It's Always Something

I love what I do for a living.  I tell people that what I do is help people buy and sell real estate.  I hope it's more than that - but hey, those words are descriptive.  I am not much of a salesperson, and I'm okay with that.  If somebody needs to be "sold" on a property, that's a decision they can come to by themselves and in consultation with friends and family.  It's not my job.  It's my job to help them have their eyes wide open about real property and make sound decisions - and I'm pretty good at that.

So, speaking of having eyes wide open, I got mine opened yesterday.  On Monday the 3rd, I had a breast biopsy.  The week before, I'd had mammogram and ultrasound - so I knew something was up.  It's not the first biopsy - there was another about 18 months before.  Long story just beginning, report is positive.  Positive sounds so positive, doesn't it - but what it means is that I need to see a surgeon.

In 2000, I had a mastectomy of the left breast.  Little bitty cancer - almost precancer - but it was near the chest wall and had to come out.  Ductal carcinoma in situ - DCIS - meaning that the cancer was contained in a duct.  If you have to have cancer, that's the kind to get.  Mastectomy was successful and so was breast reconstruction.  No chemo.  No radiation.  A couple of visits with an oncologist, many visits with the plastic surgeon, and follow-up mammograms on a regular basis.  I've been blessed with health.  I had a friend going through much more serious surgery at the time, and I didn't say much about mine - was so grateful it went so well.  I've spoken about it pretty much on an "as need to know" basis - meaning that if I knew someone was about to go down the same road, then I'd share my experience, hopefully in an encouraging way.

My first prayer request after getting the phone call yesterday was that I could get an early appointment with a surgeon.  And that prayer has been answered.  I have an appointment with Dr. Ames Yee for next Wednesday afternoon.  Dr. Yee is the general surgeon who performed the left breast mastectomy.  I'll know more next week.  What I don't know now is whether surgery can be scheduled right away, or whether more tests are needed, nor do I know how to think about reconstruction.

For now, all I know is that this time around the cancer is both DCIS as well as "infiltrating ductal carcinoma, grade 2 of 3".

Between now and this time next week, I need to get some real estate business done!  I showed three properties in the last two days, to three different clients.  The housing inventory is still down - so I suspect none of these prospective buyers will need to look for long before they get serious and make their offers.