This is one column I had always hoped I would never have to write.

Diane and I get physicals annually at the Mayo Clinic.

Usually, they’re very routine. I meet with Dr. Bruce Kimbel. Every time I see him he always asks me about the latest news stories in Fountain Hills.

He was particularly intrigued by the Rock Burglar home break-in case several years ago. He is semiretired now, but I feel fortunate to say I am one of the patients that he still sees.

For years Diane saw Dr. Cathy Smith until she retired a few years ago. A Fountain HiIls resident, I would see her smiling face every year when I was in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Dr. Smith would call out my name and flash me her big smile with a wave as I would pass by.

Since Dr. Smith retired, Diane’s personal physician has been Dr. Sophie Bersoux.

Diane’s physical this year was typical for her. The blood readings were good and her heart rate and blood pressure were both normal.

Diane also had a mammogram done as she has each year for the past two decades. A day after her exam, the phone rang and it was the Mayo Clinic.

The woman on the phone said, “We noticedsomething on your mammogram that we would like to take another look at.”

We were still in Arizona, so we made the appointment for two days later at the Mayo Hospital for another mammogram and an ultrasound.

The radiologist said, “We have to do a biopsy to be sure. We are also going to take a look at a gray spot we saw on your lymph nodes.”

After completing the tests, we went back to Las Vegas so we could watch our grandson, Camden, a first grader, while his parents are working. Diane also helps him with his daily virtual school lessons.

Two days later, we had a virtual appointment with Dr. Bersoux’s office advising us that the tumor was cancerous, but the lymph node was negative. We were then scheduled to meet with the surgeon three weeks later.

At that appointment, the surgeon told us, “It appears to be breast cancer, but the good news is it looks like we caught it early.”

Nov. 19 is the date a lumpectomy will be performed to remove the cancerous tumor which measures a half-inch across or about one centimeter. They will also remove two lymph nodes.

She will have four weeks of radiation treatment and will be on medication for five years.

This all happened during October, which happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness month.

I told Diane, “Wouldn’t it have been better to observe something else such as National Chili Dog Week or International Ice Cream Day?”

We felt we would tell you about this new episode in our lives to encourage you women to get your mammograms on a regular basis.

I’m concerned about Diane because she never stops moving from the time she gets up in the morning until she goes to bed at night. Between taking care of me, her new routine with grandson Camden, taking care of the house and cooking for everyone, I wonder how she’s going to relax after surgery.

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For those of you who travel frequently between Fountain Hills and Las Vegas such as we do, they are finally making some progress on the new Interstate 11 Highway that will connect Phoenix and Las Vegas with divided highway all the way.

The Nevada portion is already completed. The Vegas Chamber joined earlier this year with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry to co- ordinate and collaborate for additional funding for the next phase of construction from the Arizona-Nevada border to Phoenix.

A section just north of Wikieup was recently completed and several new businesses have opened in town.