The last week has been a respite from cancer. No treatments, only one doctor's appointment and everything healing well, the hematoma in my right breast seems to be resolving. I am working four hours a day from home and enjoying that very much.
I spent the weekend in nice cool Redondo and Corey and I catalogued and organized all the DVD's here. (He has so many we couldn't find anything and they were all over.) We had fun mostly doing nothing.
Looking forward to another peaceful week in which nothing reminds me or anyone else that I have breast cancer and then my family joins us in Redondo beginning Thursday to celebrate the 4th. Until then I am working on my gluten free cake and bread recipes so I can make something special for Courtney. Here is a recipe for a gluten free cinnamon crumb cake that I have nailed (if I do say so myself).
Gluten Free Cinnamon Crumb Cake
Batter:
2/3 cup milk ( room temp)
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup potato starch
1 cup corn starch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons xantham gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup chopped nuts ( walnuts or pecans)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
Icing Ingredients:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk - enough to make icing easy to drizzle
Batter:
Add yeast to milk - stir until dissolve. Cream butter and sugar together. Pour yeast/milk mixture into sugar and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir together until blended then pour into buttered pan ( about 8 X8 or 9X9). Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 1 hours.
Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle over the top of the batter. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 375. Cool for 10 minutes. While cake is cooling mix together icing ingredients and after 10 minutes drizzle the icing over the top of the cake.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
One More Reason to Eradicate Breast Cancer
In this strange new world the whole family gets to go to the ultrasound of babies. Below is a picture of my grandaughter who will be born in late September. We call her Zebedee right now but I hope her name will change after she is born! 
Friday, June 19, 2009
On the Job Training
Dr. Kuske gave me a nice compliment the other day about how calm and peaceful I seemed through everything. Over the last few weeks I have come to realize how much I have learned about how to gracefully live with cancer from my patients. Some of the most inspiring people I know have Cystic Fibrosis.
Adults with Cystic Fibrosis lead dual lives. On the one hand, they live with the constant threat of becoming ill even as they practice a regime of medications and airway clearance that is taxing and tiring. On the other hand, it gets old being sick, it gets boring talking about it and it gets irritating to have other people telling you what you should be doing. The worst part is when other people cry for or about you. I am done crying about having breast cancer and am ready to live with the diagnosis and the treatment.
Yet, despite having CF, many of my patients have a calm, brave spirit that does not give into the disease but accepts the reality and navigates through life with this strange companion. They have learned from the experience of having CF but it does not define them. These incredible people inspire me and provide unknowing mentorship for my life with cancer. That is a blessing that I am sure many others with cancer do not have! On the job training is a benefit of employment in a job that I love.
Kim Peet gave me a poetry book with this interesting poem written by a cancer survivor:
Adults with Cystic Fibrosis lead dual lives. On the one hand, they live with the constant threat of becoming ill even as they practice a regime of medications and airway clearance that is taxing and tiring. On the other hand, it gets old being sick, it gets boring talking about it and it gets irritating to have other people telling you what you should be doing. The worst part is when other people cry for or about you. I am done crying about having breast cancer and am ready to live with the diagnosis and the treatment.
Yet, despite having CF, many of my patients have a calm, brave spirit that does not give into the disease but accepts the reality and navigates through life with this strange companion. They have learned from the experience of having CF but it does not define them. These incredible people inspire me and provide unknowing mentorship for my life with cancer. That is a blessing that I am sure many others with cancer do not have! On the job training is a benefit of employment in a job that I love.
Kim Peet gave me a poetry book with this interesting poem written by a cancer survivor:
ENLIGHTENMENT
by Sylvia Thompson
I prayed to the Heavens
for a great teacher
dignifying, enlightening and steady.
With desperate pleas,
in silent conveyance,
that I, the student, was ready.
And so the Heavens,
obliged to my need,
sent a great teacher
to answer.
When I asked him his name,
he smiled at me warmly,
bowed down to me
and said,
CANCER.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Clear Margins - Yippee! On to Radiation.
The margins around the surgical site were free of cancer. That means on to radiation. I visited the Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Kuske, this morning and we again discussed the, "suspicious lymph node" that showed up on the MRI. It was not the sentinel node. The question of the day is whether to aspirate it before radiation or just wait until after treatment. The chance that there is cancer in that node despite none being noted in the sentinel node is less than 4%. Dr. Kuske and Dr. O'Neill are going to discuss today and get back to me.
