Stage 2A

Busy, busy day. So busy I had to spend the morning in my Lazy Boy, just chilling out. (like how I call it “my” Lazy Boy, mom?)

Anyway….I had two MD appt. today. First was with Dr. S. All stitches are now out and my expanders have had their first expansion…or should I say their first expansion while I was awake? Because the first time really was when I was under anesthesia. But anyway…that went well…kind of like a “fill up”. It was an extremely weird experience. Really. Unless you have had it done you wouldn’t understand it, so I am not even going to try to explain it to you. And….because I am persistent…I did finally get Dr. S. to agree to give me some Botox, at an employee discount, once I am done “expanding”.

From Dr. S. I went across the street to Dr. C. The time has finally come. Time to find out the true extent of this cancer. Oh man was I nervous. I have been waiting for this moment since April 20, and now it is finally here. And it was exactly what I expected, with a twist. Of course there is a twist!! This is me! You know…the chick with the extra elbow muscle? Did you expect there to not be a twist?? C’mon….

I had a 0.8cm x 0.3cm tumor in my right breast. (Remember what I said before? Nine years before it’s 1cm in size?). I had two fibroadenomas in each breast. I had DCIS in my right breast. I had microcalcifications in my left breast. I AM A SMART AND PRO-ACTIVE WOMAN!!!!

But I digress…..here is the twist. Contrary to my preliminary report, my Sentinel Lymph Node was found to have a 0.35mm cancerous area in it. The two nodes that were removed? Well, they were stuck together so the lab treated them as one. And in that one, there was a tiny tiny tiny bit of cancer. That is now in a garbage can somewhere.

So…that leads to this. Should I, after I am done chemo, have radiation treatments to my right axilla area and right chest wall just in case? And would a radiation oncologist even agree to subjecting me to radiation based on a 0.35mm area that is now on the outside of my body? Or would the radiation onc want proof that there is more nodal involvement then what we know, therefore leading me to another surgery where ALL my lymph nodes on the right be removed? And would I be agreeable to that surgery? Am I even agreeable to radiation? You know I will do anything necessary to rid myself of this cancer, but I am not so sure radiation is necessary.

So I will meet with the radiation onc, and then I will get a second opinion, and if that opinion differs from the first opinion then I will get a third opinion. And I will let the majority rule. But I can honestly say, I am of the opinion that radiation isn’t necessary. But what do I know….

I know this….if I wasn’t HER2+++ and there wasn’t a 0.35mm area of cancer in my lymph node then I would be done with my cancer treatments. I know that if I wasn’t HER2+++ and there was a 0.35mm area of cancer on my lymph node then I would be told I need chemo. So…I am HER2+++ and I am doing chemo…so…really….rads?

I don’t know what to do about that. And luckily I have plenty of time to think about it because I need chemo first. And chemo will take me to the end of October…

On a good note, the surgical oncologist told me today that this cancer was found “really early” and that if I choose not to do the radiation treatments then she feels I will have at least “50 more years of a wonderful life”. I like those odds…

If it weren't for that 0.35mm thingie, I would be Stage 1.

And Mike….you know who you are….the guy from DD Enterprises at 36 Bigguns Lane? Thank you. That was the best laugh I have had in a long time.