October

• The surgical oncologist called to say that the core biopsy found that the tumor is cancerous
• Knowledge is power and now we have all started on a crash course to gain knowledge about breast cancer

• Went to see the surgical oncologist to discuss test results and options
  • Found that tumor is 2.4 cm
  • On a scale of 1-3 for biological aggressiveness, the tumor ranked 3 (most aggressive)
  • Hormone receptor tests were negative (not good news - that would have given other treatment options)
  • HER2 receptor test was also negative (good news - that means the cancer is less likely to recur once treated)
• Surgery is the next step, to remove the tumor and to check for lymph node involvement
  • Need to choose between lumpectomy (which will also require radiation therapy) and mastectomy (probably no radiation therapy, but longer recovery time)
  • The sentinal lymph node will be checked during surgery. If cancer-free, no other lymph nodes will be removed. If cancer is found, Level I & Level II lymph nodes will be removed during that surgery.
  • Lymph nodes are filters along the lymph fluid channels that try to catch and trap cancer cells before they reach other parts of the body
• Chemotherapy will be required due to the size of the tumor

• Went to see the radiation oncologist to learn more about radiation therapy
• Decided to request lumpectomy but give surgeon the leeway to do a mastectomy if called for

• Called to schedule surgery but found that surgeon had come down with a cold - unable to schedule until she returns to work next week

• The surgeon's office called to say that she has quite a backlog - they will be back in touch when they have a surgery date

• Surgery has been scheduled for Thursday, October 21 at 2:45 pm - it will take approximately two hours
• On Tuesday, October 19 I will have preadmission lab work, chest xray, and EKG
• On Wednesday, October 20 my son, Tony, will fly in from Los Angeles CA and my daughter, Kathy, will fly in from Charleston SC

• I will report to the hospital at 12:45 pm on Thursday so radioactive material and dye can be injected into the tumor before the surgery and watched to see which lymph node it goes to first (the sentinal lymph node)
• By examining the sentinal lymph node for signs of cancer, the surgeon will know before the surgery begins whether she will need to remove the Level I & Level II lymph nodes as part of the surgery
• I want you to know that I am doing fine, just waiting for the surgeon to do her best for me on Thursday and anxious to get the surgery over with

• Kathy arrived this afternoon; Tony will be in later tonight
• My preadmission lab work came out OK except that I am dehydrated
• I will check into the hospital at 10:15 tomorrow morning to get fluids through an IV before the surgery
• Surgery is still scheduled to begin at 2:45 tomorrow afternoon and last about two hours
• Kathy will update this web site as soon as possible after the surgery
• Keep me in your prayers and keep sending those positive thoughts - I'll be back with you soon

Today is Thursday-Surgery-Day

• We're getting ready to go to the hospital and I'm wearing my favorite colors for luck!
• All the cards, phone calls, and emails of support are helping to make today easier
• They discourage any more than 20 family members to be there in the waiting room, but we'll sneak more in if necessary :-)
• I'll talk with all of you real soon

7:15 pm: Hi, this is Kathy, updating everyone on the surgery

• Everything pre-op went great - the health care team all paid close attention to Mom's sensitivities and she has had no allergic reaction to anything she's been given
• A wire was inserted into the breast tissue near the tumor to guide the surgeon to the abnormal area that needed to be removed
• The surgeon said the procedure went very well; she did a lumpectomy and got a clear margin of tissue around the tumor
• The sentinal lymph node tested positive for cancer, so Level I & II lymph nodes were removed
• Mom was in recovery and awake by 4:45 pm
• She is comfortable in her room now, just a little groggy still from the anesthesia
• She's absolutely thrilled and relieved to have this surgery over with
• Her skin is a beautiful pale blue from the dye they injected into the tumor!
• If she's eating and drinking well in the morning, she'll be able to come home tomorrow
• The test results on the lymph nodes, which will show just how extensively they are effected, will be back early next week but the surgeon will be out of town until next Thursday, so we won't know anything more about that until then
• The pathology report from the lymph nodes will determine what treatment comes next
• I'm going back to the hospital soon and will spend the night if need be
• Thanks, everyone, for your support - it means a lot to all of us

10:15 am: Hi, it's Kathy again. I just got back to the house after spending the night at the hospital with Mom.

• She's doing great, feels good and is in no pain - she hasn't even had to take any pain medication to this point
• The blue dye is all gone and her skin color is good
• Neither of us got much sleep (the hospital is not the place to go if you need rest!) but she was energetic and ready to get up moving around this morning
• She gobbled down every last crumb of her breakfast
• The surgeon came by around 7:30 am and was very pleased with her recovery
• Mom can come home today, just as soon as all the IVs are removed and the nurses give instructions on how to care for the incision
• One big hurdle down! It will be good to have her home again

• It's wonderful to be home with my family, friends, and neighbors!
• Less than 24 hours after my surgery I was back home
• I'm feeling good, not in any pain, and I had a good night sleep
• "Doctor Tom" is taking good care of my medical needs
• Kathy and Tony are cooking and taking care of me
• Tony leaves for the airport around 3:00 today
• I really appreciate all the emails - I haven't been writing back much yet, but I love reading them

• After being spoiled rotten by my kids for days, my daughter is getting ready to head back to South Carolina tomorrow afternoon
• My neighbors will be happy because now it's their turn to spoil me!
• I was up and around more today and took fewer naps, so I'm getting stronger every day
• We even played rummy again tonight (we let Tom win)

• Hit a little bump in the road today - having a problem with soreness and a little bleeding around the drain tube
• The surgeon prescribed an antibiotic to guard against infection and had me use ice on the area today
• She doesn't feel it's anything to worry about, just my body adjusting to not having as many lymph nodes as it used to
• I had to take my first Tylenol since the surgery

• The thick tube still dangling from my armpit a week after the node dissection isn't the most pleasant way of feeling like a professional young lady!
• The underarm incision is the most uncomfortable part of the surgery
• I have difficulty raising my arm and have the normal but unusual sensations of underarm numbness, tingling, burning, and hypersensitivity of the skin
• These sensations are caused by the removal of nerves around the lymph nodes and should gradually decrease over time
• We are still waiting for the pathology reports from the surgeon
• We have been overwhelmed with information, emotions, and decisions these past weeks, but we are handling it all very well
• Breast cancer is just a diagnosis and does not define me as a person

• The surgeon's office called with the best possible news!
• The lumpectomy removed a clean margin of healthy tissue around the tumor, so a mastectomy will not be necessary
• Only the sentinal lymph node was cancerous; all other removed lymph nodes were healthy and cancer-free
• I meet with the surgeon at 10:00 Monday morning (11/1) to discuss the test results in detail, plan the next step, and hopefully get this drain removed
• All your positive thoughts and prayers have paid off!
• As always, thank you so much for being there for me and my family