There was another radiation oncologist working with Dr. Kuske today named Dr. Chowdry. He came from Alberta, Canada to learn more about partial breast radiation. Both the docs were very impress with my surgical site. Dr. Kuske said, " You don't know how many surgeons hack off 1/3 of the breast to get the same size area. We have seen several concave breasts this morning already with actual cancer sites the same size as yours. " I am really pleased with the results myself - I still think Dr. O'Neill is amazing!
Karise gave Courtney, Ali and I each a pink wish necklace. They are delicate and beautiful. The idea is that you wear the necklace until the string breaks and then your wish will come true. We tried them on and rushed into the mirror to look at them. Here is a picture of the three of us with our wish charms.
There was another radiation oncologist working with Dr. Kuske today named Dr. Chowdry. He came from Alberta, Canada to learn more about partial breast radiation. Both the docs were very impress with my surgical site. Dr. Kuske said, " You don't know how many surgeons hack off 1/3 of the breast to get the same size area. We have seen several concave breasts this morning already with actual cancer sites the same size as yours. " I am really pleased with the results myself - I still think Dr. O'Neill is amazing!
Karise gave Courtney, Ali and I each a pink wish necklace. They are delicate and beautiful. The idea is that you wear the necklace until the string breaks and then your wish will come true. We tried them on and rushed into the mirror to look at them. Here is a picture of the three of us with our wish charms.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Fortunate Lives
This morning I am still bruised and have pain to whole right chest. I have to have labs drawn this morning, pick up some copies of the last MRI's for tomorrow's appointment and see the surgeon at 2:15 pm where I will find out if the margins are clear of cancer cells. I am trying to walk a little each day for exercise using my pedometer. Yesterday I was up to 5,000 steps done in 1/2 hour sessions throughout the day. My goal is 6,000 steps today.
I am rereading Dead until Dark and watching the first season of the HBO series based on the Sookie novels, True Blood. So far I like the books better but I am an Eric fan and the HBO Eric is pretty cute.
I found this poem that my daughter, Ali, wrote in high school. I thought I would share.
Fortunate Lives
by Ali Overgaard
Appearances are deceiving
For the windows of the mansion on the hill
Appear to sparkle in the evening sun
Yet inside, no children play
No laughter rings
No lovers dream or whisper
Secret fears.
These jewels are worn
Unseen in the village house
Where the light shines
Not for those outside, but
Warms those who come within.
No one is happy who does not think himself so.
I am rereading Dead until Dark and watching the first season of the HBO series based on the Sookie novels, True Blood. So far I like the books better but I am an Eric fan and the HBO Eric is pretty cute.
I found this poem that my daughter, Ali, wrote in high school. I thought I would share.
Fortunate Lives
by Ali Overgaard
Appearances are deceiving
For the windows of the mansion on the hill
Appear to sparkle in the evening sun
Yet inside, no children play
No laughter rings
No lovers dream or whisper
Secret fears.
These jewels are worn
Unseen in the village house
Where the light shines
Not for those outside, but
Warms those who come within.
No one is happy who does not think himself so.
Monday, June 15, 2009
All about Friday.
Friday morning we arrived for surgery at Banner Good Samaritan at 8:30am. My husband, Corey, and my younger daughter, Ali, accompanied me. I checked in and the three of us sat around in the lobby of the same day surgery department until around 10:15. The long wait was a little annoying. During the wait a woman with no hair who said her surgeon was Dr O'Neill was called in to be prepped and I felt a little tearful for her.
A lot of time in the waiting room allows for family bonding and contemplation of the events to come!
At 10:15 someone came over from the Breast Center and got me so the guide wire could be placed. Corey and Ali transferred to the Breast Center waiting room and I went back into the center. Dr. Nino placed the guide using the same technique as my first biopsy. This involves laying on a sling face down with your breast hanging through a hole and then paddles similar to the mammogram paddles are placed on either side of the breast to secure it. An xray is taken and then when they see the clip they can tell from the markings on the paddles where it is within the breast.
