Mammogram Results

1/27/12

A week has gone by since my last mammogram.  Today I received the results by letter from the imaging center.  How nice to read these words, "Your mammogram has been intrpreted and reveals no evidence of breast cancer.  A report has been sent to your doctor.  You are encouraged to continue monthly breast self-examination.  Since mammograms alone may not detect all abnormalities, any symptons or questions should be directed to your doctor".

Dear ladies, I believe screenimg mammography is important to your health.  The American Cancer Society recommends that all women receive a baseline mammogram by the age of 40 and yearly screening mammograms therafter.

Please continue regular breast examination and report any changes that concern you, even before your next appointment, to your physician.  This is how my sister found the tumor in her breast.  By taking early action she should have a better survivor outcome.

Love to you my dear Jean!  When we talked today you had just finished your second chemo treatment. 

Jean told me her oncologist pulled her hair today.  The joke was on him!  It was a wig.  He said he wondered why it had not fallen out.  But it has.  Jean said she had her hair cut about 1 inch long on the top of her head and had the area above her ears and the back shaved so that the wig would not let any of her own hair peek out.  The wig looks natural.  Great news!

She wears a bonnet to sleep in and each morning a lot of hair is in the bonnet.  When she showers she uses the hand held nozzle and no shampoo as she doen't need to massage her scalp.  The hair has to be caught.  It would clog the drain if she didn't catch the hair.

I can not picture how Jean looks without her hair.  All I know is she is upbeat about it and tells me it is only temporary.  I try to encourage her by telling her about a church friend whose hair is beginning to come back in, full and thick, and beautiful.