Mastectomy
‘Early detection is key, I wasted valuable time’
“After all, who needs boobs” — Pamela Betts
Iwoke up one morning four years ago with pain around my nipple, an aching that at times was a sharp kind of pain in my right breast. I got up and did a self-exam. My breast was sore to touch. I didn’t feel any abnormalities.
This went on for a few days and the pain was lessening, so I went about my normal activities without saying anything to anyone. In a week or two I totally dismissed it.
During this time, my sister, Patricia, had stage 4 cancer and was being treated in Houston at MD Anderson. She had a tumor on her right lung, 5 brain tumors and a large tumor on her left adrenal gland. I was busy going back and forth to the clinics with her and I completely blocked my right breast out of my mind.
In the back of my mind I was thinking that years ago I had a noncancerous tumor in my right breast and had it removed, then 5 years after that I had a cyst all in that right breast so I thought it was nothing.
Patricia died in 2016.
It was in early 2017 that the nagging pain came back in my right breast. I am not sure what I thought, but it wasn’t until 2018 that I made an appointment t to see a doctor. I had a mammogram and ultrasound.
Sharice, my other sister, went to the doctor with me. When Dr. Schmidt said I had 3 tumors stacked on top of one another, Sharice started crying and I don’t think she heard another word after that. These tumors were encapsulated. I think I was numb and in shock. When I heard the word cancer, I heard a death sentence.
Dr. Schmidt and I discussed the surgery, a mastectomy. I explained about how my mother and sister had cancer in the last few years. We agreed on a double mastectomy. After all, I thought, “Who needs boobs?”
I had to call my husband because I required a biopsy and I needed him to take off work. He was shocked because I had not told anyone about my problem.
I had a dream: I dreamed my dead mother and sister came to my home and stood in the hall asking me to come out and go with them. When I refused, they left. I took this as a sign that I was going to live.
We scheduled the surgery date. We had a Muldrow Mitchell Family Reunion the last of May, so I told family members about the cancerous tumors in my right breast and asked for their prayers. Until then, I kept my cancer quiet because I didn’t want anyone to think my fate will be like Pat’s. I waited until the last minute to tell everyone.
Pat had only been dead for 2 years. I had a lot of conversations with my pastor, Edward Moss. I had an upbeat spirit, no stress. I prayed to God to give me the strength to accept His will. My mind always came back to my dream. I thank God I was never depressed or worried about the cancer.
The day came for my surgery and my brother