That time of the year...

Hmmm, April first 4 years ago I got the news that was to change my life, and that of my family as well. I found out how small my real posse was, and rely much more on my inner strength and my family.
April 1, 2 years ago my dad passed away from his battle with melanoma. Although we had made our peace after not speaking for many years it was frustrating to have to clean up his estate although most of that fell to my brother. I know I don't want to leave that kind of mess for my family...

So April is a time of testing... Monday was my mammogram, Tuesday was the skin check, Thursday is a bonescan scan to check on the increased pain....next week back to Cabrini for denosumab, so today is also blood test, with a queue a mile long.

So, with the mammo they take the breast, put it on the cold metal plate, with the xray plate underneath and the plastic shelf squishes the boob as flat at possible. That is the pic of my boob in the background. They do a top squish and a side squish... When I told the mammographer that the 7 invasive tumours were not seen on on the mammo or ultrasound in 2010, not even with the stereo core biopsy, it was only when the breast was removed....she was a bit taken aback...

Then the ultrasound... Jell everywhere, the sonographer feels around the scar, the lymph nodes (both where they were under my right arm....just in case, as well as around the left arm, as well as the breast...not invasive or painful, just confusing to try and interpret the fuzz on the screen...

So.... The blood test...my veins are starting to show some wear and tear, and the young girl who tried to take my blood from my elbow vein was struggling.... But this time I spoke up before fainting! And the more experienced vampire tried....this time from my hand...didn't get much blood...but enough for the FBE and EUC tests. And now I have a big ouchie bruise on my wrist bone.

Tomorrow the bone scan.