EDMONTON, ALBERTA – AUGUST 11: Reilly Smith #19 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates a goal with teammate Paul Stastny #26 against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period in Game One of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on August 11, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
The Vegas Golden Knights were way too much to handle for the ChicagoBlackhawks.
We all knew that the Vegas Golden Knights were a far superior team to the Chicago Blackhawks. They were playing in the round-robin round apposed to a play-in series (let alone the last seed in the play-in round) for a reason and they went 3-0 against the other best teams in the Western Conference. Well, they showed everyone why they are so good in this first game against the Hawks. They are so deep and that made them way too much to handle for the Blackhawks in game one.
The Golden Knights decided to go with Robin Lehner in the net which might surprise some people. Marc-Andre Fleury has been the face of their franchise since they selected him from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the expansion draft but they went with Lehner. Lehner was traded over to Vegas from the Hawks at the trade deadline so that adds to the storyline. Since going to Vegas, he hasn’t lost a single game. He went 3-0 in the regular season before the pause and was 2-0 in the round-robin which is probably why he was the choice for Peter DeBoer in the net.
Outside of goaltending, Vegas is also very deep in other areas of the ice. They have so many great forwards that allow their coach to run four lines at a pretty steady pace. The two scoring lines at the top are right there with some of the best teams. Mark Stone is Vegas’s best player but Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith were the two standout skaters in the game. Smith had an assist on the Shea Theodore goal to go with two goals himself that were both assisted by Marchessault which led to the 4-1 Golden Knights win.
Where do the Blackhawks go from here? They need to be better at controlling the puck. Vegas was clearly the better team all game long and they dominated possession as a result. It also led to them outshooting the Hawks 33-20. Corey Crawford let up a couple of goals that he would like to have back but he was also left out to dry on multiple occasions. This needs to get cleaned up if they want to have a chance in this series.
They are back at it against Vegas on Thursday afternoon. This will be their best chance to redeem themselves against a very good team. The Golden Knights have won 9 of 10 games that they have played in their history against Chicago so they need to start turning that around. Vegas’ deep lineup might be too much for this Hawks team to handle as they are clearly a lot different than the Edmonton Oilers. They have to show that they can keep up with them otherwise this is going to be a short series.
The Chicago Bears have had a weak run of it at the tight end position in recent years, but we boldly predict 2020 will be different.
A weak run? A weak run might be having to trot out Kellen Davis as your starting tight end for an entire season — which some Chicago Bears fans might remember a little while back. That was a weak run, but at least Davis offered some athleticism, despite his problematic hands.
The Bears’ 2019 tight end group was much worse than just a weak run. It was an all-out embarrassment.
So, what? Ryan Pace signed Jimmy Graham to a contract that most teams likely wouldn’t have; and drafted Cole Kmet at a spot where some considered it a reach. Is that really unforgivable considering the debacle at the position last season?
How quickly we forget the level of incompetence the Bears saw at tight end in 2019 between Adam Shaheen, Trey Burton, Ben Braunecker, among others. We’ll go into, once more, just how bad these guys were last year in just a moment.
But, how about we try some positivity for once? I’ll admit: It’s easy to have a negative outlook as a Bears fan. For the most part, we’re used to the negativity, especially at the quarterback position. But, when it comes to the tight end spot, Pace ensured the Bears will at least be better than they were before.
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How much better will they be than 2019? That remains to be seen. But, if these bold predictions hold true, we will see a vast improvement at the tight end position in Chicago. Call it wishful thinking. Call it crazy. Call it whatever you want, but let’s get into it.
Both COVID-19 and the recent IHSA decision to move football to the spring have greatly affected recruiting. (photo courtesy of Illinois State University)
As decisions continue to be made and delayed for a possible fall college football season, recruiting is also heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s a huge impact,” Rivals recruiting analyst “Edgy Tim” O’Halloran told Prairie State Pigskin last week. “Just the seniors alone, it’s really hard to swallow. You’re competing against all these kids from out of state for all these different spots and positions. You’re not going to be able to show those guys early and kids are going to lose spots, I don’t think there’s any question.”
Additionally, Southern Illinois head coach Nick Hill addressed the topic in a recent media conference.
“I really feel for the seniors in high school going through all of this. For them to get their worlds turned upside down, that’s tough news,” Hill said.
SIU head football coach Nick Hill originally played basketball at Western Kentucky University (photo courtesy of WKU Athletics)
Hill has a firsthand understanding of the prep athlete. During his senior year of high school in 2002-03, Hill was a two-sport star at DuQuoin High School where he was the area’s Player of the Year in both football and basketball and led the Indians to the Illinois High School Association 3A state championship football game. After originally signing with Western Kentucky University on a basketball scholarship, Hill later transferred to SIU and developed into a record-setting quarterback who took the Salukis to the playoffs.
Meanwhile, late last month, the Illinois High School Association announced its decision to move prep football from the traditional fall to the spring.
“I’m glad they . . . will get an opportunity to play,” Hill said. “Nothing surprises me. I don’t think there’s any right or wrong answer. No matter what decision is made, there are going to be some people who agree and some people that don’t agree.”
Both the ongoing pandemic concerns and that IHSA decision directly affect recruiting.
“In-state recruiting will change a little bit. Our signing days are in December and February. I’m not sure what the NCAA is going to do,” Hill said. “We [SIU staff] have to adjust and adapt. Some of it might be without senior film and with some states you might have senior film.”
