Wake up call

What an experience. As I returned to the Kapi`olani Breast Center, changed into the spa-like robe and took a seat in the waiting area I glanced around the room and saw beautiful women - young and old, Asian, Caucasian and Polynesian, each of us anxious to find out what our futures held - in that moment I realized how important it is for us to get to know our bodies, especially our breasts.

I'm happy to report after today's tests, there's no mass, just one small cyst that's not life-threatening. I've been instructed to get another mammogram in six months - because of the dense tissue in my breasts, I may be more susceptible to suspicious growths in the future, but for now, I can breathe a sigh of relief.

It didn't hit me how much I wished my mother could've been there with me today until I met one of the women in the waiting room. She had piercing blue/green eyes, wore a shade of mauve nail polish my mother would've liked and she had a smile that I'm sure in her "day" would light up a room ... and then she spoke. It hit me like a mac truck, she was German, had an accent to match and sounded just like mom. We talked briefly about the wait time and I made her a cup of water all while exchanging reassuring glances and smiles ... but her concern for me was genuine ... I never got her name, but I want to thank her for her kindness and I wish her the best.

During the minutes I waited for my results, I learned that 85 percent of suspicious mammograms turn out to be benign growths, cysts and dense tissue, that benign tumors are common but one in eight women will be diagnosed with cancer.

While I know things could've gone a very different way today, I want to commend breast cancer survivors everywhere - your courage is inspiring. The last three days filled with "what ifs" and "why me's" was a taste of reality ... and a reason for my renewed commitment to being the best wife, daughter, sister and friend that I can be ...

A good friend thanked me today for blogging about my experience, that it's a good reminder for all of us to get checked ... I have my experience to thank ... while this isn't a part of "our journey" I had bargained for, it's a lesson learned, a wake-up call I can thank the mammography team at Kapi`olani's Breast Center for.