Unbelievable

I listened to a speaker once and his name was Boaz.  Boaz taught many things but his one phrase that keeps repeating through my head today is "unbelievable".  Boaz taught us you should answer when someone asks how you are, "unbelievable."   How was my day? "Well, unbelievable."

It started with my doctor saying, "in the 1000's of cases I have done I have never seen this" and "your case is very interesting".  I have decided you never want to be interesting to your doctor.

One, they found cancer in my left breast.  Not a lot; 3 mm of cancer in the skin under my left nipple.  Some of you, who have been paying attention will know that they were concerned that I might have cancer under the nipple in my right breast (where they wanted to do another biopsy).  I did not have cancer under that nipple.  I had invasive ductal cancer and lobular cancer in situ under my left nipple. 

It was not found on the MRI, not found on the mammography, and not found on ultrasound.  Go figure.  Very unusual to have prophylactic surgery on an innocent breast and find cancer.  The good news is that I have had it all removed by having the bilateral mastectomy and saved myself from a potential future bout with breast cancer in my other breast.  It is a joy to think I will NEVER look back and think, gee should I have gone with a lumpectomy?  I made the right decision to have the bilateral mastectomy.  Unbelievable.


The second thing we found today is that upon further review (meaning freezing, slicing, dicing and staining) one of my lymph nodes of the 5 that they removed from my right side was cancerous.  Because it was very small it is called a micrometastatic node.  Any node involvement changes the game in cancer (even if it is .5 mm.) So although Ken was told after surgery that I was lymph node negative I am not.  I am lymph node positive.  Unbelievable.


I have Stage 2 Breast Cancer and will need Chemotherapy.  If they need to remove more lymph nodes that will happen first, then I will have chemotherapy at least 4 times.  Once every three weeks for 12 weeks.  We had hoped that today I would get news that I might not need chemotherapy but that there was one more test they wanted to run.  But we got different news.  My fight will take longer. 

Unbelievable. See how well that fits? 

For now, I am going to rest up, enjoy the glorious freedom since they took my drains out today.  I'll spend the holidays here at home and renew my spirit.  I'll let you know what is happening as soon as the reality steps in and things become more believable.