“Freelance full-time,” they said. “It will be fun!” And they were right; freelance writing was a great move for me—until a few days before the…
Earlier in the fall, I’d decided to start working for myself. It’s always a risk to leave a stable job, but I had the confidence of someone who’s admittedly led a life of privilege. I had a supportive family, a healthy savings account and the knowledge that I could “always find another job” if it didn’t work out.
The hospital did some blood work and an ultrasound, and everything looked okay. As fate would have it, though, a nurse asked again if I’d been experiencing any chest pain. When I hemmed and hawed that yes, well maybe, sort of, they doubled back to that blood work. Turns out a level was high that might indicate a blood clot, and I had a history of long-term oral contraceptive use , so off to CT I went.
My parents brought me a few necessities and then went home for the night, promising to return first thing in the morning. It was a long night—my vitals were checked every hour or so; I wasn’t allowed any food or drink until they determined what further testing needed to be done; I routinely heard stroke announcements over the loudspeaker; and I had an IV in the crook of my elbow that made it impossible to get comfortable.
Either way, they needed to do a biopsy and an MRI, all of which happened Saturday afternoon. If you, like me, have ever heard that biopsies are terrible and should be avoided at all costs, let’s just say the rumors are true.A Lot of What You've Been Told About the Side Effects of Birth Control Pills Is Probably False
I went home, struggled to fully recover from the biopsy for about a week, and then spiraled into a perpetual low-grade panic for the next two months while I waited for my follow-up MRI in early March, which would show my tumor had already shrunk from six centimeters to just over two centimeters with the cessation of oral contraceptives. As of my most recent MRI in September, the tumor was down to about one centimeter.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Sexual activity may help delay menopause: StudyWomen with more active sex lives may experience menopause later in life, according to results of 10-year study.
Read more »
‘After I Was Diagnosed With Fatty Liver Disease, Running Helped Me Lose 129 Pounds’Lauren Li was 289 pounds when she was diagnosed with fatty liver disease. A year after changing her nutrition and starting to run, she had lost 129 pounds.
Read more »
Dwayne Johnson's Father, Professional Wrestler Rocky Johnson, Is Dead at 75Dwayne Johnson previously thanked his father, Rocky, for making him 'who I am today'
Read more »
China posts weakest growth in 29 years as trade war bites, but ends 2019 on firmer noteChina's economic growth slowed to its weakest in nearly 30 years in 2019 am...
Read more »
A Brief and Terrifying Tour of Kardashian ClosetsThis is Kardashian Narnia, and we can’t promise you’ll come back from it
Read more »