never known about this mass and had this prognosis.
I don't ask for much, but I will ask this. Please say a prayer for my best friend as she goes thru this journey. She has a long road ahead, and I will make damn sure she won't be alone in this walk.