Illinois State recruiting director Khenon Hall told Prairie State Pigskin, “Not having senior tape is a big challenge. That’s where we as a staff had to be really thorough and trust our eyes and rely on our relationships with coaches and trainers and things of that nature. We had to have kids go out and send us a lot of workout tape and have them do things that we would normally have them do.
“Obviously it’s made it tough, but our staff does a great job of building those relationships before that period even hit us so we had a good hold on the guys we knew we wanted to target.”
Some high school recruits have tried to control things as best they can.
“A lot of kids and their families are literally picking up and moving out of state,” O’Halloran said. “While that’s great, you’ll have a chance to play in the fall, again there’s no guarantees with that either. Kids are going to Iowa and Missouri and they’re going to Indiana, but again there’s no guarantees. What happens when you transfer, you move out and two weeks into your season it’s done for the year? That’s a big gamble to take.”
Further impacts
“Then you’ve got the kids who are going to sign letters of intent before they even play their senior year,” O’Halloran said. “Even in the case of the FCS kids, they will sign letters of intent in either December or February if those are indeed the dates (this season) because nobody knows. Will they keep the early signing period, get rid of the early signing period?”
Hall, who also serves as the ISU running backs coach, said that the cancellation of summer camps hurts recruiting.
“Gathering that information that we need from seeing them live, getting eyes on them (was lost),” Hall said. “With (ISU head coach) Brock Spack it’s very thorough when it comes down to recruiting. That’s the bread and butter.
“But we’ve adjusted. We’re finding a way to find a way.”
Spring fling
If indeed IHSA football is played in the spring, will it resemble what fans and recruiters would normally see in the fall?
“The IHSA decision certainly played a factor in all of this,” O’Halloran said. “A lot of the kids realized they can’t hold out for senior tape anymore, so they’d better look at what they have (in terms of offers) than what they don’t have for making their decisions. And that’s going to continue.
Tim O’Halloran (photo courtesy of CSNChicago.com)
“What about the kid who signs that early letter of intent, will he want to play that spring season? Or, will he not play and just report and be ready to play for college ball? There’s a lot of that going on now, I’ve talked to a bunch of kids that are Power 5 commits that are saying, ‘Well . . .’
“These colleges aren’t telling them not to (play in the spring), but they’re not really telling them to play either.”
Hall said once the IHSA announced its decision, the ISU staff expected recruits to reach out to them.
“When it hit, we kind of knew that we’d get a flux of calls from guys we had offered in-state,” Hall said. “It’s good and bad. We’ve got some kids that we’re hoping to get by no later than October once they go through those first few periods and the big boys [FBS schools] didn’t come calling and then we’d probably be able to get on board with those players. But with the (high school) season being pushed back, some of these kids are also waiting as well.
“I don’t know how it’s going to play out with the new rules as far as signing days in December and February. We’re supposed to get something here soon.”
Trickle down effect
All of this goes beyond just this upcoming prep football season.
“Even the younger guys are affected,” said O’Halloran, who has been publishing and covering IHSA football since 1995. “Usually we’d be much deeper into the evaluation process for the Class of 2022 and even earlier, and even though there are still some kids that have gotten offers, that’s come to a crawl.
“I talked to a couple of Big Ten assistants who have said, ‘How can you recruit when you can’t leave your office?’ The response in general, just to paraphrase, is we’ve got bigger things to worry about now. (In past years) you’d never hear that from a coach. So even they are taking a ‘this has got to be in the rearview mirror for now’ approach because obviously they’re just trying to get their own season going.”
FCS benefits?
With on-campus recruiting visits currently being off limits, could the likes of the four Illinois FCS programs actually benefit?
“Another aspect is all of these colleges are going to open up and allow 20-30,000 students to come back to campus, but kids that are trying to make maybe the most important decision of their lives are not allowed to come on campus with their parents to visit the school?” O’Halloran said. “Everything I’ve been told, coaches I’ve talked to have said, there’s no way in hell they’re going to let us have kids on campus this year. That’s just the feeling from the coaches.
“Well, that helps the Illinois States of the world because you lock up a kid like a Corey Walker, who when you see this kid in person looks like he could play in the NFL. If that kid starts walking around a Big Ten campus, he might not stay committed to Illinois State for very long.”
Khenon Hall
While Walker, a 2021 defensive end recruit from Normal Community West High School, didn’t wind up on a Big Ten campus, he did decommit from ISU to sign with FBS member Western Michigan of the Mid-American Conference.
Nevertheless, Illinois State certainly has jumped ahead in its recruiting game. According to a recent tweet by O’Halloran, the Redbirds have nine commitments — five of which are from Illinois prep programs, including Wheaton St. Francis quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse.
“I think they (Illinois State) saw it coming,” O’Halloran said.”They’ve always been working it early, but they’ve worked it very well. It’s a good group they’ve picked up so far in-state, and they’ve definitely wanted to get things done sooner. Their time frame and time tables got pushed ahead like everyone else’s, and so far, so good.
“So, if kids can’t make campus visits, they fall by the wayside a little bit, you can kind of hide some kids. You’ve got them locked up, but you probably can’t sign them until December at the earliest so you’re getting them now and hoping to hang on.”
How much has recruiting changed in the midst of the pandemic world?
