I met with my oncologist on Wednesday and he is awesome. He has a ton of energy and a tendency to swear alot, which makes us kindred spirits. I was there for about 4 hours and learned a great deal in addition to a few tests and scheduling for the following days. He wrote out a quick synopsis:
Carrie,
Shit! You have breast cancer.
The good news is that Dr. B removed all the cancer we know about. But cancers are sneaky. Even prior to surgery, cancer can invade the surrounding tissue and spread to spots outside the breast. These cells remain in your body after surgery. If we don't treat these cells, the cancer will grow and "come back." If this happens, cancer is not curable, though quite treatable. My job is to:
1 - Figure out the chance you have of having residual microscopic cancer cells,
2 - Give you treatment to eliminate them, thereby giving you the highest chance of cure possible.
Right now you have a 25-30% chance of cancer still in your body. To kill these residual cells, we have 3 treatments:
1 - Chemotherapy
2 - Endocrine therapy (Tamoxifen, Zoladex)
3 - Immunotherapy (Herceptin)
So, the chemo I will be on is TCH, which is an acronym for the drugs which I will be receiving. I will have 6 treatments, 3 weeks apart for a total of 18 weeks and will continue every three weeks for the rest of the year with the Herceptin. I believe I will start these treatments within the next few weeks and be on my way to being done with all this! It sounds as if I may not get too physically ill, however I will have a numbness in my hands or in general. I guess I'll find out as it happens. I will also lose my hair 14-21 days from my first treatment. Good times.
But on the flip side - the sooner I get this going, the sooner I get all my hair back! AND it might come back thicker and curly or wavy, at least for the first year or so! Interesting.
Thursday I went in for a CAT scan and a MUGA scan to get a baseline for my heart function as the Herceptin is known to have potential heart issues associated with it. I also went to a chemo class that is required for those starting the process. On Monday I have an EKG and a bone scan. Then I meet with my reconstructive surgeon on Thursday for my first fill for my chest expanders (which is going to be interesting because none of my friends or I can are quite sure how they get the saline into that expander - maybe a really small needle? Maybe there's a certain spot that works? Hmmmm...). Friday I meet again with my oncologist.
I think I am going to be very familiar with Abbott Northwestern Hospital soon. I am also pretty sure I'm going to have the track marks of an intravenous drug user by this time next year. ("Which vein should we use today? Ooh - it looks like they just used that one yesterday... Is that the spot where they put your IV? How about this one... no... Here! Right on the side of your hand - see that one? THAT's the one we'll use today...")
On another note - my chest is healing very well - my range of motion gets better each day. I am slowly stretching out and tapping into my past year of yoga to work with my muscles. I am putting the most time into my posture as my post-surgery posture is to hold my shoulders forward and hold my arms out a bit from my body. I consciously pull my shoulders back and move my arms at my side in a more fluid motion. So far, so good. I'm curious about how the expander fill will feel.
I hope all is well with everyone - talk to you soon!
Carrie
Friday, October 23, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Two weeks out...
It's been two weeks since surgery and I am feeling better each day. My range of motion is improving and I am decreasing my dosage of pain medication as I can. Some days are great, other days I don't feel like I am making much progress, but overall I am doing well. I had my first appointment with the reconstructive surgeon on Thursday and was able to have one of the recovery tube-things removed and will get the other one removed on Thursday. It was a short appointment, but the doctor said that everything was looking good!
I am looking forward to meeting the oncologist on Wednesday and learning more about the structure of my upcoming few months. I have been told that I will be going through chemotherapy, but don't know much about it or how the treatments will be structured. I also hope to find out if I need any radiation, but I am under the impression that I won't.
On a lighter note, I was walking through my kitchen on Wednesday and caught a breeze from the open window. It was chilly and I got the goosebumps. And it happened without warning, just like that. PNS. Yes, folks. Phantom. Nipple. Syndrome. I quickly reached up, but alas, they weren't there. A Matchbox Twenty song from 10 years ago started playing in my head, "When You're Gone..." I tilted my head up in a nostalgic manner... but quickly realized that I don't like that song and was distracted by trying to think of another, more catchy tune.
So, if you have access to some nipples, please twist them and smile. :)
Carrie
I am looking forward to meeting the oncologist on Wednesday and learning more about the structure of my upcoming few months. I have been told that I will be going through chemotherapy, but don't know much about it or how the treatments will be structured. I also hope to find out if I need any radiation, but I am under the impression that I won't.
On a lighter note, I was walking through my kitchen on Wednesday and caught a breeze from the open window. It was chilly and I got the goosebumps. And it happened without warning, just like that. PNS. Yes, folks. Phantom. Nipple. Syndrome. I quickly reached up, but alas, they weren't there. A Matchbox Twenty song from 10 years ago started playing in my head, "When You're Gone..." I tilted my head up in a nostalgic manner... but quickly realized that I don't like that song and was distracted by trying to think of another, more catchy tune.
