My Cancer Scare And Lipoma Removal
About a year and a half ago, I had noticed a hard lump on my right shoulder, and at times, it would hurt. Yet, I didn’t really think much of it and being uninsured at the time, it wasn’t a priority for me.
I acquired insurance last year during open enrollment and established a primary care doctor to whom I showed the huge lump to. He immediately said that I needed to see an orthopedic doctor who, in turn, sent me for an MRI to see whether it was a lipoma or sarcoma.
Lipoma:
As defined by Mayo Clinic, a lipoma is a fatty lump most often situated between the skin and underlying muscle layer. They are slow growing and usually harmless, and rarely, they can be cancerous. Some people have more than one.
Sarcoma:
A sarcoma is a tumor that occurs in the bones and soft tissues. In most cases, it’s not clear what causes sarcoma. Family history and exposure to chemicals or radiation may increase risk.
Fortunately, the MRI came back as a Lipoma, which is non cancerous.
However, if I did not remove it, there was still a slight chance there could be cancer that may have been so tiny the MRI missed it. So the only way to be 100 percent sure was to have surgery to remove and send it to pathology for testing.
I didn’t hesitate to have the surgery. I knew I could have a huge scar on my body, but yet the peace of mind knowing that something wasn’t growing inside of me that could ultimately became a bigger problem was worth more than a visible scar.
The timing of the surgery was a bit off considering my daughter was about to start Kindergarten the very next week. Yet it needed to be as soon as possible so that I could be on the mend and be back to what I love the most – being her mommy and being a parent that is 100% involved with her sweet adventurous life.
The surgery itself went exceptionally well! I had an awesome doctor to whom I am grateful. The surgery was on a Thursday morning, and the next day, we had Meet The Teacher who would guide my daughter through this next year of Kindergarten.
I absolutely did so well. I went in with the mindset that I needed to get this done and be ready for the next days obligations. It was quite amazing and with one arm in a sling, I managed to dress myself and my daughter. Off to Kindergarten meet and greet – here we come! It was a hoot! All the teachers and staff that knew me from the year prior were asking what in the world are you doing here after having surgery “yesterday?” Well I am in SuperMom mode and getting it done.
The pathology report came back sooner than expected, and on my two week post op appointment, I learned that it was final non cancerous Lipoma!
Thanks be to GOD!!! I am so thankful and I am glad that I pushed my way through and the end result was favorable.
It just brings me to tell all moms and dads that we are busy with our lives each and everyday. We tend to put off what is needed for us and put the needs of our children first yet that can be dangerous. If you notice something is not right with you, do all that you can to get it checked so that you can possibly catch it before it gets to a point where the outcome is not in your favor. You are your children’s caregiver, yet you need to care for yourself in order to be there for them.
Start this year off with a resolution to take care of yourselves, and in turn, be the best version of yourself for your children and for you. Let 2024 be the year of being healthy and not putting off, if at all possible, what you need.
Happy New Year and Many Blessings 🙌
