“Don’t worry, Destiny. Everything will turn out fine,” said my reassuring mother. I was about to go into surgery and everyone was waiting in the pre-op room with me. I just kept repeating prayers in my head, hoping that God would pull for me on this one. It was amazing how fast everything had happened. It seemed like yesterday when I found the lump.
***
Ugh … today I have a doctor’s appointment. I absolutely detest doctors. Nothing personal, I just don’t exactly enjoy being there. It was just the usual check-up. We were sitting in the waiting room, reading the boring magazines, when I was finally called in. The doctor did his thing – checked ears, nose, throat, etc. Then he said, “You need to start doing your own breast exams.” This was new. I considered it, and that night I did. I noticed a little hard lump in my right breast. I was somewhat worried, but I pushed it to the back of my mind. That was definitely not a smart thing to do.

A few months later, I noticed the lump had doubled in size. So I finally decided to tell my mom. To my surprise, she stayed calm but insisted we get it checked immediately.

So I sat in the same chair in the waiting room, reading the same boring magazines. The doctor was not a specialist, so he gave us a referral; a week later, we were sitting in another office. This doctor did a sonogram, and though he could not exactly tell what it was, he recommended surgery.

What?! I am 16 and this is happening to me? What if I die? I have not even gotten to go to a Brad Paisley concert yet. I acted cool, but inside I was panicking. My surgery was scheduled for a few weeks later. The time passed like the blink of an eye.

Of course, it got around school. Everyone looked worried and asked if it was cancer. I reassured them as well as I could, but I was secretly freaking out. Everyone thought that I was just blowing it off as nothing, but I was actually dreading it.

The day finally came, and I was sitting in another waiting room. I was forced to don the most grotesque-looking the hospital gown that opens in the back.

My family and pretty much everyone from my church were there to support me. They started an IV that knocked me out in less than five minutes.

The next thing I knew, I was lying in a hospital bed asking for Taco Mayo … completely out of it. I know this only from an embarrassing video of me coming out of the anesthesia. The doctor said he would give us the results in a few days.
***
Now I am back in the waiting room, anticipating the results.

It is benign.

Everyone is thankful and joyful. I am very happy to hear the news. God has answered the many prayers, and I can go to my Brad Paisley concert, and I will probably live to see my nineties. So the end to my story is a happy one. All that is left is a little pink scar, a reminder that I should never leave things in the dark.