The letter I almost ignored

When my first screening invitation arrived, I put it behind the clock on the kitchen shelf. I felt fine, and I was busy. My sister kept asking whether I had booked it, so eventually I did, mostly to stop her asking.

The appointment itself took less than half an hour. The pressing was uncomfortable for a few seconds, and then it was over. Two weeks later a letter asked me to come back for more pictures. I read it standing at the door and felt my stomach drop.

The recall appointment was the hardest part: a week of imagining the worst. The radiographer explained that recalls are common and that most people who come back do not have cancer. More images and an ultrasound showed a harmless cyst.

What I would tell anyone now is that the waiting week is real and it is fine to find it hard. Ask exactly when you will hear, write your questions down, and let someone come with you.