(Review) The importance of health check-ups - Anyone can get cancer.

I was really 고민ing whether to leave a treatment review or not.

 

I left brief messages about the CacheDoc community health checkup and questions, but this is the first time I've written a proper, detailed account of my surgery, so I was a bit unsure if this was the right thing to do.

 

Just as I initially searched and inquired everywhere out of frustration, I think that someone reading this post might also find a glimmer of hope and help from it, so I am leaving this message.

 

I had surgery in November of last year.

I had breast cancer surgery.

I am going to tell that story now.

 

I based it strictly on the national health checkup in September 2022.

I received a call that I need to have a second examination for breast asymmetry at the hospital in two weeks.

I, being extremely ignorant, questioned whether it was a necessary test, and the nurse got very angry and said it was definitely a test that needed to be done quickly. She said there were many reservations and it would be better to make an appointment right now.

 

There is no family history of breast cancer or cancer patients at home, and all three of my previous children were born naturally and breastfed for over a year each, so I truly thought breast cancer was something other people's stories.

 

I hurriedly made a reservation for an ultrasound at the most quickly available trusted hospital through a local mom cafe.

 

In the national health screening breast X-ray test, an abnormality was found on the right side, but during the initial right ultrasound examination, the doctor told me not to worry at all.

 

But while examining the left side, he asked if I hadn't felt anything until now and said there were two quite large 2cm lumps. For a moment, I wondered what he meant and I was about to cry.

 

Fortunately, the shape is nice, the movement is good, and it's not hard, so I don't think it's cancer. However, for accuracy, a total tissue biopsy is necessary.

 

When you said not to worry, I thought it was just a formal check-up. The total tissue biopsy is a procedure that involves removing tissue to make a loud noise, and it was very painful and required holding a position for a long time, so it was difficult.

 

Total biopsy (also known as core tissue biopsy)

 

 

They told me not to worry again because the test results would come out in two weeks. However, I received a call from the hospital a week after the test. (Getting contacted by the hospital earlier than scheduled is definitely not a good thing.)

 

Abnormal findings were confirmed in the biopsy, so additional staining tests need to be performed. From this point, I started to feel a bit uneasy.

 

I was still hopeful, but on the Friday a week after the dye test, I received a call from the hospital at 5 o'clock. They said I need surgery for atypical lobular hyperplasia of the breast. There is no choice, and I must have surgery to completely remove the lump.

 

I was really stunned. I just let Friday pass by and on Saturday, with no energy at all, I searched the internet to check my condition.

 

Breast atypical lobular hyperplasia is only a fraction of a millimeter different from cancer. There are too many cases confirmed as cancer after surgery.

 

I make reservations by phone for Seoul National University Samsung and Hyundai Breast Surgery. I first learned that major hospitals in Seoul cannot provide treatment at all before a breast cancer diagnosis.

Severance allows reservations, but specialized professors are not available, and the earliest date is said to be March next year.

 

I seek advice from a surgeon I know across the street.

 

1. Find a place where I can have surgery quickly within this year no matter what.

Have surgery at a general hospital rather than a private clinic.

3. If cancer is confirmed after surgery, receive treatment at Seoul Major Hospital.

 

After a little 고민, I call the university hospital in my area. I believe my choice at this moment was truly excellent. Because I unconditionally based it on the earliest available date, and unexpectedly, I end up having surgery very quickly.

 

I found out later, but these days, even major hospitals in Seoul only perform surgeries, and ultrasounds are done at external clinics. The trend is to refer patients for treatments like chemotherapy to hospitals near their homes.

 

On November 2nd, during the consultation, I said I wanted to have surgery as soon as possible if it was absolutely necessary. I met a very proactive doctor, and the nurses also said it was impossible to do it so quickly, but I had the surgery as soon as possible. I was admitted on the 3rd and went into surgery the very next day.

 

Sitting in a wheelchair and taking the elevator before surgery, I could feel my face turn pale and blank even without looking. The medical assistant said everyone was feeling nervous.

 

The operating room was similar to what I saw on TV. However, the bed was extremely narrow. I kept checking the name several times, and I thought I had to fall asleep immediately once anesthesia was administered.

