Which Super Power Will I Get?
I had my early morning meeting with the plastic surgeon that went pretty much how I expected, but not now I had secretly hoped for. I knew that radiation could throw a wrench in the easier breast reconstruction. In order to be able to keep my body from rejecting the implant and running into further complications with the stitches I have to have a more intensive surgery. Radiation does too much damage to the tissue – so they have...
Surgery is Back On!
I adored the oncologist team up at Huntsman Cancer Institute. They really finally sat us down, and gave us real answers with real options. I have all of my lab and pathology reports in my binder now. The team met about me this morning, the team consists of my oncologist, surgeon and other experts in breast cancer treatment. They determined my treatment options. They laid out two breast cancer treatment options (two kitchen sinks):...
The Road Changed Directions
It appears that I have been assigned to the high risk breast cancer team at Huntsman – the Oncologist I was assigned to, Saundra S. Buys, is the Director of the High Risk Cancer Clinic. This has left all sorts of questions floating around in my brain. I tried calling the nurses this morning. They hadn’t responded to my email request for the hormone receptors on my cancer cells. I left them a message. This led to the...
There is One Size That Doesn’t Fit Mandi
It is strange to be excited about an appointment at Huntsman! Even though I get super jittery a couple of hours (or for the day before, depending on the appointment). Appointments mean information and information means progress.What I need right now is feeling like we are making the baby steps to recovery. Progress and information have been a blessing and a curse. Knowing is so much better than spending many hours...
Poked and Prodded
Sorry for the delay, I am pretty drained after 6 hours at Huntsman Cancer Institute. Needing to be there at 10:30 I figured I would be out in time to eat a late lunch which turned out not to be the case. Luckily there are kind volunteers with juice and snacks that go around. They seem to know you are in for a long day, we just didn’t quite know that. From today, this is what I know: At this time I have a double mastectomy...
Bad Cancer Cells, Naughty Cells
I got the phone call from my doctor today with the biopsy results. I have “grade 2 infiltrating ductal carcinoma with high grade in si tu.” Essentially I have naughty cancer cells, that are attacking their neighbors, but not the worst of the lot. The video I received from Huntsman essentially told me with these results that I am guaranteed to have chemotherapy, and radiation is yet to be determined based on the surgery I...