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The Mammogram & Ultrasound results came in early and since i was hit by diarrhoea since late last nite, I made a trip to the Polyclinic to get the review as well.
The doctor said there's probably cyst or nodules in my breasts. Tsk vague description, not helpful at all but as she was busily writin down my prescription for another examination at a specialised breast clinic, I read the diagnosis written for the mammogram/ultrasound result. Clustered calcifications found on blah blah blah...BI-RAD 3 and BI-RAD 4. Those words were imprinted in my head till i get home and the doctor said that i might have to go through biopsy. See all these new terms i gotta memorise? GOOGLED!
Calcifications or microcalcifications seen on a mammogram are small mineral deposits that show up as white spots on the mammogram film. Calcifications can be benign, but may be a sign of breast cancer.
Distribution of breast calcifications
Breast calcifications are described in terms of type and distribution and categorized according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) of the American College of Radiology (ACR).
Distribution modifiers (grouped or clustered, linear, segmental, regional, diffuse) are used to describe the arrangement of the calcifications. Historically, the terms grouped or clustered were used to describe suspicious calcification. Now, these terms are neutral and may be used to describe benign or malignant processes. Grouped or clustered should be used to describe calcifications that occupy a small volume (<2 mL) of tissue.
BI-RADS to describe breast calcifications
Category 3, or "probably benign finding–short-term interval follow-up suggested," is used when a noted finding has a very high probability of being benign. The finding is not expected to change over the follow-up interval, but the radiologist prefers to establish its stability over time.
Category 4, or "suspicious abnormality–biopsy should be considered," is used when a finding has a definite probability of being malignant.
info extracted from:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002113.htm
http://www.emedicine.com/radio/byname/breast-benign-calcifications.htm
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Astaghfirullah...
BI-RADS cat 4 don't sound too good to me and I heard that biopsy is a real painful experience.
O Allah, give me strength to overcome this, and i really really hope that with a more thorough check, the calcifications in my breast are benign, benign, benign...and they'll poof or juz stay that way...
Somethin that ladies around my age are not usually particularly concerned about as mammogram are encouraged for ladies who are 40 years old and above.
I had mine done yesterday due to some pains that I experienced at certain spots of my breasts last week (still experiencin the pains till today too). My paternal aunt had breast cancer, my colleague too, so in the state of paranoia, I decided to go for a check up at the polyclinic when my mum had her check-up review on her liver. The doctor recommended me to go for the 2 examinations when she found that my breasts felt lumpy and tender. Scare the wits out of me when she told me that but I had to do what was best.
Consulted my colleague on how the mammogram is done and she said it was painful and the action mimics that of a machine that i was handlin at the point when I asked her. That machine's got 2 metal plates pressin a membrane in between and she said that the breasts will be like the membrane, and they will be flatten as much as possible,and the procedure will take about 2-3 minutes. OMG *GULP*
Mentally prepared of flattened boobs, I went to the Health Promotion Board yesterday, accompanied by the Man in Green, who took time out from servin the nation. Registered & was charged about $70 for the examinations (Actual price was $150 but because I was recommended by the polyclinic,so the fees was subsidised). Was led to a room and then, the action began. Firstly my breasts were pressed between an upper plastic plate and a metal lower plate vertically, meaning the breasts were squeezed towards the left and right accordingly. Then they were squeezed horizontally. Was it painful? YES... but bearable and the radiographer was also gentle and polite. Nothin traumatic, although minutes after the procedure, i still felt pain, kinda like someone had hit my breasts and no, my breasts definitely did not turn out like the cartoon!! THANK GOD! Phew~
Then i went on for an Ultrasound scan, where I bugged the examiner to show me what was on her screen. Juz mases of fats/tissues...hmm interesting, reminds me of scenes on tv showin mothers lyin down and tryin to spot their lil foetus. That procedure although easy, all I had to do is juz lie there with arms raised with a cool clear gel slapped on my breasts, tellin her where I felt pain as the lady ran a scanner on the surfaces of my breasts and takin shots on the tissues, took quite awhile to get over and done with.
