Thursday, October 15, 2009

Worth a Repeat

In honor of breast cancer awareness month, I thought this might be worth repeating. I wrote it 6 months ago after my routine mammogram came back with something suspicious. As it turned out, all was fine and next week I'm due for my 6 month follow-up. I'm a smidge nervous but only slightly more than I would be anyway. Prayers would still be appreciated though. Thanks. For more information on Breast Cancer click here on Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Be Blessed.
Melanie

My Lockness

Deep within my right breast,
lurks a mysterious little something – I've named it Lockness.
Now, you might be thinking this girl’s insane but just sit tight and I’ll explain.

You see, I recently went for my annual exam
And was handed a script for a mammogram.
I know it’s important for this to be done; I am afterall at year 41.
So I made my appointment; I didn’t have to be pushed
To lay my breasts down and get alternately squished.

I was neither surprised to receive the next call.
“Additional views needed.” It’s routine, after all.
So I promptly was scheduled, put my right boob on the plate
and was then sent to the hall and asked…to just...wait…

Well, wait I sure did for what felt a long time.
Others came and they went; I felt less than fine.
Red flags shot up as people whispered my name.
“Just gathering information” was the only answer that came.
There’s an area of concern, I finally was told.
An ultrasound was needed. I suddenly felt cold.

I was led to a room and asked to lie down.
The last ultrasound I had, my belly was all round.
But a baby was not what this was about.
I tried to stay positive and fought off my doubt.

I could view the screen easily and was fascinated to see
What looked like an ocean – well, it did to me.
And that’s when I saw it – what they were looking for.
A dark shadowy something. Was that it? Would there be more?

She zeroed in on the area and measured, more or less.
And that’s when it struck me – that monster called Lockness.
It bobbed up and down, this threat in my breast.
I thought “I’m so weird” while she finished the test.

But happy I wasn’t and I started to pray
For peace while I waited to hear what they had to say.
Would my lockness have teeth? The radiologist wasn’t sure.
But a biopsy would certainly tell everyone more.

I met with a surgeon the very next day.
She doesn’t think that it’s cancer. It doesn’t look that way.
She said cancer cells are jagged and much darker too.
But go ahead with the biopsy - try not to let it worry you.

So, a core-needle biopsy I’ll soon undergo.
And await the results that will finally show
If a cancerous threat lurks within my breast…
This suspicious area I call Lockness.

3 comments:

Rachel said...

You are a beautiful poet!! How'd it go today?

Melanie said...

Fine, I guess. They hadn't received the films from back in April to compare against so they did another ultra-sound which was more uncomfortable. I guess I'll hear in a couple of weeks once the other films come in. Thanks for asking.

prashant said...

enjoy the new book! Would love your take on it once you're finished.
data entry work from home