So yeah, I have breast cancer. It was caught on a routine mammogram on April 1st (ha!) and confirmed with a needle biopsy a week later. Five days after that, at 10:15am, I got a call at work to go over the results. Positive for cancer in the right breast. The left breast came back showing atypical cells, which could be pre-cancerous, and will require additional testing.
For almost a week, that's all I knew. I had breast cancer, but I had no idea how bad it was or what the treatment would be. That made for a long and nerve-wracking week.
Finally, this Wednesday, I met with the surgeon for a consult. The cancer is of a very treatable sort. Chances are good the cancer is at Stage 1. This is very good news. I will most likely not have to have chemotherapy. Very very good news.
I will have surgery, probably in early June. Because I have very dense breast tissue, the doctor wants to run an MRI scan before the surgery to get a better idea of the size of the area that needs to be removed. That is planned for May 21st. The results of the MRI will guide the surgery options.
I was presented with a choice: either a lumpectomy on the right breast and radiation therapy (5 days a week for 6 weeks), or a mastectomy and no radiation. I was surprised that they appeared to give these two options equal weight. A mastectomy would remove all the lymph nodes, carrying a risk of lymphedema, which is good to avoid. Of course, if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, I will have to have them removed. I will be injected with a radioactive dye before the surgery. This dye is taken up by any cancerous lymph nodes, which would be removed during the surgery.
I will also have to have surgery on the left breast to remove the atypical cells, and investigate the extent of the affected tissue. At this point what’s going on there is an unknown. This surgery could be done at the same time as the lumpectomy on the right breast, or could be scheduled for later on.
I have good days and worse days, but overall I'm doing well. I am doing my best to breathe through this. I have decided that worrying is a waste of energy, so I'm trying to do as little of that as I can. I am strong. I am surrounded by a loving and supportive husband, and the support of many friends. I will get through this.
Finally, this Wednesday, I met with the surgeon for a consult. The cancer is of a very treatable sort. Chances are good the cancer is at Stage 1. This is very good news. I will most likely not have to have chemotherapy. Very very good news.
I will have surgery, probably in early June. Because I have very dense breast tissue, the doctor wants to run an MRI scan before the surgery to get a better idea of the size of the area that needs to be removed. That is planned for May 21st. The results of the MRI will guide the surgery options.
I was presented with a choice: either a lumpectomy on the right breast and radiation therapy (5 days a week for 6 weeks), or a mastectomy and no radiation. I was surprised that they appeared to give these two options equal weight. A mastectomy would remove all the lymph nodes, carrying a risk of lymphedema, which is good to avoid. Of course, if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, I will have to have them removed. I will be injected with a radioactive dye before the surgery. This dye is taken up by any cancerous lymph nodes, which would be removed during the surgery.
I will also have to have surgery on the left breast to remove the atypical cells, and investigate the extent of the affected tissue. At this point what’s going on there is an unknown. This surgery could be done at the same time as the lumpectomy on the right breast, or could be scheduled for later on.
I have good days and worse days, but overall I'm doing well. I am doing my best to breathe through this. I have decided that worrying is a waste of energy, so I'm trying to do as little of that as I can. I am strong. I am surrounded by a loving and supportive husband, and the support of many friends. I will get through this.
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