The Silver Lining

The CT scan came back clear, my echo looked great, and my blood work was perfect. I have a bone scan next Wednesday but the oncologist is optimistic that will come back clear too. Other than this nasty ol’ tumor, I’m in perfect health. This makes it easier to kick the crap out of this cancer!

My first round of chemo will be June 11^th and I’ll go every 3 weeks for 6 rounds which will take me into October.  Depending on how I feel, we may adjust my chemo days. I’m hoping to receive my treatments on a day that will allow me to feel “normal” on the weekends so that I can spend those days with Aiden. Of course he will be able to see the physical changes in me while I undergo chemo and surgery but I take comfort in knowing he’s too young to form a memory of all that’s going to happen in the next year and a half.

I came home from the doctor’s office to a mailbox full of love and sweet messages from my amazing family and friends.  Check out this awesome breast cancer cookie bouquet that a very special group of friends sent. It came with information on breast cancer and a portion of the proceeds go to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation – how cool is that!

THANK YOU all for the cards, emails, comments, text, and prayers. I’m truly blessed to have such an amazing support group. I love you!

And the MRI Results Are Here

Yesterday morning was full of more tests and doctors appointments. I had both an echo and CT scan; we’ll get those results next week … I know, more waiting!

We did see Dr. Habal for the results from the breast MRI I had on Monday and they were good. They only thing that was found on the MRI was the tumor we already knew about … no other spots , bumps, masses and nothing at all in my right breast!!! The tumor is 6cm, which is pretty big but Dr. Habal hopes the chemo will shrink it before surgery. Dr. Habal is pretty encouraged that the CT scan and bone scan will come back negative. Please say a quick prayer he is right!

 I am scheduled to have a port put in on June 8^th; the oncologist will use this to deliver the chemo and herceptin.  I have a bone scan scheduled for June 6^th and am anticipating starting chemo the week of June 4^th but I’ll know for sure when I meet with the oncologist next Thursday.

Everyone asks how I am doing; right now I’m good! But, I feel confident in saying that will all change once chemo starts, that makes this more real. The next year and half is going to be complete hell but we can make it though this bump in the road! Right now, I’m looking forward to the holiday weekend with my boys. We are taking Aiden to see a Mudcats game and Jonathan and I are celebrating our 6 year anniversary on Sunday! Can you believe it’s been 6 years already?  

My New Reality

There are many words that you could use to describe me but I would have never thought, at 33 years old, cancer patient would be one of those terms but on May 17, 2012 that all changed.

Back in March, I found a small lump in my left breast, after seeing my OBGYN and having an FNA (fine needle aspiration) he wasn’t too concerned.  I have no family history of breast cancer and I’m young (well in terms of breast cancer diagnosis anyway, lol) so he decided to follow up in a month.  A month later, the lump was still there so my doctor thought it would be good to have a mammogram, just to be on the safe side.  Within 45 minutes of finishing my mammogram they had scheduled me an appointment, for the next morning, with Dr. Habal, a surgical oncologist. Dr Habal performed a core needle biopsy on both my breast and a lymph node. We returned two days later to hear the diagnosis … cancer.

What we know … I have been diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer, the most common form, which has moved into my lymph nodes. The cancer is ER and PR negative but Her2 positive. The cancer is not triple negative, which is very good news. I will do chemo, followed by surgery, then radiation. My chemo cocktail will be “TCH” (taxotere, carboplatin, and herceptin).  There will be 6 chemo treatments, once every 3 weeks and I will continue with the herceptin for 1 year after I finish the chemo. The good thing about the herceptin … no side effects!

I have a CT scan scheduled for later this week and a bone scan for early June to determine if the cancer has spread past my lymph nodes. I will know more about when Dr. White, my oncologist, plans to start chemo next week.

I’ve been wanting to start blogging for some time but didn’t really know what I would write about, this wasn’t on my list of possible topic but it’s the path I find myself on right now.  I hope this blog will allow me to document and share this journey with my family and friends.