Adrienne at her recent birthday dinner. A good looking 53.
The phone call hit me hard!.
The call from my wife Adrienne hit me so hard that I had to excuse myself from the table of a very important business breakfast I was having with my partners in The News Group Net.
My wife Adrienne, had been told two weeks earlier that a biopsy was needed to further define a suspicious spot on her mammogram. Four days earlier, I had taken her to Seton Hospital Northwest for the biopsy. We were waiting for the results. Results that in my own mind would come back negative, I was wrong.
Since being told of the suspicious spot on her left breast, and that the breasts were unusually dense, Adrienne had been researching online medical explanations for dense breasts.
At 53 years of age, and uncountable mammograms and doctor visits later, no-one during her lifetime had mentioned that dense breast tissue is more susceptible to breast cancer. To be honest, even if she and I knew that, I am not sure what could have been done different.
Adrienne has always been a person that does all the right things when it comes to exercising and eating properly. In all fairness, the medical community at some point during one of those exams should have mentioned that the denseness of her breast was something that should be carefully monitored.
Bad news is often followed by more bad news, and that is how it was in this case.
The following week Adrienne had an MRI, and more spots were found on her left breast. After more biopsies, good news finally came from Adrienne’s oncologist, the second set of spots biopsied were benign.
Treatment for the cancer would consist of a lumpectomy followed by intense radiation treatments for a number of weeks. She would also have to take a prescribed medication for up to five years.
For those of you that know Adrienne, and that is easily more than half the corporate communication professionals in the United States, she is a very headstrong and self-confident woman. The breast cancer was discovered early and I’m confident that she will have no problem overcoming this obstacle. Adrienne has a wonderful support group of family and friends that love her dearly, and when all is said and done, this will only make her stronger when she joins the ranks of other breast cancer survivors.
What a beautiful and moving tribute!
May you both be granted every grace.
“Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beg of Thee by Thy Name through which He Who is Thy Beauty hath been stablished upon the throne of Thy Cause, and by Thy Name through which Thou changest all things, and gatherest together all things, and callest to account all things, and rewardest all things, and preservest all things, and sustainest all things—I beg of Thee to guard this handmaiden who hath fled for refuge to Thee, and hath sought the shelter of Him in Whom Thou Thyself art manifest, and hath put her whole trust and confidence in Thee.
“She is sick, O my God, and hath entered beneath the shadow of the Tree of Thy healing; afflicted, and hath fled to the City of Thy protection; diseased, and hath sought the Fountainhead of Thy favors; sorely vexed, and hath hasted to attain the Wellspring of Thy tranquillity; burdened with sin, and hath set her face toward the court of Thy forgiveness.
“Attire her, by Thy sovereignty and Thy loving-kindness, O my God and my Beloved, with the raiment of Thy balm and Thy healing, and make her quaff of the cup of Thy mercy and Thy favors. Protect her, moreover, from every affliction and ailment, from all pain and sickness, and from whatsoever may be abhorrent unto Thee.
“Thou, in truth, art immensely exalted above all else except Thyself. Thou art, verily, the Healer, the All-Sufficing, the Preserver, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
- Bahá’u’lláh
http://www.bahaiprayers.org/healing5.htm
My heart goes out to you both Ed and Adrienne. We don’t get to see each other enough these days, but trust I’ll be thinking of you and saying prayers.
~Laura
Ditto to what Laura said. Both you guys are so special to this small community, and my heart and prayers go out to you guys.
It sounds like you caught it fairly early. I doubt the radiation will be comfortable, but it seems at least to be an optimistic approach.
I’ve had similar “dense” characteristics and just a few weeks ago was called back twice on some suspicious spots. Nothing definite and I get to go back in December.
So I don’t know exactly how you guys feel, but am at least grateful you have some sense of scope.
God Bless, and please keep us updated.
Thinking about you both. Keep your strength!
Adrienne: Being a survivor of breast cancer for 12 years now I want you to know my prayers and thoughts are with you on a constant basis. Rosie is keeping my informed
on your progress.
Much love, concern and hope! Virginia Thompson @ Hearthstone West, Topeka.
Ed and Adrienne-
I hope your love and faith guide you and keep you strong during this difficult time.
Love and prayers,
Johna
I’m praying for a great outcome and keeping you guys in my thoughts and prayers.