I was worried about them marking the correct clip because by now I have several in each breast now but Dr. Nino showed me that each clip has a different letter on it. He then cleaned and numbed the area and placed the guide wire in a matter of minutes. A follow up film showed that he hit the right spot on the first time and I was done. The procedure is relatively painless, the numbing stings quite a bit but the sensation only lasts about 5 - 10 seconds.
We then went back to the same day surgery waiting room until after 12:30pm when they finally called me in to prep me for surgery. Corey and Ali stayed in the waiting room. By now they were beginning to make a few friends with other family members waiting. In between visiting with their new friends, our older daughter, Courtney, and my sister, Faith, would call to see what was going on. All of this activity kept them very busy. The two of them came back into the pre-op area after I was in my lavender gown and had my IV started. The pre-op nurse, Kim was not only a Stephanie Plum fan but also excellent at starting IV's.
Kim started my IV but did not mention if she prefers Joe or Ranger for Stephanie Plum.
Corey and Ali took some more pictures to pass the time.
At a little after 2 pm, Dr. O'Neill came back and we met the anesthesiologist, Dr. Brennan Watkins.
Dr. O'Neill and myself. I think she is the best breast surgeon in Arizona and I am glad she is on my team!
Shortly after that I had some Versed through my IV and went back in the surgical suite, I did not wake up until after 5 pm. Dr. O'Neill checked on me twice in post op and made sure I knew that the sentinel node was clear, the other nodes were enlarged but we had decided not to touch them if the sentinel node was clear and will follow them later.
The area removed was a little larger than a golf ball and then she shaved a bit more tissue all around the site. Although my whole breast is very, very bruised, the pain is quite tolerable. The lymph node site is a second incision & stings more than the breast incision. Sometimes I getting shooting pains into my collar bone but the prescription pain medication, Toradol and Tylenol taken in between works pretty well. My lymph node site is continually leaking a clear fluid which I guess is lymph fluid but the site on the breast itself is clean and dry.
On Wednesday, I follow up with Dr. O'Neill and she will let me know if the margins of the surgical area were cancer free. If they do have any cancer cells, I will need a second surgery next week but I feel pretty optimistic that this phase is done!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Sister Study - Breast Cancer Research
Woman by Woman...
Sister by Sister...
This Study May Make a Difference!
This is a landmark study of how environment & genes may affect the chances of getting breast cancer. This study is now closed but enrolled 50,000 women whose sister had breast cancer.
Participants were eligible to join the study if-
*Their sister (living or deceased), related by to by blood, had breast cancer.
*They were between the ages of 35 and 74.
*They never had breast cancer themselves.
Follow the Progress at:
Look to see if you qualify for the Two Sister Study.
This study is conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Second Opinion & the Big Dilemma
Yesterday I went for a second opinion at the Arizona Institute for Breast Health which is a free service and quite unique to Arizona. Any woman diagnosed with breast cancer can have a panel of breast cancer experts which consists of surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists, psychologists and more. The panel reviews your case and the plan and makes recommendations and give opinion(s) on the course of treatment. I will post more information on this great service in a future blog.
I was glad to get this because although originally it was thought that I have DCIS (ductal cell cancer in situ - which means cancer in the breast duct that has not spread to surrounding tissues), I have had several indications that there is cancer somewhere else. Between the MRIs and the xrays that show a suspicious lymph node and several "hotspots" it appears that there could be cancer somewhere else. But, three biopsies, multiple MRIs, mammograms and multiple tests have not turned up any more cancer. The only thing that has turned up is that there are 10 spots of cancer near the original site not the five first seen. All of the spots are high grade so they are fast growing. The biggest worry is the suspicious axillary lymph node which is on the right side. No one can tell if that is the sentinel node (the one that leads away from the duct with the cancer) or another node.
Our current plan is to take the area with the known cancer, take 2 centimeters clearance around that whole area and shave the edges a bit more. At the same time, dye will be injected to lead back to the sentinel node which will then be tested for cancer cells. If the node is negative for cancer, Dr. O'Neill will close up without testing any more nodes. If the node is positive then she will take the next nearest node, test that for cancer and do that up to four nodes. If the fourth node is positive then Dr. O'Neill will remove the whole string of nodes. After the surgery we can check via MRI to see if the "bad" node is gone or not.