“We’ve already got more kids that have verbally committed than signed letters of intent last year. Again, it’s a better class than last year, but this early? And as you’ve noticed, we’ve seen a lot of FCS kids commit now, and there’s going to be more coming,” O’Halloran said.
Blog co-authors Barry Bottino and Dan Verdun bring years of experience covering collegiate athletics. Barry has covered college athletes for more than two decades in his “On Campus” column, which is published weekly by Shaw Media. Dan has written four books about the state’s football programs–“NIU Huskies Football” (released in 2013), “EIU Panthers Football (2014), “ISU Redbirds” (2016) and “SIU Salukis Football” (2017).
Donald Trump is all things Russia. When he needed financing for one of his real estate projects, where did he go? Russia! When he needed help to win the 2016 election, who was there for him? Russia! When presented intelligence reports that Putin and Russia were putting out bounties on American servicemen in Afghanistan, did he believe it? No, he believed Putin and Russia. Another intelligence report shows that Russia is again trying to interfere in the 2020 election. When it is denied by Putin, who does Trump believe? Okay…okay…we get it, already!
Yesterday’s news brought a report that Russia has successfully developed a Covid-19 vaccine. Putin is already touting this as the answer to preventing the spread of the virus. His daughter was one of the supposedly successful test cases. It even has a catchy name, Sputnik V. The Philippines and Brazil are interested in making massive purchases of the drug. Everything will be ready to go this fall. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
The problem is most of the world doesn’t believe any of this. Why should they, after all, it’s Putin!
Medical experts think this is far from a done deal. The reports they’ve seen show the vaccine is only in stage one of its trial. That’s two stages from where it needs to be for mass distribution. That doesn’t matter to Putin. What he cares most is the worldwide prestige he’ll receive from being first to market. If the world leaders don’t buy into this, he won’t care; Vladimir Putin has an audience of one….Donald Trump. Can you imagine their conversation?:
Putin: Don, it’s Vlady. You heard we got the vaccine? SputnikV, babe. It’s the best thing we’ve ever done. Better than vodka! And the money….THE MONEY, DON!! Trump: I heard. Is it for real? Will it save lives? Putin: Trump, did you hear what I said about money?! I gave it to my daughter? Trump: Your daughter? Really? It’s safe enough to give it to Ivanka? Putin: Not her. Give it to one whose name we can never remember! (disconnects) Trump: Oh yeah, her. Maybe Melania, too. Vlade….Vlade….damn him (disconnects)
Wow…..as Don likes to say, that’s a perfect phone call!
We’re less than ninety days from the presidential election. If you believe the polls, Trump is trailing Joe Biden nationally by double digits. Biden holds large leads in the swing battleground states. Even some of the states that were solid in Trump’s pocket have become toss-ups. And now that Kamala Harris is on the ticket, look out!
Desperate people do desperate things; and it’s desperation time in Donald Trump’s world. You know he’s not going to sit back and let this happen. Donald Trump is not wired that way. He’ll come out swinging. The world has been expecting an October surprise. I figured it would have something to do with Obamagate. You know what would be better than having his toady, Bill Barr bring charges against the former president and vice-president a few weeks before an election? How about a cure for the disease that has killed more than 160,000 Americans?! How about a vaccine that restores American’s lives back to the way it was before the existence of this virus?!
It makes too much sense in the twisted mind of Donald Trump not to give this a try. It’s only a matter of time before Trump comes to a press conference and lets the world know about this miracle drug. He’ll probably even say he’s had a shot himself.
Sputnik V…It’s even better than hydroxychloroquine.
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
So now we know. Kamala Harris, Senator from California, will be Joe Biden’s running mate in the November election. And President Trump has wasted no time in bringing out the “nasty” adjective. That gives me an opportunity for me to resurrect a blog post from 2016 when Trump called Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton a “nasty woman.”
(October 20, 2016) Yes, Hillary accused Donald Trump of cheating on his taxes. And how did he respond? As everyone knows, he called her a “nasty woman.” For the sake of argument, let’s say her remark earned her a one-star (★) evil rating. How does she stack up against some other famous nasty women in history?
Eve ★ ★ ★ : Here was a gal who knew how to get her man in trouble. If she hadn’t gone after that apple, none of us would be paying income tax.
Bonnie Parker ★ ★ : Yeah, she robbed banks, killed people, and wrote awful poetry. But Faye Dunaway was just so damn alluring.
Norman Bates’ Mother ★ ★ ★ : Now this was a mean one. Even dead and mummified she got poor old Tony Perkins to off Janet Lee. But that was a great shower scene.
Marie Antoinette ★ ★ ★ : No, she didn’t cause the French Revolution by herself. Did she really say “let them eat cake”? In any case, it’s a great line.
Hansel and Gretel’s Witch ★ ★ ★ ★ : A true nasty. Kidnap kids, fatten up kids, eat kids. It wasn’t until Hannibal Lecter came around that we had a comparable male maniac.
Cathy Ames ★ ★ ★ : John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” is one of my all-time favorite reads, and Cathy is my favorite character. A prostitute without a heart of gold, she killed her parents and slept with her brother-in-law on her wedding night. But at least she didn’t eat her children.
Polk Salad Annie’s Mama★ ★ : A wretched spiteful, straight-razor totin’ women. And I hear Annie was no sweetheart herself!
