“No Mamm to Gram” and other glorious news!

My title is a direct quote from my medical oncologist/breast surgeon yesterday at my first official post op appointment. It made me chuckle and that’s why I wanted to start this post on a funny note. I was going through my mental check list of everything I wanted to ask her and things I needed ask since my surgery on January 5th. I’ve heard from her but since but usually I was not in the right mind place to ask the questions I needed to ask yesterday. I was asking her the items I needed to follow up on now that the first surgery has taken place and I’m healing. It’s crazy to me that the one and only mammogram I will have in my life confirmed a cancerous tumor and saved my life…and another one is never needed. They now recommend that women at average risk of breast cancer start mammography at 45, that they undergo annual mammograms from 45-54, and continue to undergo mammography every other year after that. If I would have waited until age 45 – I could be dead. If you feel something, say something and get it checked out ASAP (more to come about this on a later post). 

Let’s go back to where I left off on the last post…

• The results from the Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy reported that there was NO cancer found in the lymph nodes. Even though we found out that result before my surgery on January 5thit was confirmed in the pathology report that a received yesterday.

• When I went to the plastic surgeon (who is over part 2 of this surgery journey) he informed me that I was going to have radiation after the initial surgery. I received different information from my surgical oncologist so I was taken aback by this information. I thought I was told that if I got the double mastectomy that there would probably be little/nothing to radiate. This was a big reason why I decided to go with such an invasive surgery. So, I was prepared after six months of radiation – I would also need to prepare my body for part 2 of the surgery. This would be to help reduce the risk from the surgery by reducing my BMI (more to come about that on a later post).

• Yesterday, I went for the first post-op appointment with my surgical oncologist and I found out that from the results of the pathology report that RADIATION IS NOT NEEDED. I REPEAT – NO RADIATION! When she told me this, I was truly elated and I felt so blessed. The one thing I did not want was radiation. I’ve heard stories and read about the side effects. The margins were negative, the lymph nodes were clear, the size of the tumor all indicate NO RADIATION. This wasn’t just one doctor’s decision – it went to conference and for my instance radiation is not dictated at this time.

What’s next…

• I’ll be returning to work next week – working from home (since I still can not drive). No worries, I’m one of the weird ones that enjoys working…the routine helps!

• Appointment with the plastic surgeon on Tuesday, January 24th to see if I can get the 2 JP drains removed. Here is a link about the drains https://www.verywell.com/surgical-drain-locations-after-a-mastectomy-430399. Once they are removed then I can ease back into driving since it’s been almost a month of no driving.

• On Tuesday, January 24th, I’ll also have my first follow-up appointment with my medical oncologist. She will probably go over the pathology report and tell me the next steps for treatment. There is a chance I may have to take chemo in a pill form but I do not know about the specific duration or dose. I know that God is in control and I’m thankful because the weekly visits to the infusion room at the Cancer Center should be behind me.

That’s all for now but I’m sure I’ll have an update sometime next week after my two appointments. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the positive thoughts, prayers, cards, flowers, food and etc. I love you all!

The countdown has started…

This morning I got up around 3:15 AM since I had to check into Margot Perot Day Surgery at 5:30 AM for a Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy. My last water was at 11:50 PM last night and my last food was around 7:30 PM last night. This is going to be a long day…the biopsy does not start until 1:30 PM. You’re probably wondering why I had come so early today. Before this procedure I had to go to nuclear medicine to get dye injected near the tumor to help my surgeon and pathology see possible cancer cells in the lymph nodes. Here is a link about this procedure. 

What’s next…

• We will stay in the hotel at Presbyterian Dallas the night before the surgery on Thursday. That will give me an extra hour or so of sleep since I’ll just go downstairs to report for surgery.

• Double-Mastectomy…what a big surgery. Praying for a swift recovery!

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/staging/sentinel-node-biopsy-fact-sheet