Finally December 11th rolled around and we left at 6:30 for Hill Breast Center. I reported there first, so doctors could do some pre-operative work. Step 1: numb the left breast with 4-5 shots. Nice!. Step 2: insert a small tube into my breast and inject a needle with dye to color the tumor, enabling the surgeon to see what she is removing. Step 3: Insert a “lead wire” to guide the surgeon to the correct location. Step 4: Place 4 injections around the nipple of an isotope, which will travel to the lymph nodes in my armpit assisting doctors in determining whether cancer has spread. By the time I was done, my left breast had been poked and prodded countless times, and I hadn’t even had surgery yet.
Enter Victor. Victor was the lucky guy who got to wheel me from the Breast Center, down the street to Huntington Memorial Hospital. That must be quite a job—pushing frightened/stressed women a couple blocks down the street to meet their unknown fate. Needless to say, he seemed a bit surprised when I asked him to pose for a picture with me. We chatted about spiders, and a special chalk that can be purchased at the swap meet that kills the little critters. I was safely delivered to the hospital…and Victor was gone.
"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional."
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