Here is my needle biopsy update from yesterday. I shared recently that I had been called back from my mammogram for more views and then was told I needed to come back yesterday for a needle biopsy of a place in my breast where there was some changes in some calcifications. I'd never had that and was scared to death of the needle. I'm just finishing up week 2 of Adventure Guides postings and jumped ahead to use the exercise portion of another of her weeks.

I'm very aware of how much better I did during that period. I wasn't insanely anxious all the time. The times I was anxious I used the tools to bring me back to a calm space. I breathed. I compassionately talked to myself. I tried to stay in the present moment. I exercised 15 minutes every single day.

When yesterday morning got here though, I woke up terrified. I was shaking when I took my shower. I broke down and took a low dose of Xanax prior to leaving for the procedure, which I had planned. I'm very aware that some anxiety is "normal". I put my big girl panties on and walked through the fear.

One of the things I did was visualize God's angels all around me as we drove to the Breast Center. I visualized other people's Angels high fiving my Angles. I know many of you were praying and thinking of me and I kept thinking of that as I was on my tummy on that uncomfortable table for the biopsy. I was aware I was hyperventilating and kept trying to slow my breathing down but it was very hard. After 30 minutes of them taking different pictures of my breast, I was actually praying for the doctor to come in and do the biopsy so I could get off the table. That's about when the joy happens. My word of the year is miracles. After they had me on my belly on that very uncomfortable table taking pictures for 30 to 40 ...minutes, the doctor came in. She looked at the pictures and had them do some more. Then I heard her say to the techs... it's not there. It tricked us. She then told me they were taking me to the mammogram room and do some magnifications to be sure. After she looked at those, she said they couldn't recreate any of the changes she thought were there before. We're going to recheck in 6 months, but she was no longer concerned. She said she had jumped the gun. So no needle biopsy after all. She said sometimes a fold can happen and cause it to look like a change. I believe in the power of prayer and sometimes things have to happen in order to be aware of a miracle. Oh yeah, my second word of the year was mindful. I'm very mindful of God's miracle today :-) Thanks again to all of you who kept me in your thoughts and/or prayers yesterday.