Queen Isabella ★ ★ ★ ★ : Whether you hate her for sending Columbus to the New World and blowing the ecosystem, or her role in the villainous Spanish Inquisition, there is not much for redemption.
Gemma Teller Morrow ★ ★ ★ : The Mama Bear of “Sons of Anarchy, ” she almost killed her first daughter-in-law, and succeeded in killing her second one. And I had always thought that is was daughters-in-law that wanted to kill their mothers-in-law.
Elizabeth Holmes ★ ★ : Yes, I know, I should stop picking on the Temptress of Theranos. But her whole deal just gets me so pissed off…
So Hillary, you barely nudge the nasty meter. So keep on smiling that smile and do what you’ve got to do. Only one person on the ballot is truly evil.
Don’t forget to vote on or before November 3, 2020
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Hi! I am Les, a practicing pathologist living in the North Suburbs and commuting every day to the Western ones. I have lived my entire life in the Chicago area, and have a pretty good feel for the place, its attractions, culture, restaurants and teams. My wife and I are empty-nesters with two adult children and a grandchild. We recently decided to downsize, but just a bit! I will be telling the story of the construction of our new home, but also writing about whatever gets me going on a particular day. Be sure to check out the “About” page to learn more about where we plan to go with this blog!
This 19,918-square-foot Deerfield mansion has eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms. Built in 2001, the home features a circular driveway, a foyer with 20-foot-high ceilings, and a winding staircase. A kitchen fit for a chef includes a pizza oven, a wine refrigerator, an island and a butler’s pantry, as well as commercial-grade appliances. The family room is outfitted with a see-through fireplace and custom built-ins, while the 3,000-square-foot primary bedroom suite contains two walk-in closets, a sitting area, an office and a fireplace. The suite also houses a massage room, a sauna and a fitness room, while its bathroom features two showers and a soaking tub.
The home’s custom furnishings include crown moldings, millwork and cabinetry. A movie theater and a second kitchen are located on the lower level, while two laundry rooms and a dog bath round out the home’s offerings. The house is situated on a 2.94-acre property filled with landscaping and elements of nature, and a four-car garage completes the home.
This story has a happy ending: My 25-year-old baby sister successfully completed her preventative baseline breast cancer screening at Mayo Clinic in Rochester last week and doesn’t have breast cancer!!! YAY!!!
This blog post is the 27th in a series about my (and twin sister’s, and now, baby sister’s) preventative breast cancer screening journey that began when we were 30 years old in July 2019. My baby sister began her preventative baseline breast cancer screening at age 25 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester in October 2019. Here is a list of all of the posts written about our journey at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to date. To keep tabs on new posts, sign up for the “A Daily Miracle” email list at this link. To order a tshirt raising awareness for breast cancer, fill out this form–shirts are $20 and $8 goes directly to support Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota!
Today, we introduce a new character to our breast cancer screening story: My baby sister, who is 26 years old. When my twin sister and I began our baseline breast cancer screening journey in July 2019 at age 30, she was only 24. One of the hardest parts of being diagnosed with breast cancer has been to watch my baby sister’s anxiety rise as she realized that her future might look a lot like ours–and that she would need to start her breast cancer screening ASAP.
Never mind the statistics from the American Cancer Society and other credible organizations about how approximately 1 in 10 women get called back after mammograms, only 1 in 10 women under the age of 50 have microcalcifications on their baseline screenings at all, and even less than that get biopsies. All of these statistics seem to be to us now clear signs of God’s protection and provision.
But that truth doesn’t make our reality any easier to swallow. As my twin sister’s boss said to her when she was diagnosed: “THERE IS NO JUSTICE IN THIS!!!” Or, as one of my nurses once said to me, “Cancer don’t discriminate.”
So, here we go again!, this time embarking on my baby sister’s preventative breast cancer screening journey at the place we’ve come to know and love: None other than Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Here is my baby sister heading in to her first ultrasound appointment in October 2019 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester!
October 2019: My baby sister’s preventative baseline breast cancer screening begins
As soon as my twin sister and I were both diagnosed with breast cancer within three weeks of each other in October 2019, my baby sister knew it was time to start her screening, too. Even though she was only 25 years old, she made an appointment to see our primary breast clinic doctor. My baby sister of course wanted to see the same Mayo Clinic Breast Clinic doctor my twin sister and I were seeing because, as I’ve said before, she’s the best doctor in the universe. 🙂
At my baby sister’s intake appointment on October 30th, 2019, she found out that our doctor has seen patients as young as 18 who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, so it’s not completely unheard of to see patients still in their teenage years dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis. Not that it makes being screened for breast cancer at the age of 25 any easier, but it’s true.
Unfortunately, our doctor found a small nodule during my baby sister’s physical exam that day. She ordered an ultrasound for the following week to investigate further. That’s the photo above–my baby sister, taking a selfie in her gown in the ultrasound waiting room, waiting to see if she had breast cancer, too!
Unfortunately again, we found out that the ultrasound radiologist thought one area on my baby sister’s left side looked “suspicious” and recommended a biopsy of the suspicious area. We were SHOOKETH.
All ready for my baby sister’s ultrasound and my breast clinic appointments in December 2019! Smiles all around even though it was one of the most stressful months of our lives ‘:-) God is still good!
