Bone Density

When it comes back, breast cancer has a nasty habit of showing up in the bones, and by the time it is caught, it is late in the process. Strong bones are the best defense against this type of recurrence.

Through all of my doctor visits and treatment and research, I've learned that because of my height, small frame, dairy allergy, and race, I am a prime candidate for osteoporosis. Now, this is the kind of stuff that just bugs me. I feel like a hypochondriac, but it all comes back to the bus. It has already hit me once, and my job is to make sure it doesn't hit me again.

So, at my Ob/Gyn appointment a few weeks ago we talked about bone density and all the things I do regularly to help, like take my calcium and Vitamin D every day and do weight-bearing exercise regularly. We also talked about the leaching that Tamoxifen can do to women's bones. After all that, she threw in a bone density screening, just to put my mind at ease. When she came back and said, "Well, that didn't turn out as I expected," my heart sank.

Back to the radiologist, scene of all my bad mammograms, biopsies and surgery prep. I'll admit I did have a small panic attack just sitting in the waiting room! When I finally went in, the tech said we could chat through the scan. I asked if she could just make sure this test turned out better than every other test I've had in this office. She said she'd try.

Three weeks later, I finally got the results. I'm good to go for 2 years! Hooray! My first clean medical test in the past year! It's the small victories that are the best.