On Friday, Feb 14, (yes, Valentine’s Day), I received a confusing and unexpected call from my former GP. We had transitioned to a different GP in Austin a year prior, but hadn’t updated records with the gynecologist who ordered the the biopsy. So the biopsy pathology report went to the wrong GP. He was surprised that I’d had a biopsy since he hadn’t seen me in over a year. Likewise, since results weren’t expected until the following week, I was surprised to hear from him (or anyone) that Friday afternoon. He gingerly read the pathology report to me and explained the diagnosis – CANCER. And then he referred me back to the OBGYN for next steps. I was in shock and wanted to see the report in writing so he let us drive to his office to pick up a hardcopy of the report so we could study it further.
To add to the confusion, neither my OBGYN (who ordered the biopsy), nor the biopsy facility received the report that Friday. Therefore, they didn’t call me to review the results. That’s when denial started to cloud my brain. I reasoned that perhaps they had the wrong Carol Clark. Common name, right? I doubted this news…All. Weekend. Long. It all seemed like a plausible mistake in a surreal way.
On Monday, after multiple calls to the gynecologist and biopsy facility, I eventually confirmed that this report WAS mine. How could this be? I had no symptoms, wasn’t sick and didn’t feel like I had cancer. I didn’t look like I had cancer. All of a sudden, next steps began to stream in as I was assigned a breast surgeon and an oncologist. This was happening! Breathe deeply.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV
My Next Steps 