I had been experiencing varying degrees of pain in my right breast and armpit with swollen lymph nodes. This pain had been going on for over a year. I canceled my first biopsy appointment out of fear and lack of funds for the copay, mostly fear. I am a caregiver with opwdd and in-home individuals. I recognized that I encouraged them to take care of themselves and was not being honest by not following my own advice. I spent time with my Grandma and spoke a bit about her breast cancer experiences, and she shook me straight. I didn't cancel my second appointment. Amber Rutz was the first to greet me from the waiting room. She had a warm and trustworthy demeanor. I felt seen as a person, not like a patient in someone's routine. She is friendly and easy to talk to. She described my procedure clearly and made sure that I understood the process. I really didn't know what I was getting into, or I would have asked my family to come with me for support afterward. My Grandma felt bad for not coming, but the scheduling was a bit unclear. Amber explained the possible need for a few more biopsies after the initial three if the lab needed more. It was concluded that I did need the biopsies. This whole time, I believed that I was strong enough to handle this procedure on my own; Amber kept my mind busy. I recognized she was doing this skillfully and purposefully. I am incredibly grateful for that. Realizing what she was doing made me understand that what was about to happen was going to be a bit more trying than I had anticipated. I don't Google ahead of time because that's not going to help. Amber asked me about my most cherished loved ones in a casual conversational manner. I appreciated that. No other stranger gives a lick about the details of my fur babies. She was genuine, and in the maybe 15 minutes before the procedure, Amber gained my trust enough that I could find relief in her gentle calf strokes and distracting questions about my loved ones. She stayed in tune to me the whole time and recognized distress and anxiety when my fear of the unknown almost got the better of me. The procedure paused, and I was given ice packs and talked it through. Man, I thought I had a handle on myself, but sometimes you find out otherwise. I calmed within a few minutes, and we were all able to resume our merry task at hand. The breast biopsy experience is difficult and painful. Without Amber, I would have felt a bit traumatized by it. It's a tough time to go through. From the start, Amber made me feel seen and cared about. She's an A+ caregiver to me. I am incredibly grateful that she was with me that day. She is excellent at what she does. I'm glad that she has a job that she is so well suited for.