Sharing breast clinic doctors and appointments
One “fun” thing about all of this nonsense is that we all got to start sharing breast clinic appointments at Mayo Clinic together. On November 1st, 2019, I had a meeting set with our primary breast clinic doctor to discuss my surgical plan. But before we discussed my business, our doctor turned to my baby sister first who was sitting in the corner.
“So, you just couldn’t cooperate with us at your ultrasound, huh?” our doctor said, jokingly.
My baby sister laughed. “Nope!”
“Yeah, look what you started!” I said and pointed at our doctor.
“Actually, YOU started all of this!” our doctor said and pointed back at me.
We all laughed.
“I mean, really, I was the one who started all of this,” our mom said.
We howled.
I sometimes wonder what our consults sound like from the hallway of Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic. Before COVID19 hit, we had an average of 5 attendees per appointment, and we probably laugh more than your average breast cancer consult crew does! It’s a gift to be able to do that with our doctors. Being able to laugh in the midst of all of this is an amazing encouragement and blessing.
As one of my nurses said to me: “This all really sucks, but your outlook seems overwhelmingly positive.”
And I plan to always have it be that way! Jesus wins in the end, after all.
Our doctor then checked in with my baby sister about next steps–she ordered her an MRI and ultrasound-guided biopsy in December 2019, set to take place the night before and day of my double mastectomy with reconstruction operation. We all prayed that my baby sister’s “suspicious” area was absolutely nothing to worry about.
“We can only take so much!” my mom says. I agreed wholeheartedly.
Here’s my baby sister all set with her IV, ready to go into her first MRI in December 2019!
My baby sister’s first MRI and biopsy
Fast forward to December 2nd, 2019: My baby sister’s MRI was scheduled for 6:30pm on the night before my double mastectomy with reconstruction operation. It worked out well because everyone could head down to Rochester together, get dinner, have my baby sister’s MRI, then send me off into surgery.
The night of my baby sister’s MRI, she was extremely anxious. My mom and myself were able to accompany her back into the prep area (pictured above), which helped ease her anxiety a bit! Getting the IV started was no problem, and getting “gowned up” was no problem.
It was kind of strange, though–on our way back to get her all checked in, three EMT’s came through the MRI prep area with an empty stretcher. “EXCUSE US,” they said, and we had to push ourselves up against the wall of the hallway to let the EMT’s and stretcher pass. It seemed like an urgent situation and definitely didn’t help ease my baby sister’s anxiety in the slightest. “Is that stretcher for me?” she asked. We laughed nervously.
In the prep area, we reminded my baby sister she’d get plenty of warm blankets on her back from the technicians, she’d have earplugs to drown out the noise that I told her sounded like gnomes building a fortress (at least that’s what it sounded like to me during my first MRI and MRI biopsy), and she could hopefully pretend she was on a beach.
Here we are (me, my mom, and my baby sister!) all ready to send my baby sister back for her first MRI in December 2019!
We prayed together and reminded her the test would take 20 minutes or less and then it would be over. She smiled and left with the MRI technician to get her scan.
My mom and I returned to the waiting room where my husband and dad were waiting for us. We prayed and waited for what seemed like an eternity. Then, a nurse came out.
“Jane?” My mom stood up like a bottle rocket. I followed her over to the nurse.
“She wasn’t able to complete the scan,” the nurse said.
“Where is she??” my mom asked.
“She’s in a dressing room, asking for you,” the nurse said. “She’s pretty upset.”
So we knew she hadn’t been able to complete her first attempt at a preventative baseline breast cancer screening MRI.
I followed my mom into the dressing room, where my baby sister was recovering from a full-on anxiety attack.
“I’m so sorry!” she said through racking sobs and tears. “I couldn’t do it!!”
We reassured her that everything would be fine and that we’d figure it all out later. I asked the nurse what happened.
“She got into the tube but started shaking so much we couldn’t get good enough quality images,” the nurse said. “We can sometimes provide a sedative for patients with anxiety. We can also sometimes knock patients out cold, but that’s less common.”
My baby sister cried for a bit longer, and we helped her get dressed so we could head to dinner.
Ultimately, my baby sister wasn’t able to complete her first MRI due to an anxiety attack inside of the MRI tube. While I don’t personally suffer from anxiety attacks, I can imagine how crippling it must feel. My heart broke for my sister that night, watching her cry and knowing she felt like she let everyone around her–and herself–down.
My mom and I reassured her it wasn’t her fault and that everything would be fine, and that we’d figure it all out with the help of our breast clinic doctor. Ultimately, next steps would be to take a sedative before her next MRI, which would ease her anxiety and make the test possible. That would happen in 6 months. In the meantime, my baby sister had to face an ultrasound-guided biopsy the next morning–while I was in my double mastectomy with reconstruction operation.
Here is my baby sister taking a selfie with me in my hospital room right after her ultrasound biopsy that she had while I was recovering from my double mastectomy with reconstruction operation on December 3rd, 2019!
My baby sister’s ultrasound-guided biopsy
My baby sister got an ultrasound-guided biopsy the next day: on December 3rd, 2019. She was able to complete it (she’s smiling with me in the photo above right after her biopsy was complete!), and results came back benign–which was an incredible blessing. At her appointment with our breast clinic doctor to discuss results, it was decided she’d have another go at an MRI in 6 months to try again for a full preventative screening because MRIs are the “gold standard” of breast cancer screening, especially for a 25 year old!
