Overwhelming Love

Since my last post I have been completely overwhelmed and touched beyond words by the love, prayers, gifts, beach trips, flowers, visits, cards, calls and scriptures that have been bestowed upon me.

Beyond beautiful February weather meant a Saturday at the beach with Marc, Marie and Aiden. They know my happy place and got me there as quickly as they could. And three days ago Gabby, Evan and Olive gave me another perfect beach day with special friends joining us and a precious baby to hold while watching the big kids play. February in North Carolina?? It's good to be ChaCha.

Chris has been such a rock. Always calm, cool and collected even with plumbing and car issues that have popped up these last couple of weeks, he hasn't let anything bother him. Joe, especially has been a kick - we cope with humor and that has helped. The offers of help and texts just to see how we are doing have meant everything.

So the radioactive seeding has been done and I can report that my left breast is not glowing. I'm as ready for surgery as I'm going to be and snacking and drinking water as late as I can because after midnight I'm cut off.

If  you pray, I wouldn't mind some prayers for peace and for my amazing doctors and maybe about that whole no food or coffee thing before surgery.

All my love and thanks to all of you.

Quick update....

The last couple of days have been busy but productive.

Yesterday was the MRI with contrast which I really dreaded since I'm very claustrophobic and had an incredibly uncomfortable experience years ago. This one went so much better than I expected. The ladies who prepped me were gentle and helpful and I had an iv sedative. That made all the difference. I think I slept through the first little bit as when they took the headset off me I had no recollection of them being put on. =D

My surgeon called with the results today and let me know the mri confirmed what we knew and showed no other areas of concern on the other side or lymph nodes (although the sentinel lymph nodes will still be addressed in surgery as is routine).

So we went ahead and scheduled the radioactive seeding (the 27th - so I won't know if I "glow" for a while longer) and the lumpectomy for the 28th.

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This afternoon we met with my oncologist because it's Valentine's after all! We had been told he would likely be running very late but that when we did get to see him he would spend a couple of hours with us and we would have his total focus. He was indeed very late but so worth the wait. We were able to actually view all my films and mri while he walked us through each one. We even learned the name of the person who read my films and found the tiny, hard to find tumor. (Dr. E. R. I can never thank you enough). He carefully explained my situation (as did my surgeon) and covered the post surgery aspects and variables. Like my surgeon, he sent us home with many notes to read through. There is quite a learning curve with all of this but between my doctors and friends who have traveled this path I feel very blessed to have learned so much already and that it is all going as smoothly as it is.

So again I feel very comfortable with this doctor and very thankful to be working with him.

Unless there is a change in scheduling dates I won't update until the 27th.

Thank you all for the messages, calls and prayers.  It means more than you'll ever know.

xok

The Club No One Wants to Join.....

On February 7th I learned I have breast cancer. My radiologist opened with "I have some good news and some bad news...." The good news is that the tumor is small. Just 1.2 centimeters.

It was a relief to learn that I could expect only a lumpectomy, radiation and tamoxifen. While a relief, it was still a shock and it's taken a couple of days to absorb the information, make appointments with all my new doctors and figure an easy for everyone way to keep everyone in the loop. This blog should do it.

This morning we met with my surgeon and was blown away by by how amazing the entire office was, let alone the surgeon herself. We had a thorough explanation of my situation and how to proceed.

Monday we'll do a contrast MRI. Tuesday we meet my oncologist. Shortly after that we'll have a quick visit where I will get a radiation seed implanted which will help guide the surgeon to the lump.  I have been assured my left breast will not glow from said radiation.

I'll let you know for sure in my next post.