A Rambling Update On My Health

I’m gonna start with some good news…not that I have any bad:) Yay!

We got the results back for the BRCA 1 gene test, and I tested NEGATIVE!!  I was so very excited about that!  BRCA 1 is a test for a gene mutation that runs in families that significantly increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.  I was very worried for my 3 girls and my mom/sisters if this test would have been positive.   What an answer to prayer!

It was great to see my doctor today.  She was very pleased with how the tumor area felt.  She is thinking the remainder of what we feel may be scar tissue, not tumor!!!!    She cannot say this for sure, but she seemed pretty positive.  Super exciting!

The lymph node area that has been concerning me was felt by her.  She was only able to feel one and some swelling.  I’ll try to explain what she said…

She said on one hand, she is concerned because that one lymph node has not changed.  IF it contains cancer, that is not good…we want to see change.  BUT, she said that the MRI showed the lymph node as being swollen, but no “activity” yet, so it could be that it is not cancer and just a lymph node that I have had awhile that for some reason has been swollen.  Also, because I have felt different changes, (lymph nodes seeming to swell then go down within a few days,) that would be another sign that it is not cancer. She said that cancer would tend to stay consistent, grow, or significantly shrink from chemo…not come and go.  I asked her if it is very common for people to just have swollen nodes under their arms that just hang out for awhile, and she said it is very common.  Cool.  I’ll take it.

So there really is no real answer until surgery is done and nodes are removed and studied. I am gonna try to quit worrying about it.  I had no idea how easy it is for me to worry until all this cancer crap!

Because of the lymph nodes being a bit moody and her ability to feel what I have in my other breast (small, pebbly area), she wants to do another breast MRI before surgery.  It will just ease both our minds and let us know if it is FOR SURE surgery time without any more chemo.  She seemed very positive about everything and reassured me, and said to not let this MRI worry me.  I’ll try to obey.  MRI is around the 10th.  She also ordered a pet scan, just to revisit the rib area where there was some question.  She said our type of health insurance is known for being very stubborn and not approving of pet scans, so she was not very positive that they would approve it, but wanted to try anyway.  If they say no, we will do another bone scan and compare the results to the one before.  I’m already dreading the scans..I don’t like scans.  At all.  Ick.

Hmm, what else…

Surgery target date is the week after Christmas–double mastectomy with lymph node dissection–we won’t have a specific date until I meet with the surgeon, nurse is mailing me the consultation date…

Last chemo is this coming Monday–THAT IS SO EXCITING!!  I feel so blessed that there won’t be any more sessions added on (at least we are pretty sure, MRI/PET scan will tell us for sure) Praise God for tumor shrinkage!!

Doc said she will not know about radiation until after surgery.  It all depends on things like margins, how many lymph nodes (if any) etc.
Radiation scares me (not actually getting it done, but long term effects).  I hope that it will be clear that it is NOT needed!

I will be meeting with a plastic surgeon to talk about type of reconstruction.  There are a few different options, but being as thin as I am, I don’t know if I would qualify for using my own tissue (they take it from stomach or back flank area).  It is looking like implants may be for me!  I DID gain about 4 pound these last 3 weeks, which made me quite proud:)  I have been paranoid about getting too thin through all of this chemo stuff.  My church has done a great job of keeping me fed with regular meals.  So thankful.

Oh my goodness I feel like I’m just jumping from one thing to the next, I hope this is making some sense!  I’m hungry and ready for dinner so I’m rushing!!

I guess that is it for now.  If you have any questions you can ask me in the guestbook section.  I think I covered everything we talked about…I think.  

I’ll end with a prayer request.I have a cold that kickin’ me! It makes me really tired!  It is throat, nose and chest.  No fever—yay—but I really would like to be well by Monday chemo.  I do feel like it is movin’ through pretty fast, this is day 3 and I feel better than I did last night.  My girl had it last week, guess I shouldn’t have kissed on her so much…