As one example of how God’s timing is perfect, it turns out that my baby sister made an appointment for her second MRI attempt on the same day as my twin sister’s third infusion of T-DM1 in July 2020. So, even though there are visitor restrictions due to COVID19 precautions at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, God made it possible for me, my twin sister, her husband, AND my baby sister’s husband to all be at Mayo Clinic at the same day, at the same time!! My twin sister and her husband ran over from my twin sister’s chemotherapy infusion as soon as it ended and were able to hug and send off my baby sister right before her MRI at 5:30pm. (This is amazing in and of itself: That my twin sister felt well enough after a chemotherapy infusion to run across Mayo’s Rochester campus to say hi to and hug my baby sister before sending her off to her MRI :)).
So here we all are, taking a selfie in the MRI waiting room before sending my baby sister back for her scan!:
Here we all are: Me, my baby sister’s husband, my twin sister’s husband, my twin sister, and my baby sister, ready to send my baby sister off into her second MRI attempt in July 2020!
My baby sister’s second MRI attempt: SUCCESS!!!
Anxiety is not all that uncommon for individuals going through MRI exams. I experienced a bit of it during my MRI biopsy that lasted almost four hours, after all! So, luckily, my baby sister was all set to attempt another MRI: This time, with the help of a sedative (Ativan) and a guardian angel in the form of an MRI technician named Stephanie (just like my twin sister!!!) who stayed in the room with her and held her hand during the MRI!
I got to ride along down to Rochester to accompany my baby sister to her MRI along with her husband. She invited her husband as driver, and me for comic relief. 🙂 So off we went, ready to conquer the scan together inside of Mayo’s Charlton Building: Six months after my surgery, in the middle of my twin sister’s chemotherapy regimen, and all in the middle of a global pandemic!
Here is how my baby sister’s second MRI attempt went:
First of all: She got called back for her scan at 5pm. Her husband was able to go with her to the prep area which helped ease her anxiety immensely. They gave her .5mg of Ativan at 520pm, started her IV, and called her back for her MRI at 615pm. That gave her about an hour for the Ativan to kick in, which she was thankful for. They actually offered her 1mg of Ativan which is what the doctor had prescribed her with, but she only took half the dose. She said that, for next time, she’ll be taking the full dose offered to her. 🙂
When she was called back for her scan at 6:15pm, she was feeling somewhat relaxed, but on edge overall.
Her husband came back into the lobby area where we were waiting for updates and he told us that she was nervous but that the people in the back were super sympathetic and understanding and were really nice to her and were helping her out.
While we waited, we played Pokémon Go on our phones and reminisced about our journey so far. We prayed and wondered if our baby sister was going to make it through her exam. This was her second attempt, and we weren’t sure how it was going to go—so we asked for lots of prayers from everyone we knew and then a miracle happened: SHE DID IT!!!
Here are my two sisters after my baby sister dominated her preventative breast cancer screening MRI in July 2020! I love them both sooooo much!!!
How to overcome anxiety in an MRI exam
It turns out that, as soon as my baby sister went back to her exam room and the technician asked her if she was ready to get on the table to go into the MRI machine, my baby sister started bawling.
“Both of my sisters have had breast cancer, I’m scared to do this and don’t know if I can,” she babbled to the technician.
“It’s okay!” the technician said. “I’m so sorry to hear that. How are your sisters doing now?”
“Well, one of my sisters just had a chemotherapy infusion today,” my sister responded. “The other one had surgery in December!”
“I’m so sorry,” the technician said. “That’s so hard!”
“I really don’t think I can do this,” my sister said.
The angel of a technician then told her: “Would it be helpful if I stayed in here during the exam and held your hand?”
My baby sister looked at her in disbelief and said, “Is that safe??”
“Yes! We usually don’t have enough people to do this but today we do,” the angel of a technician responded.
And the technician decided she would stay with my baby sister and hold her hand through the entire scan. They even gave her a “Quease Ease,” which is designed to help with nausea.
I had no idea this was legal, or allowed, or okay–it was my understanding if anyone or anything stayed in an MRI room during the test they would explode. Apparently, I was wrong–OR it was actually a guardian angel in there with her! What’s amazing and incredible in addition to this technician’s generosity is that her name was Stephanie. That’s my twin sister’s name, too. 🙂 God is so good!
Technician Stephanie stayed with my baby sister for the entire scan, encouraged her the whole time, and when it was all over, my baby sister thanked her profusely.
After a half hour had passed, the doors to the MRI area opened and a technician called “Eric?” And off my baby sister’s husband went!
“She just got done and was asking for you,” the technician. Said as she ushered him back to the prep area.
My twin sister, who had just completed her third infusion of TDM1, jumped out of her chair in the waiting room and clicked her heels and started dancing around!!! We weren’t quite sure if our baby sister had actually completed her scan at that point for sure but shortly after my twin sister jumped up and down and clicked her heels our baby sister came out of the MRI area and said this:
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So, my baby sister’s second attempt at an MRI was successful and we are SO grateful!!! The moral of the story is: 1) God is good 2) Jesus sends help in times of trouble and anxiety, sometimes in the form of sedatives and guardian angel MRI technicians 3) It’s okay to be scared and to ask for help!
