Routine Screen

I’m bone dry and numb
I should feel
Something

Fear, hope, gratitude
For my health
For now

But I come up blank
Malignant
Maybe

Ignorance is bliss
Biopsy
Will tell

Learning that you have a concerning growth inside your body after a routine screen (e.g., mammogram or ultrasound) and that you need a follow-up biopsy induces anxiety and other confounding emotions. During that waiting period before the biopsy results, I found that the key to feeling less anxious was to focus on being grateful for my health that day. Tomorrow isn’t promised anyway.