 

As soon as I woke up from anesthesia, I couldn't help but say that it hurt so much. Afterwards, opioid painkillers were administered, but I experienced severe side effects from the painkillers, so I couldn't eat and asked to have the painkillers stopped due to vomiting and dizziness.

 

It was difficult on the day of the surgery, but I was discharged the next day without any issues.

The house that was empty for two days was very dirty starting from the bathroom, and there were also two large frying pans.

I didn't exert much effort while cleaning the bathroom or doing the dishes, but I strained my arm and was sick for a week.

Doing your usual activities after surgery, thinking you're fine, is a big mistake.

 

I thought the surgery would be the last, and that it was really the end now...

One of the two separated tumor tissue biopsy results came back as cancer. 

 

I had to redo the MRI scan with contrast to check for metastasis... The MRI with contrast was more difficult due to side effects than the previous surgery. On the day of the MRI, I felt dizzy like nausea all day and couldn't do anything.

 

It seems like I spent almost the entire month of November 2022 going back and forth to the hospital.

Should I say I'm relieved?

Fortunately, there has been no metastasis... The treatment has been completed without chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

I have become a stage 0 breast cancer patient, which is considered the most fortunate among breast cancers. The type of breast cancer is ductal carcinoma in situ.

 

Types of Breast Cancer

 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I had to undergo surgery again... I was so overwhelmed with the thought that I needed to have the surgery done quickly that I didn't take a single photo at the hospital. And I think it's amazing when people take photos and post them during cancer surgeries. My mental state was so shattered that I didn't think of anything at all.

 

Record of being hospitalized immediately after receiving treatment and undergoing surgery right away. Also, upload part of the breast cancer diagnosis.

 

1. 2022-11-02 Medical examination - Pre-surgical tests (asthma, etc.)

November 3, 2022 - Hospitalization for preoperative anesthesia examination

Surgery on November 4, 2022

Breast Cancer Diagnosis Certificate

 

Cancer patients are issued a disability certificate for income deduction purposes.

 

Since then, I have been regularly undergoing ultrasound, contrast agent injections, and MRI scans.

Ultrasound and X-ray examinations are scheduled for November this year.

 

At first, I was so upset about why I got cancer. I only drank alcohol occasionally, I never smoked, and I breastfed for a very long time, so why, why, why...

 

But when I look back at myself... I realize I was engaging in many bad behaviors.

 

Because I was stressed, I almost every Friday early morning would cook and eat ramen. I also drank more than four cups of coffee mix a day. Naturally, I didn't exercise at all.

I broke my all-time heaviest weight and didn't realize there was any problem even when I reached the weight I had during pregnancy.

 

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, I was in a state of shock in November.

Why me... There are many people living worse lives than me... My children are still young... I just keep thinking like this.

 

I made up my mind starting in December.

Thank you, I am so grateful. I am so relieved that it was discovered early. If I had missed the health checkup period, or postponed the ultrasound, or if choosing the hospital delayed the surgery...

I'm so grateful that it was detected early through the fastest possible testing process and completed with surgery... I've changed my way of thinking to see it this way.

 

First, I stopped eating ramen and coffee mix. And I made sure to eat vegetables like carrots and tomatoes.

If I overexerted myself, I would get a cold, so I steadily did gentle walking exercises.

 

As a result, I lost 4 kilograms compared to before the surgery. My goal is to lose another 4 kilograms, but it's not easy.

 

These days, I sometimes eat ramen and coffee mix when I feel like eating.

But people are really cunning... The two foods I thought I could never give up, ramen and coffee mix, no longer taste the same as before... Sometimes, the smell of ramen even makes me feel sick...

 

Now, I am making even greater efforts for a healthy life.

 

And like me, most women are very reluctant to undergo gynecological or breast examinations.

But especially if you're over 40... please try an ultrasound for your breasts.

Since X-ray, ultrasound, and MRI each focus on different areas, they are performed separately.

 

I don't think an MRI is necessary, but please make sure to get a breast ultrasound at least once.

 

I hope that Cashdoc community members also maintain a healthy lifestyle through exercise and diet management.

 

You really have to take care of your health while you're healthy. Anyone can get cancer!!!