Here my baby sister is with her husband, all ready for her follow-up appointment with our breast clinic physician in July 2020!
Next steps
My baby sister’s MRI showed some areas of concern on both sides of her chest, but “nothing scary,” according to our breast clinic physician. She had to go in for some advanced ultrasound screening on the morning before her follow-up with the physician, and thankfully, there was no need for a biopsy. Instead, there were two areas presumed to be “fibroadenomas.” Her breast clinic physician will follow up on those two fibroadenomas at her next follow-up appointment in 6 months. According to her breast clinic doctor, these findings are “normal” for a 25-year-old. (It’s still kind of crazy she had to start getting screened at age 25 but here we are!)
So, this is what our baby sister’s high-risk, BRCA-negative, 25-year-old (and now 26 year old!) breast cancer screening journey looks like:
MRI screenings and/or clinical exams every 6 months
Advanced screenings (ultrasounds) and biopsies (fine-needle, stereotactic, or MRI biopsies) as needed
Lots of prayers and surrendering control of the journey to the Lord!
BRCA negative (?!?!!?)
One surprise for all of us was discovering that both my twin sister and me are BRCA negative–which was a shock to our genetic counselor, doctor, and ourselves!–especially given ovarian and breast cancer run in our family history. Because my twin sister and I are both BRCA negative, our baby sister is, too. That means our doctors can’t base our treatment or care on the fact we’re BRCA positive: Instead, her risk factors are more or less a question mark without any genetic mutations that they can point to. This means we all just go into a “high risk” category for ovarian and breast cancer all together given our family history. We are thinking about continuing genetic testing for the rest of our lives to see if the doctors and research scientists can find the gene mutation that caused both my twin sister and me (and my mom, at age 40!) to get breast cancer so early. We’ll see!
Prayers up!
Thank you all so much again now for your prayers for my baby sister. We are so proud of her overcoming her anxiety and accomplishing her first MRI scan and embarking on this journey toward preventative health. We also trust that God has a perfect plan and maybe, just maybe!, she won’t EVER have to deal with breast cancer in her entire life–because my mom, twin sister, and I took the bullet for her. 🙂
Until next time, Mayo Clinic Rochester–thanks for saving our lives!!! We love you!!!
This blog post is the 27th in a series about my (and my twin sister’s, and now baby sister’s) preventative breast cancer screening journey that began when we were 30 years old in July 2019. The 1st post is about my first mammogram ever; the 2nd post is about my consultation at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic; the 3rd post is about my stereotactic core biopsy at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic; the 4th post is about my diagnosis with “Stage 0” DCIS breast cancer; the 5th post is about my in-person DCIS diagnosis at Mayo Clinic, beginning thoughts on my surgery timeline, and discovering that my twin sister might have breast cancer, too; the 6th post is about my twin sister’s invasive ductal carcinoma clinical stage 2A breast cancer diagnosis; the 7th post is about my breast MRI and two ultrasounds to investigate “suspicious” spots on my right breast and liver; the 8th post is about my second DCIS diagnosis following a week of MRIs, ultrasounds, and biopsies at Mayo Clinic; the 9th post is about preparing for my twin sister’s chemotherapy appointments, including details about her egg banking procedure in the city; the 10th post is a summary of my sister’s ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and visit to the emergency room; the 11th post is a summary of my double mastectomy surgery plan scheduled to occur on December 3rd, 2019 at Mayo Clinic’s Methodist Campus Hospital in Rochester; the 12th post is about my twin sister’s first chemotherapy infusion at Mayo Clinic; the 13th post is about foobs, photo shoots and nipple tattoos (my plastic / reconstructive surgery plan); the 14th post is a recap of my successful double mastectomy and immediate direct-to-implant reconstruction operation; the 15th post is about my surgical recovery and day full of follow-up appointments at Mayo Clinic in Rochester; the 16th post is about my one-month-post-surgical-follow-up appointment and preventative baseline ovarian cancer screenings at Mayo Clinic; the 17th post is about a suspicious rash I developed a month after my surgery called “pigmented purpura,” my consultation with a gynecological oncologist about ovarian cancer prevention, and my sister’s fifth chemotherapy infusion; the 18th post is about the end of my twin sister’s six neoadjuvant chemotherapy infusions (TCHP); the 19th post was about my twin sister’s double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery plan (amid the global outbreak of COVID19); the 20th post was about my twin sister’s double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction; the 21st post was about my twin sister’s surgical recovery; the 22nd post was about my twin sister’s first infusion of T-DM1 at Mayo Clinic; the 23rd post was about my six-month survivorship clinic visit; the 24th post was about my twin sister’s second infusion of T-DM1 at Mayo Clinic; the 25th post was about my twin sister’s third infusion of T-DM1 and her three-month plastic surgery follow-up appointment at Mayo Rochester; and the 26th post summarizes my twin sister’s fourth infusion of T-DM1 and microcystic edema. To keep tabs on new posts, sign up for the “A Daily Miracle” email list at this link.
Sister Christian is a blogger, reporter, editor and follower of Jesus Christ seeking to find little miracles each and every day. She especially loves finding Jesus in art, music and culture. Learn more about her on Twitter @adailymiracle, and on Facebook as “A Daily Miracle.” Send an email to [email protected] with any comments, concerns or suggestions!
