Dr. Yuen has been our doctor after our former doctor retired. She took over Dr. Lo’s practice. She was quite fresh out of medical school, but came very highly recommended by Dr. Lo. He wasn’t mistaken. She has now been our doctor for over 15 years. She has seen us through my daughter Kristy’s nearly ruptured appendix, Don’s two angiograms/angioplasty and had even taken out a stud earring that dug deep into my ear lobe years ago. These days she monitors our hearts, cholesterol levels, reminds me all the time to take my medications and warns me against donuts, frappuccinos, cookies and pies.
Now this. A lump in my breast. It took me sometime to process what Dr. Yuen told me. I decided to keep this to myself, but consistently talked to God about it. I was not praying that God take it away, but that His will be done. But, if my opinion mattered, I did mention to Him that I would certainly rather not have cancer.
As Dr. Yuen ordered, I immediately made an appointment with the Breast Center. However, it took several days before I could be seen. It was only by God’s grace that I was able to function as normally as I did in the intervening days without breathing a word of my problem to anyone. So many thoughts were running through my mind. I had plenty of questions. Why would this happen, and what would happen to us. Our lives would be terribly altered.
Always a Clean Bill of Health Until . . .
I have been blessed with excellent health until about 8 years ago when I was diagnosed with diabetes 2. Other than this, I’ve never had any major health problems. Before the diabetes, I’ve never had to take medication on any regular basis. I have quite a low threshold for pain. Though I’ve had blood drawn countless times, it still scares me. Dental visits are plain torture regardless of how simple the procedure. I have often wondered how I would respond to a major medical crisis. I’ve seen one of my closest friends, a woman ten years younger than I, succumb to breast cancer after a five-year battle. That was a pretty frightening picture. I saw a pretty, bright, vibrant and lovely person slowly disappear into the shadows as her body was subjected to chemotherapy, radiation and the ravages of the disease. Then I thought of what would become of us. Here we were just a short time into our retirement.
I am reminded of how fragile life is. Life holds no guarantees. I flippantly make appointments, schedule activities, promise attendance at events, expect each day to be pretty much like the day before. But I do not hold even an hour, a minute nor a second of life in my hands. When day breaks and I awake, I look out the window and think of all the things I have planned for that day, without any thought of possibilities that could change those plans. In a minute, in the twinkling of an eye, things can change. I feel as if James, the brother of Jesus was personally saying to me, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:13-14 NIV)
The night before my appointment with the Breast Center, I decided to tell Don what Dr. Yuen found. “Would you like to pray about this?” he asked, taking my hand. And we prayed together.
At the Breast Center
It was a bit overcast and chilly in the City. As we walked in to the Breast Center, I headed to the receptionist and handed her my prescription from Dr. Yuen. As she read the “found a lump on right breast” she looked up at me as if trying to read my thoughts. Very kindly, she told me the technician would come to get me in a few minutes. Sure enough, a smiling and friendly technician came, informing me that she was doing the mammogram. After about 10 minutes of x-rays, I was told to wait in the dressing room, while she gave the results to the radiologist. He would then decide whether further diagnostic ultrasound testing would be necessary. A few minutes later a nurse came to get me and led me to another examination room. She also introduced herself to me and explained the procedure. I lay quietly as she did the ultrasound testing. I could see the monitor partly and the expression on her puzzled face. She was very methodical and took much care as she scanned my breast with the wand. Soon she told me to wait as she conferred with the radiologist. It may have been just 15 minutes that she was gone but it felt like eternity to me.My thoughts were interrupted by the nurse’s footsteps. She had a smile on her face. “Mrs. Major, you are all clear.” Then she gave me a pink slip that had the information. Though I understood clearly what she said, I had to confirm what she meant. They could not find any evidence of a lump!
Thankful to God for this answer to prayers, relieved and a bit numb from it all, I got dressed and in a few minutes, was back to the reception room where Don was waiting for me.
“Negative,” I told him with a smile. And then we just got quiet. We both knew how life-altering a contrary finding would have meant.
It was raining as we got out of the Center, and we did not have an umbrella. As we felt the raindrops, Don asked, “Are you okay walking in the rain and getting wet?”
Looking up at him and meeting his blue eyes, I smiled. “I have just been spared from breast cancer, do you think a little rain will bother me?” Then we headed to the Starbuck’s across the street for steaming cups of black coffee.
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