The second opinion team offered one alternative. They suggested checking the suspicious node using ultrasound and then aspirating it and doing a pathology on it to see if it has cancer. This seems like a good plan except it would entail waiting on the surgery. I have been spent the last month being diagnosed and want to get the known cancer out of me so I can finish the treatment and get back to work and my life.
So... tomorrow around 9:00 am... they will place a guide wire for the surgeon, I think via one of those not so great MRIs. At 11:00am I will have surgery and hopefully go home in the early evening!
Positive energy and prayers accepted! Peace.
I was glad to get this because although originally it was thought that I have DCIS (ductal cell cancer in situ - which means cancer in the breast duct that has not spread to surrounding tissues), I have had several indications that there is cancer somewhere else. Between the MRIs and the xrays that show a suspicious lymph node and several "hotspots" it appears that there could be cancer somewhere else. But, three biopsies, multiple MRIs, mammograms and multiple tests have not turned up any more cancer. The only thing that has turned up is that there are 10 spots of cancer near the original site not the five first seen. All of the spots are high grade so they are fast growing. The biggest worry is the suspicious axillary lymph node which is on the right side. No one can tell if that is the sentinel node (the one that leads away from the duct with the cancer) or another node.
Our current plan is to take the area with the known cancer, take 2 centimeters clearance around that whole area and shave the edges a bit more. At the same time, dye will be injected to lead back to the sentinel node which will then be tested for cancer cells. If the node is negative for cancer, Dr. O'Neill will close up without testing any more nodes. If the node is positive then she will take the next nearest node, test that for cancer and do that up to four nodes. If the fourth node is positive then Dr. O'Neill will remove the whole string of nodes. After the surgery we can check via MRI to see if the "bad" node is gone or not.
The second opinion team offered one alternative. They suggested checking the suspicious node using ultrasound and then aspirating it and doing a pathology on it to see if it has cancer. This seems like a good plan except it would entail waiting on the surgery. I have been spent the last month being diagnosed and want to get the known cancer out of me so I can finish the treatment and get back to work and my life.
So... tomorrow around 9:00 am... they will place a guide wire for the surgeon, I think via one of those not so great MRIs. At 11:00am I will have surgery and hopefully go home in the early evening!
Positive energy and prayers accepted! Peace.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
One Month Anniversary
Today is my one month anniversary of knowing that I have cancer. Yesterday, I chose a new team member, my radiation oncologist. His name is Dr. Robert Kuske and I liked him. He is one of the innovators of partial breast radiation which I am planning on having unless something new pops during surgery on Friday.
Dr. Kuske's gut feeling is that my cancer is still in situ which means it has not invaded the surrounding cells and remains inside the milk duct. This has been the question that has plagued the doctors since I was diagnosed. Some indicators seemed to show that in my case the cancer had invaded other cells - when this happens it is called invasive cancer. Each indicator has turned out to be negative in my case. The last test will be the nearest axillary lymph nodes to the cancer sites which will be tested during surgery and I should have final results of that next Wednesday.
If I have invasive cancer then I need to have more extensive chemotherapy along with the radiation and medications to block the estrogen and progesterone. If the cancer remains in situ then I will have radiation and medications to block the estrogen and progesterone only.
Trivia: in situ is from the Latin term which means in it's place.
Dr. Kuske's gut feeling is that my cancer is still in situ which means it has not invaded the surrounding cells and remains inside the milk duct. This has been the question that has plagued the doctors since I was diagnosed. Some indicators seemed to show that in my case the cancer had invaded other cells - when this happens it is called invasive cancer. Each indicator has turned out to be negative in my case. The last test will be the nearest axillary lymph nodes to the cancer sites which will be tested during surgery and I should have final results of that next Wednesday.
If I have invasive cancer then I need to have more extensive chemotherapy along with the radiation and medications to block the estrogen and progesterone. If the cancer remains in situ then I will have radiation and medications to block the estrogen and progesterone only.
Trivia: in situ is from the Latin term which means in it's place.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
The Winds of Fate
This poem is by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
One ship drives east and another drives west
With the selfsame winds that blow.
'Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales
Which tells us the way to go.
***
Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,
As we voyage along through life:
'Tis the set of the soul
That decides its goal,
And not the calm or the strife.