I went into the bathroom the other day to get changed. My husband was at the sink getting himself ready for work. As I undressed, I turned and looked into our full length mirror. I began rubbing and probing at my thigh. At the same time my husband set his gaze upon me, smiling from ear to ear. I asked, “What?” He then began to tell me how much he loved my body and how sexy he thought I was.
Unfazed, I stood staring at that same thigh. And it was in that next moment where my husband’s gaze now made its way to my face. He looked at me, as I looked at myself. And this is what he said:
“If you are not saying nice things about yourself in your head, then stop looking in the mirror.”
Wow. His comment snapped me back into reality and out of my head. For those few moments, he got to experience how vastly different I look at myself, compared to his admiring eyes. And in the those moments, so did I.
I could not believe my silent disgust, was not so silent. He heard the negative, hateful, and harmful (FALSE) things I was telling myself. And he loved me more in that moment than I loved myself. And although I am grateful for a partner to remind me (and convince me) of my divine inner and outer essence, I absolutely must be the person singing my own praises.
How many times were you that person in the mirror internally criticizing what you saw? I have realized that I do this so frequently, it is my normal dialogue. I have read so many variations of that same script I no longer need to feed myself the lines, trust me when I say they are fully memorized.
But if you (like myself) deeply desire growth in your life, we must rewrite our monologues. Monologues that are full of acceptance and grace because self-love is the beginning, middle, and end of our journey. It is our road-map to navigate a life that is full and a world that is colorful. Self-hate strips us of that joy. And although we know all of this to be true, it becomes so difficult and sometimes feeling impossible to live out.
So what now? What do we do when we are staring in the mirror ready to press play on our personal self-hate podcast? Change looks different for us all, but small victories will begin to reword those scripts. In that moment when my husband gently called me out, he was right. If I am having one of “those” days, I should chose to limit my time in the mirror. Or as I grab my thighs, shift my thoughts to gratitude and send thanks to my legs for the ability to dance and to carry my children.
All of this is much easier to type than to put into practice. But every time we interrupt that negative self-talk, it brings us back to the present moment and we become more conscious and aware of what we are doing. It is in those interruptions where the change begins. Every thought becomes a new opportunity to quiet that self-deprecating talk and to amplify self-love and acceptance. Embrace those shifts. Do not minimize the work that it takes in becoming your most authentic self.
Remember your first day of class when the teacher would ask you icebreaker questions? Everybody would roll their eyes and dread every single second of it, especially when it got to be their turn.
One of the questions that I remember almost always being a part of the icebreaker at some point was, “What is your biggest pet peeve?”
This was always a simple answer for me: When people share ice cream cones.
I know, it is weird. And is it really a pet peeve? I don’t know. However, what I do know is that there is nothing that disgusts me more than when people pass the icecream cone back and forth to eat it. It is GROSS.
Anyway, like I said. This was always my answer.
BUT… Lately, I think if I was sitting in a situation where this question was asked of me now, I think my answer might be different.
I know, I know, the anticipation is getting to hard to handle. What is it that I could possibly hate more than people sharing ice cream cones?!
Well, everybody… The answer to that is:
When people say things that they don’t mean.
To me, words are SO important!!!!! (I know there are people out there that have never thought about the importance of words or think that I just feel this way because I am a writer…. But, that is FALSE.) When people take the time to share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings with you, that is IMPORTANT. So yes, I am one of those people who takes what people say to heart. I internalize whatever it is we are talking about and make sure that I value that they thought that they should share it with me. It could be something so minute and small, but to me, it still matters.
So you could see why it is so beyond frustrating to me when somebody says something that they end up not meaning?
In the wise words of my mom, Pam Parker, who engraved a few quotes and saying into my brain over the last 22 years…. SAY WHAT YOU MEAN AND MEAN WHAT YOU SAY.
Don’t waste your time and your energy saying something to somebody because that is what you think that they want to hear. Understand that your words MEAN SOMETHING. That your time is IMPORTANT. And that the person that you are talking to cares and is listening so not saying what you really mean is just rude.
So what exactly do I mean? Here are some examples for you!
When somebody asks if you are mad or upset about something because it is visible that you have some emotions towards whatever the situation may be, DO NOT SAY THAT YOU ARE FINE.
Don’t just say what you think people want to hear.
If you don’t have any actual intention of going somewhere or doing something, don’t say that you are planning on it or that you want to. Be honest.
If your feelings change about something or somebody for whatever reason, ignoring or lying is not the answer. USE YOUR WORDS. People are going to respect you so much more if you just SAY WHAT YOU MEAN AND MEAN WHAT YOU SAY.
It is completely okay to not like a person or a situation, there is no reason to lie… there are adult ways to handle situations in a responsible and mature way.
Truthfully, I could go on and on in regard to this topic. I don’t understand why people feel like they have to say what they think others want to hear, but I am here telling you that there are people like me out there that want to hear your real thoughts and feelings.
So just try to be conscious about the conversations that you are having and how you are handling those situations in your life. Life is too short to not be honest with yourself and those people you surround yourself with.
And you might be thinking, “Sam, it is not that easy.”
Nothing is ever easy at first, but people say that practice makes perfect.
Samantha Wakitsch is your average college student. She is a full time college student who is involved in countless extra-curricular activities, and somehow still finds time to enjoy her life. There is nothing Sam loves more than her friends, family, and writing.
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January 17, 2020 at 12:00 am