Shocked and Shattered Read Online Free PDF Page A

me when I ask if everything looked okay.
     
    “Thanks,” I reply. It’s not her fault. I am just eager for some answers.
     
    “Next will be your CAT scan, X-ray, and mammogram. We will be checking inside your body for abnormalities or inflammations, anything that stands out. Hopefully, it will be enough. Otherwise, next time you will need to have dye injected. So, lie still. I need to get photos from different angles, so it’s a little time consuming.”
     
    Two hours later, I walk out and into the waiting room. Looking around, I notice the photos on the walls. They are photos of Islands with beautiful serene locations, turquoise waters, and beaches that look amazing. What I wouldn’t give to be on one of those Islands and have my health back, instead of dealing with all of this.
     
     
    Result Time
    Three days later, Dr. Stewart calls.
    “We have your results, Crystal. I have an opening at four today. Can you come in?” It doesn’t sound too good if she can’t talk over the phone.
     
    “Yes, I can make that time,” I tell her, feeling anxious about what I will find out.
     
    “See you then.”
     
    “Dr. Stewart?” I blurt out, trying to ask a quick question, but she’s already hung up. That makes me even more nervous. She hung up too quick, hoping to end our conversation.
     
    Holy Shit
    “It’s okay, Crys. No matter what she tells us, we will deal with it,” Hannah tells me, holding my hand tightly. She drove over straight away, telling work she would finish up her invoices at home.
    I would be so lost and alone without her right now.
     
    “Yep, I’ve got this.” I fake my confidence.
     
    We are sitting in the waiting room by three fifty. There are two other doctors on, so the waiting room is pretty packed. I wonder if any of these people are waiting to hear bad news like me.
     
    “Crystal?” I hear Dr. Stewart call out. We stand and follow her in. “Come in and have a seat,” she says with a smile.
     
    “This is Hannah, my best friend. She is here for support,” I state as we take the two seats opposite of Dr. Stewart.
     
    “Nice to meet you, Hannah,” Dr. Stewart shakes her hand and smiles again. “How about we get these results out of the way,” she suggests, pulling out paperwork in front of her. I nod as I’m eager and anxious to see what the hell is going on. “Now that I have your blood work back, the main thing we tested for were certain types of proteins in your blood for cancer markers. CA 15.3 is the certain type of marker that shows breast cancer is present, and it is unfortunately showing in your blood results. ” Her voice changes and drops.
     
    “Shit.” I say the first thing that comes to mind.
     
    “It’s okay, Crystal. We will fight this,” Hannah assures me. And even if it is a lie, it’s what I need to hear right now.
     
    “Hannah is right. There are so many options in this day and age,” Dr. Stewart insists. The next part is figuring out what stage the breast cancer is at. They start at 0, and range up to IV. Yours is showing at slightly invasive, so it is Stage IIB advanced, as it is also present in four lymph nodes,” she adds to my shocking and shattering news . All I hear are breast cancer, stages, advanced and lymph nodes.
     
    Man, that doesn’t sound good at all.
    I think to my favourite movie as a teenager, ‘Untamed Heart,’ with Christian Slater. It’s so depressing. Even though it’s not about cancer, he dies at twenty-seven, and it’s so heartbreaking.
    Is that going to be my fate?
     
    “I know it’s a lot to take in, but I have to keep going with your results so you know exactly what we are looking at. Next was the ultrasound, mammogram, CAT scan, and X-ray. They all show a tumour is present, and right now, is roughly three centimetres in size. Usually fewer than two is considered non-advanced. So far, it is only limited to one area of your breast and has not spread to healthy tissues inside the breast or to other parts of