Latest Update

Here's my latest update. I went to see my surgeon today, and yippee, he took out the drains! I really didn't think he would do so since they were draining more than they had been over the past few days. But they really weren't draining too much, and I never got the amounts that they thought I might get. So that was great news. And I can finally take a shower again without worrying about pulling them out or getting them infected. We went over the pathology results, and they got all of the cancer from my breast, so I won't lose it. Another plus! They took out 7 lymph nodes, and 2 of them were cancerous. So that makes 1/3 of my lymph nodes that have cancer in them (they took 2 out with the first surgery, and one was cancerous). So my oncologist will get those reports and will decide on the type of chemo treatments I'll need.

We talked about the fact that I am HER+, which means that there is a greater chance that the cancer can come back. But, and this is important, there is a treatment that I will do that will make the chances of the cancer coming back less. So he said not to worry about that. Since I'll be on that treatment for a year, there is a greater chance that the cancer won'tt come back.

I have an outpatient surgery scheduled for Monday, where my surgeon will put in the port, getting me ready for cancer. Then on next Friday I get the MRI done (I'm not worried about that). I then meet with my oncologist on the 25th to determine my chemo treatment.

So within the next few weeks I have to go shopping for a wig. And I'll probably try and find some scarves that I can wear as well. I need to check into a support group and start going to that as well. So I'm trying to stay as positive as I can because I know I can beat this stupid thing that is totally interfering with my football schedule (which I hate). But there is always next year. I am still trying to deal with losing all of my hair (not just on my head, but also my eyebrows and eyelashes), and that will be difficult. At least I can pencil in eyebrows! And I'm organizing the Lee Denim day at work, and my company will match what we raise! I'm also going to crochet some caps for kids with cancer - they need them more than I do.

I'm glad that I'm finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully it won't be as hard of a trek there.