***
When my girls were growing up I would I say to them each morning, "Decide right now what kind of day you are going to have." I've tried to live that credo as well. It is not easy nor did I always achieve it but practicing that conscious decision made it easier to do over the years.
***
Now that I know I have cancer, it is even more important to set my sails and decide my own course as best as I can and not let the calm or the strife be what pushes me along. I hope I can do it. I have to try.
***
TRIVIA: Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American popular poet at the turn of the last century. (A popular poet is one that critics don't like but other people do.) Her most enduring work was "Solitude", which contains the lines: "Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone". She also wrote the lines: "Love lights more fires than hate extinguishes" which was a line popularized by Jack Kerouac.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Almost Ready to Start Fighting Cancer Again.
Whew!
Last week really left me feeling beaten up. I was bruised and exhausted but yesterday I felt like I could have gone to work. I miss my friends at work and my patients. (Hope that Chelle, Barb, Nat, Monica and the others are keeping my desk warm.) Instead, I walked down to the farmer's market and bought some fruits and veggies and then had a tamale from a little stand there for lunch. I ate my tamale while looking out at the ocean and wearing a jacket which was some recompense for not being at work, after all it's 105 degrees there. .
The problem is that just when you start to feel like you are yourself again, it's time to get back to fighting cancer.
Corey is working half a day today and then I hope to feel good enough to ride the bikes for a bit along the beach. One day I will write about how great Corey is and has been but honestly right now it makes me teary just to think about it.
I cooked the last three nights which I love to do but hadn't really felt like doing for a while: Steaks on Tuesday, Spaghetti with black and green olives on Wednesday and Scallop Helper on Thursday (one of my signature dishes!)
Monday, I head back to Phoenix to my usual two doctors a day routine except for Thursday when I am getting my hair done so I look cute on the operating table. Corey is coming in next Thursday night. Wish I could stay with him but Ali put the cats on a diet so I think they need me more right now.
Have a good weekend!
Last week really left me feeling beaten up. I was bruised and exhausted but yesterday I felt like I could have gone to work. I miss my friends at work and my patients. (Hope that Chelle, Barb, Nat, Monica and the others are keeping my desk warm.) Instead, I walked down to the farmer's market and bought some fruits and veggies and then had a tamale from a little stand there for lunch. I ate my tamale while looking out at the ocean and wearing a jacket which was some recompense for not being at work, after all it's 105 degrees there. .
The problem is that just when you start to feel like you are yourself again, it's time to get back to fighting cancer.
Corey is working half a day today and then I hope to feel good enough to ride the bikes for a bit along the beach. One day I will write about how great Corey is and has been but honestly right now it makes me teary just to think about it.
I cooked the last three nights which I love to do but hadn't really felt like doing for a while: Steaks on Tuesday, Spaghetti with black and green olives on Wednesday and Scallop Helper on Thursday (one of my signature dishes!)
Monday, I head back to Phoenix to my usual two doctors a day routine except for Thursday when I am getting my hair done so I look cute on the operating table. Corey is coming in next Thursday night. Wish I could stay with him but Ali put the cats on a diet so I think they need me more right now.
Have a good weekend!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Breast Cancer Primer
People keep asking me about these terms so I thought as a health educator, I would describe them. I will add to them over time. Any errors in these definitions are my own except for the one Shirley defined. You can see the Primer by scrolling down to and looking on the right side of the screen.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
More Six Word Stories ... What's Yours?
I am loving these six words stories. More examples are posted under comments from May 28th!
Vitamin D, Breast Cancer & Me
Laboratory studies have shown that vitamin D stops cancer cells from dividing and actually makes the cancer cells die out. Previous research has shown that enough vitamin D and exposure to sunlight has been shown to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. Vitamin D is made in several ways. The body produces its own vitamin D in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is also found in certain foods, including eggs and fatty fish.
In mid -March of this year I had my vitamin D level tested and found it was low – 20. Soon after I went to a conference and heard Dr. Michael Holick, one of the world’ s leading vitamin D experts, and began taking 50,000 units of D once per week for 8 weeks and will continue with 50,000 units every other week for the rest of my life once I get my level up to 50.
