Today after spending the entire day in doctors' offices I finally know a little more about the direction of my treatments. Two weeks from today I will have a mastectomy. After the surgery is finished the tissue will be sent to pathology and they will determine a few things. The first is if the tumors were removed with clean margins. The next is if the tumors that are seen on the tests are several separate tumors or if they are all the same tumor with lots of branches. If they are separate then that is HUGE in determining the need for any further treatments. If the margins are clean (meaning that they removed the all of the cancer) then that will also be a HUGE piece in the decision whether or not to do more treatments. Another factor is if I'm a carrier of the BRCA gene.
The test I had done Friday (PEM) showed that there is more cancer than was previously thought in the left side, but the right side looks completely clear. Also, it shows my lymph nodes are clear. Dr Moline plans to remove my sentinel node during my surgery to biopsy to be extra sure there is not cancer there.
Today we met with the Radiologist, Dr. Lamoureax. He was wonderful and spent 2 hours with us explaining everything. He says that IF the surgery is successful with good margins and my nodes are clear AND I test negative for the BRCA gene then radiation shouldn't be necessary. I won't meet with the oncologist until after surgery, but Dr Moline says she thinks that Dr Nichols will same the same about chemo. IF everything goes just how we want I may not have any chemo at all or very little that is much weaker than most.
Scott and I felt very peaceful with our day. We are so grateful that we found Cancer Care Northwest and are feeling the blessings of early detection. We continue to pray for good surgery results and that I'm not a gene carrier. We are so grateful that Scott's wonderful mom is coming to help us during the surgery time. I will only be in the hospital for 23 hours so it's still considered "outpatient" so I will have a lot of recovery time at home.
So two weeks and counting...I have lots to do to get ready!!!
The Jensen Seven Adventures in life and the bump in the road of breast cancer
Oh Becca! I will be sending you every positive thought possible in 2 weeks. I am hoping everything goes just like you are hoping. I love you! I will call you this week, if you aren't too busy!
ReplyDelete23 hours in a hospital is considered "outpatient?" That's crazy. But I'm glad Mom can come and help.
ReplyDeleteIt would be so great to forego all the yucky radiation! Keeping you in our prayers. Don't work yourself too hard in the next 2 weeks!!!