Well, yeah that's abt all for my breast screening experience. Juz wanna share with u abt it, especially with the ladies, cos when we are ignorant, we tend to get spooked and scared of pains and such. So no worries, when it's ur turn to do it, don't be scared stiff, Relax & Just Do It!
Now in the midst of preparation of Eid, i could only hope & pray for the best for my well-being. I am so hopin that I am not sufferin Breast Cancer or havin lumps that need to be surgically removed!
Waitin for the uncertainties to be cleared in two weeks time...
For that someone, who is also facin a similar kinda uncertainty, I will be prayin for u too.
Be Strong. Be Positive. Keep Faith.
Since my dad passed away, i am pretty much the one entrusted to take care of the plants outside the flat. Hmm i ain't the kind of person who would actually bother to look and talk to plants, my assumed routine is juz water them every couple of days and that's it. All the plants my dad had were pretty much fuss-free & hardy to the weather.
But there's somethin not goin well with the lime plant. There's white cottony stuff growin at every joints of the branches. hmm fungus?? tried hard to recall some things i learnt in my Plant Science module in Poly. hmm no idea but i was told by a florist that those stuff were actually insects. ok so mum & i bought tis Systemic spray to rid of those stuff, sprayed twice and it looked like the cottony thingy seemed to sorta wrinkled up. Good i thot, so i decided to snip off some ends of the branches, rid some leaves hopin that new shoots will grow since who noes, auxin accumulations at the ends will lead to retardation of shoot growth (ehem plant science geek talk). After a few waterings, eyyyy shoots really grew lah! more n more! ok happy happy.
eversince, i kinda observe the new shoots with new light green leaves, somehow feelin relieved every time cos there ain't any white cottony stuff growin there. then, a couple of days ago..i started seein my new leaves goin out of shape...more like they were bein nibbled on! URGHH!
Must be those damn caterpillars!! Urghhhhh!!! Caterpillars...reminded me of the periwinkle plants i had to look after in my 2nd year in SP. I had such a breeze lookin after those plants till caterpillars appear! HUGE GREEN ONES!!! YUCK!! And they were tough to remove, they cling to the bloody leaves! I dun wanna see them anymore, especially not on the lime plant!
So today after waterin the plants and seein more damaged leaves, i decided to take a closer look at the leaves to see if i can spot any of those squirmy crawlers! ooo ooo oooo...i saw not one, not two...but at least 6 of them in 3 different sizes! but they are way smaller compared to the ones i found on the peiwinkle plants...i think they r still baby ones...black, brown and furry lookin!! Eeewwwww~~~~
Grabbed a pair of scissors and snipped of the leaves that they were restin on, and throw them all downstairs..like they were on some magic carpet or somethin...eeewwwww!!! i felt guilty for awhile, cos they might suffer but oh well, some birds would thank me for the food man! hah!
It is only now I understand why almost everyday my late dad would look at his lime plant before he enters our home every time he returned from work or mosque. I remember hearin the jangling of his keys when he walked thru the corridor and i await in my room for him to open the door and peer at me when he enters the house, but i always had to wait quite some time before he did cos he would pause to look at his lime plant and pick on caterpillars or remove damaged leaves. My mum said she reminiscence his silhouette at the lime plant spot every now and then. My poor mum, it is still very hard for her to overcome his passing...every lil things reminds her of him.
I guess it's my turn now to be scrutinisin the lime plant and the others..well i may not be givin those plants tender lovin care, but I'll try to at least keep them alive. I used to some time get pissed with my dad when I see the soil of the plants get too dry. I mean, if u dun have time, why take such responsibilities of lookin after plants that have lives too? I guess I understand now that he is probably a lil too tired yet such creations of God, somehow takes one off the tiredness and stress the world brings sometime and juz brings a sense of calmness and relief.
So now, it's me against ants, cottony insects and Caterpillars!!
SNIP SNIP SNIP & SPROT SPROT!!
For the paths and roads that have been laid out and what u have been through
U probably think they are part of ur future for somethin big, somethin bold, somethin Grand
But what if it is all part of the worldly deception and all those comes to an abrupt crumblin end?
Would u fall for the deceit?
Or
Would u give up everythin n be ready for ur return back to nothingness?
How would u noe?
How would u noe when?
*Al-Fateha for our loved ones who have passed on before us*