So, if you have access to some nipples, please twist them and smile. :)
Carrie
Monday, October 12, 2009
Welcome to the Blog and a Bit of Background...
I've been tossing around the idea of starting a blog about travel, food, books, and other random information for awhile now... and here it is! First travel stop is Abbot Northwestern Hospital - which isn't exactly Shanghai, but hey - it's new to me! First, a huge thank you to Kelly Cruz for updating my progress through the surgery and keeping everyone up to speed on my progress. I really appreciate everything she's done for me and continues to help me with - I couldn't ask for a better friend.
A bit of background on what's going on...
On September 16th, I went in for my annual exam and my doctor found a lump in my left breast that I hadn't found in my self-exams. She wasn't overly concerned about it, but recommended that I go in for an ultrasound and mammogram as soon as possible. They made an appointment for me at the Piper Breast Center on September 22nd where they started out with the ultrasound and questions about my family medical history. I do not have a history of breast cancer in my family outside of a single great aunt on my paternal side. The radiologist was concerned with the ultrasound reading and wanted a biopsy done right away - at which point I started to get nervous. They numbed up the area, took four tissue samples, dropped in a small metal marker where they took tissue, and said I would know more by the end of the next day.
I had a call from my doctor by 10 AM the next morning (Wednesday) letting me know that it was indeed cancer and that they would schedule me an appointment with a surgeon as soon as possible. Thursday I went in for an MRI on both sides and met with my surgeon on the following Tuesday, Sept. 29th. We scheduled the bilateral mastectomy on Monday, Oct. 5th. So, in just over two weeks, I had a complete change of plans and experienced emotions and decisions I didn't imagine I would ever be in a position to make.
What I have is called Infiltrative (Invasive) Ductal Carcinoma, grades 2 of 3 and 6 of 9 on the scale that is used. The grade seems to be related to the size of the mass and shape of the cell structure. My original mass was about 1 cm and at the 4 o'clock position. The MRI showed another "area of enhancement" at the 2 o'clock position in the same left breast, and also a benign appearing lymph node on the right side. I am positive for both hormone receptors, estrogen and progesterone, which can be a good thing. However, I am also positive for the HER-2 gene, which makes my cancer more aggressive in nature, which isn't a good thing. We found out after the surgery that my cancer is only in stage one, which is awesome. I feel completely confident that this will all be clear in no time.
I had the option of a lumpectomy with guaranteed radiation, plus more biopsies on the other areas and also on the lymph nodes, but I chose to go with the bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. I am only 31 years old, which is pretty young when talking about breast cancer, and I don't know that I would ever be comfortable trusting myself to find anything again. It would always be in the back of my mind. This way, I may be able to avoid radiation and will also have perky new boobs for the rest of my life! I think this is a pretty decent trade off, all things considered.
As Kelly mentioned, the surgery went great - the lymph nodes were clear (!!) and the reconstruction has already started. The surgeon put expanders or spacers behind my pectoral muscles. He will inject saline into the expanders every few weeks to stretch out the pectoral muscle and skin in preparation for the new implants which will be switched out a few months down the road. So, the new boobs will have my pectoral muscle on the outside... party tricks may ensue... :)
I will also be going through chemotherapy treatments over the next few months. I meet with the oncologist on October 21st to find out more about that schedule and what to expect. I am a bit nervous about the chemo, but again, it's something new that I haven't tried yet and I am cautiously curious about how my body will react. I am planning for losing my hair which gives me the opportunity to save money on salons and also to try out my life long interest in well-done dread locks... If anyone has a lead on a great dread wig - please let me know;) Plus, I might not have to shave my legs for, maybe, a REALLY LONG TIME! Every cloud has its silver lining, as they say.
I hope I've covered everything so far - please let me know if you have any questions or comments. I am hoping to have fun with this blog, so please don't be offended if I make light of topics that are serious. I truly feel lucky to have the type of cancer that I have and to have caught it at the stage that we did. I am looking at this whole experience as a new one that I plan on experiencing with as much humor and grace as possible. I feel that I will be a richer person because of it and will come out on the other end even stronger than I am today.
Thank you to everyone for all the messages and support I have received -it makes such a huge difference to me!
More soon,
Carrie
A bit of background on what's going on...
On September 16th, I went in for my annual exam and my doctor found a lump in my left breast that I hadn't found in my self-exams. She wasn't overly concerned about it, but recommended that I go in for an ultrasound and mammogram as soon as possible. They made an appointment for me at the Piper Breast Center on September 22nd where they started out with the ultrasound and questions about my family medical history. I do not have a history of breast cancer in my family outside of a single great aunt on my paternal side. The radiologist was concerned with the ultrasound reading and wanted a biopsy done right away - at which point I started to get nervous. They numbed up the area, took four tissue samples, dropped in a small metal marker where they took tissue, and said I would know more by the end of the next day.
