It's been a long week (cancer update)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I saw the oncologists last week. One recommended a lumpectomy and five days of radiation treatment, the other one recommended a mastectomy, as well as a whole slew of tests.

I’ve started tracking dates and tests so I can keep everything straight. Last Friday was the CT scan. Tuesday was the PET scan. Wednesday was the Muga (a scan of the heart, to make sure it’s strong enough to withstand chemo.) While there, the technician said, “We’ll see you Friday for your bone scan.” I said no, that’s Thursday and showed her the paperwork. She said I shouldn’t have been scheduled for Thursday since they inject me with the same radioactive isotope for the Muga scan and the bone scan, and apparently you can’t do that two days in a row. So, what was supposed to be a full day off on Thursday changed to a half day, since Thursday was the consult with the doctor, who wanted targeted ultrasound on both breasts. He hasn’t made a decision yet on how to treat me.

So, I was hoping to get the targeted ultrasound in the three hour window between my bone scan injection and the actual bone scan today so I could make today a half day off at work instead of a full day, but there was a pregnant teenager from Labor & Delivery in the room with the “good” machine that the radiologist wanted to use, so I had to wait. Getting both breasts smeared with gel and then rubbed with the ultrasound wand for 45 minutes is not as fun as it seems…I was getting fidgety toward the end, especially since the radiologist, while very thorough, is apparently one of these elbow-the-technician-out-of-the-way-so-she-can-do-it-herself doctors. She was the one who interpreted my MRI scan for my surgeon, so she knows more about the ladies than I do.

Well, she saw something hinky on the right breast during the MRI, and wanted to find it with the ultrasound so she could compare. Then, she sent me to get more mammograms so she could compare those. So, after the first ultrasound, I had my bone scan, went over to get the mammograms, the doctor was at lunch, so I went to the gym and then grabbed a bite to eat and came back. By then, the doctor was back, so ANOTHER mammogram then more ultrasound. They did find what they were looking for, something hinky on the right breast. She’s not sure it’s anything, since apparently it didn’t “pop” out at her like the tumor on the left breast, but she wanted to find it so she could show it to my surgeon.

I never knew sitting around waiting rooms could be so exhausting. That, plus my shin is twinging every once in a while, so I’m freaking out about possible bone pain, and there’s something that may not supposed to be there in Righty, and it’s probably psychosomatic but I’ve been feeling a bit rundown, and Ivylad has had a bad week with his back…I’m a bit low right now. I meet with Mastectomy-Recommending Oncologist next Tue, then my surgeon next Wed, so I guess we’ll get the Final Decision then.

Sorry for the rambling…I just wanted to update anyone who was interested.

2

I’m interested.

So sorry all of this is happening, ivylass. I hope that whatever is hinky in Righty turns out to be nothing, and I wish you the best of luck in all of your treatments.

3

{{{{Ivylass}}}}

Aargh. What a rollercoaster ride.

Hang in there. Have a glass of wine, a warm bath, whatever does the job for the moment.

Hugs to Ivylad, too. I’m sure he feels extra-crappy because he’s feeling crappy and can’t do anything to help your crappy feelings.

4

Feeling a bit rundown might be stress and not really sleeping well and suchlike. I know it’s easy for me to say, but maybe you can think of it like that and it won’t be so worrisome. Let the kids take care of you if they can, and be kind to yourself. We’re here to listen and we’ll be sending good thoughts your way.

5

I’m sorry for all the confusion, ivylass. Hugs to you and yours. Keep us updated as things progress.

GT

6

I’m definitely interested! I’m pulling for you and praying for you. Please keep us posted and thanks for the update. Try to have a good weekend. :slight_smile:

7

Not much to say really, but I AM aware of you and you ARE in my thoughts.

8

Just in case it might make you feel better I will tell you my hinky-thing-in-breast-requiring-sonograms story.

When I was 17 I noticed several lumps in my breasts that didn’t feel normal so I told my mom and we scheduled an appointment with the doctor. They felt up my breasts for a bit in that circular motion that I am sure you are more than familiar with by now and said that they didn’t feel solid like tumors but that they wanted to do sonograms just in case. They sent me over to get my breasts sonogrammededed and my mom and I went down the hall where some guy who looked like he was about my age at the time proceeded to slather my tits in KY and rub the sonogram wand over them. Of course the KY was freezing so my nipples were rock hard and it was incredibly embarrassing. The good thing about the embarassment though was that it completely took my mind of the prospect of cancer. Rather than thinking that I might lose my breasts at 17 I was thinking about how having some guy rub me down with lube is not something I wanted my mother to witness. It turns out that I have cysts that are caused by caffiene intake (or irritated by caffiene or something like that) so I haven’t really had much in the way of coffee or soda since then.

I am hoping that your hinky thing is as simple as that and hoping that your embarrasssing lube & tit experience was not witnessed by your mom.

9

I am so sorry. The whole process of diagnosing sounds hellish enough, never mind the treatment (and/or the disease). Hang in there.

10

Thanks for the update. I’ve been wondering how you were doing. Take care, I’ll be thinking of you and mentioning you in my prayers.

11

Please try not to freak out too much about your shins. There are a million reasons for shins to twinge, nearly all of them perfectly harmless.

ivylass, I really like you, and even though I feel sure you’ll turn out fine, you’re definitely in my prayers.

Hang tough!

12

Well, shit, i must have missed the original announcement.

I’m very sorry to hear about your health troubles, ivylass. My aunt had a lumpectomy and a bout of chemo last year. She was really miserable, and the chemo made her sick and exhausted, but she’s recovering and everything seems to be fine now. I hope your journey is as successful as hers.

Take care, and best wishes.

13

Awwww… that sounds like a helluva rough time. {{{Ivylass}}}. I’m back in Orlando now so let me know if there’s anything I can do!

14

Just popped in to say I am paying attention and hoping you have a good outcome…please keep us posted, like everyone else I am sending good thoughts your way.

15

Indeed…ramble away. We really aren’t faceless bits and bytes out here. We care.

16

Sending happy thoughts and good wishes from the formerly frozen north.

17

Best Mojo to you & keep us posted! (((Ivylass)))

18

I guess I missed the original announcement, too, dangit. But me and Hoser, well, we’re sending you our very best – and frankly, we’re pretty good at it. So that should help, eh?

19

Good luck. My mom went through something of the same thing with her diagnosis – lots of back and forth, lots of worse before it gets better.

But she’s nearly ten years out from her diagnosis, and probably in the best shape of her life now. She had reconstructive surgery to get a new boob after they did a mastectomy (and, frankly, they did an amazing job – she looks incredible).

So hang in there; we’re all rooting for you.

20

Just popping in to say I’m keeping you in my thoughts. I know it’s discouraging going through all this. These fact-finding missions take a toll of their own on you just when you DON’T need it. Hang in there.