Day 17: Listen to my body!

A few days ago I wrote about not letting your mind limit what your body can do. I feel like I need to write a disclaimer addendum to that post. The body is an amazing thing capable of so much. It is also amazing because it can alert you when something is not right. I was the one who found the lump in my right breast. And no, it wasn't because I faithfully perform self-breast exams. I was lying in my bed one night reading or working on my computer (can't remember which) when I subconsciously starting feeling along my chest. Sub-conscious turned into slightly more conscious and I thought to myself, “maybe I should go have that checked.” But I am not one to run to the doctor; I am much more of the “wait and see” type. In fact, it took me about two weeks to get an appointment with my primary care physician. And when I finally did, it was because when I mentioned it to one of my friends who has dealt with a lot of cancer in her family she freaked and practically called to make the appointment for me. Even when I was evaluated by the nurse practitioner, my anxiety level was minimal about it. She referred me to the breast center but didn't seem too concerned either. On the morning of my mammogram and sonogram, I was more concerned about the traffic getting there than I was about the possibility that the lump was anything more than a cyst from drinking too much coffee. Little did I know I was on the brink of months of sleepless nights. The good news is that I didn't wait too long to have it checked. And my cancer ended up being stage 1A and did not reach my lymph nodes. All of this to say, there is a time to push my body because it is good for it, but there is also a time to stop and pay attention to what my body is telling me.