I had a call from my doctor by 10 AM the next morning (Wednesday) letting me know that it was indeed cancer and that they would schedule me an appointment with a surgeon as soon as possible. Thursday I went in for an MRI on both sides and met with my surgeon on the following Tuesday, Sept. 29th. We scheduled the bilateral mastectomy on Monday, Oct. 5th. So, in just over two weeks, I had a complete change of plans and experienced emotions and decisions I didn't imagine I would ever be in a position to make.
What I have is called Infiltrative (Invasive) Ductal Carcinoma, grades 2 of 3 and 6 of 9 on the scale that is used. The grade seems to be related to the size of the mass and shape of the cell structure. My original mass was about 1 cm and at the 4 o'clock position. The MRI showed another "area of enhancement" at the 2 o'clock position in the same left breast, and also a benign appearing lymph node on the right side. I am positive for both hormone receptors, estrogen and progesterone, which can be a good thing. However, I am also positive for the HER-2 gene, which makes my cancer more aggressive in nature, which isn't a good thing. We found out after the surgery that my cancer is only in stage one, which is awesome. I feel completely confident that this will all be clear in no time.
I had the option of a lumpectomy with guaranteed radiation, plus more biopsies on the other areas and also on the lymph nodes, but I chose to go with the bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. I am only 31 years old, which is pretty young when talking about breast cancer, and I don't know that I would ever be comfortable trusting myself to find anything again. It would always be in the back of my mind. This way, I may be able to avoid radiation and will also have perky new boobs for the rest of my life! I think this is a pretty decent trade off, all things considered.
As Kelly mentioned, the surgery went great - the lymph nodes were clear (!!) and the reconstruction has already started. The surgeon put expanders or spacers behind my pectoral muscles. He will inject saline into the expanders every few weeks to stretch out the pectoral muscle and skin in preparation for the new implants which will be switched out a few months down the road. So, the new boobs will have my pectoral muscle on the outside... party tricks may ensue... :)
I will also be going through chemotherapy treatments over the next few months. I meet with the oncologist on October 21st to find out more about that schedule and what to expect. I am a bit nervous about the chemo, but again, it's something new that I haven't tried yet and I am cautiously curious about how my body will react. I am planning for losing my hair which gives me the opportunity to save money on salons and also to try out my life long interest in well-done dread locks... If anyone has a lead on a great dread wig - please let me know;) Plus, I might not have to shave my legs for, maybe, a REALLY LONG TIME! Every cloud has its silver lining, as they say.
I hope I've covered everything so far - please let me know if you have any questions or comments. I am hoping to have fun with this blog, so please don't be offended if I make light of topics that are serious. I truly feel lucky to have the type of cancer that I have and to have caught it at the stage that we did. I am looking at this whole experience as a new one that I plan on experiencing with as much humor and grace as possible. I feel that I will be a richer person because of it and will come out on the other end even stronger than I am today.
Thank you to everyone for all the messages and support I have received -it makes such a huge difference to me!
More soon,
Carrie
Friday, October 9, 2009
Home
Carrie is at home and doing well. She is happy to be in her own bed and is now able to get some uninterrupted sleep. Her oncology appointment is October 21st, which is when she will find out more about her chemo treatments. Thank you for all of the kind messages and prayers! She really appreciates it!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Pathololgy Results
The surgeon called today with the pathology reports. The 2-day lab tests confirmed that she only has Stage 1 cancer and there is no cancer in her lymph nodes! We are extremely excited to hear that news today. The surgeon still thought she would have to go through chemo, but she will most likely not have to have radiation. The doctors are sending in an acupuncturist and massage therapist to help with the pain before she goes home later today.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Day 2
Carrie is doing exceptionally well today. Both of her surgeons have been in and said everything looks great. As long as everything continues to go well, she will be going home tomorrow. She is completely alert and coherent and even put on makeup this morning and had me straight-iron her hair. We're just praying the final pathology tests come back tomorrow showing her lymph nodes are definitely clear and she'll be on her road to recovery!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Recovering
Carrie is now in her room and resting. She has some pain, but the morphine is definitely helping. The doctors said the surgery could not have gone any better. She has a great attitude and is even making jokes, complimenting the nurses, and carrying on a conversation - that is the Carrie we all know and love! She is at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in the main building, East bank of elevators, in room E3156. Please feel free to come and visit, if you'd like. Also, please feel free to post any comments to this blog and I'll relay them to Carrie. She has enjoyed hearing them! Thanks!
Surgery is over!
The reconstruction surgeon just let us know that Carrie is out of surgery and everything went extremely well. She is currently recovering and we will get to see her in about 2 hours.
The lymph nodes are clear!
Carrie's surgery is going very well and the bi-lateral mastectomy portion of the surgery is over. The surgeon just came out and told us her lymph nodes are cancer free! They will be sending the bioposy samples to the lab for a definitive 2-day test, but everything looks great. The resconstruction portion of the surgery is currently under way and it should be about 1 more hour. I'll update the blog again when she gets out of surgery. Thanks for your continued prayers!
-Kelly Cruz
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