I live in Phoenix with sunshine most days of the year and eat a healthy diet as well as take a supplement. It seems ridiculous that I could have a low vitamin D level, in fact, a level that is lower than many of my patients with Cystic Fibrosis who are at risk for low vitamin D. The Linus Pauling Institute recommends aiming for a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of at least 32 ng/mL and more recently 50 seems to be the number to aim for.
What I did not know is that almost everyone diagnosed with breast cancer has a low serum vitamin D level. And researchers do not yet know is if the low D level is a cause or a symptom of breast cancer.
Dr. Chistakos, a professor of biochemistry, has researched and published extensively on the multiple roles of vitamin D, including inhibition of the growth of malignant cells found in breast cancer. Her current findings on the vitamin D induced protein that inhibits breast cancer growth are published in a 2009 issue of The Journal of Biological Chemistry. Previous research had determined that increased serum levels of vitamin D are associated with an improved diagnosis in patients with breast cancer.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204172437.htm
I wonder if a serum vitamin D level should be a regular test for women.
What I did not know is that almost everyone diagnosed with breast cancer has a low serum vitamin D level. And researchers do not yet know is if the low D level is a cause or a symptom of breast cancer.
Dr. Chistakos, a professor of biochemistry, has researched and published extensively on the multiple roles of vitamin D, including inhibition of the growth of malignant cells found in breast cancer. Her current findings on the vitamin D induced protein that inhibits breast cancer growth are published in a 2009 issue of The Journal of Biological Chemistry. Previous research had determined that increased serum levels of vitamin D are associated with an improved diagnosis in patients with breast cancer.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204172437.htm
I wonder if a serum vitamin D level should be a regular test for women.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Finally, some good news!
The MRI showed only the one cluster of cancer cells in my right breast! This means that we are going to go back to plan A which is to remove that section only and not the whole breast. The lymph nodes will be checked at the same time. The surgery currently is scheduled for the 12th.
I will need radiation treatment for sure. I am meeting with the radiation oncologist on Monday and have a second opinion on Wednesday morning. If the lymph nodes are positive then I may need chemo but we won't know that until later.
I will need radiation treatment for sure. I am meeting with the radiation oncologist on Monday and have a second opinion on Wednesday morning. If the lymph nodes are positive then I may need chemo but we won't know that until later.
Waiting for the Possibilities
The MRI guided biopsy was done in a new spot on the right breast and a spot on the left breast. Here are the possible outcomes of the MRI:
Neither area shows cancer which means we go back to the original plan of taking out the cancer we know is in the right and using radiation to get rid of any cancer cells that could be remaining.
If the right breast shows more cancer and the left does not. Any additional cancer in the right breast translates into a right mastectomy. If they do a right mastectomy then I can elect to have a left as well. The doctors say this is the most aesthetically pleasing option but I can wait and do the left later if there is no cancer there.
I then must decide if I want immediate reconstruction which Corey and I decided would be best. There are two schools of thoughts on this - one is wait about a year to allow time for grief and the other is to get the whole thing done at once. If I have to have a mastectomy then I want to put this behind me. Our only disagreement in this area is that Corey thought I should get a D - cup and I wanted an A - Cup. We compromised on a B-Cup.
If both sides show cancer then I must have a double mastectomy. One scenario we did not talk about is what would happen if the left showed cancer but the right was negative.
I will have the pathology back tomorrow and post again then.
Neither area shows cancer which means we go back to the original plan of taking out the cancer we know is in the right and using radiation to get rid of any cancer cells that could be remaining.
If the right breast shows more cancer and the left does not. Any additional cancer in the right breast translates into a right mastectomy. If they do a right mastectomy then I can elect to have a left as well. The doctors say this is the most aesthetically pleasing option but I can wait and do the left later if there is no cancer there.
I then must decide if I want immediate reconstruction which Corey and I decided would be best. There are two schools of thoughts on this - one is wait about a year to allow time for grief and the other is to get the whole thing done at once. If I have to have a mastectomy then I want to put this behind me. Our only disagreement in this area is that Corey thought I should get a D - cup and I wanted an A - Cup. We compromised on a B-Cup.
If both sides show cancer then I must have a double mastectomy. One scenario we did not talk about is what would happen if the left showed cancer but the right was negative.
I will have the pathology back tomorrow and post again then.
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