I’m thinking of you too, ivylass, and sending primo mojo your way. Hang in there, and never hesitate to post about your illness here on The Dope. You are part of our community and your welfare is definitely our concern.
Another hug. {{{ivylass}}}
Because you can never have too many of them.
My mailing address is a post office box. I can send it to anyone who wants it via e-mail or PM.
I meet with the two oncologists today and the surgeon tomorrow. Hopefully by then we’ll know what the game plan is.
I’m quite humbled by all the support and kind words. Please know I treasure them all.
You’ll be in my thoughts today, ivylass.
I met with the radiation doctor today (still recommending a mastectomy) and talked to him about genetic testing for Ivygirl’s sake. While there, we got a call from my surgeon’s office, asking that I call right away. Both doctors are in the same complex, so Ivylad and I just walked over.
We got there, and the lady said, “Dr. J wants to schedule you for a lumpectomy next week.” Now, I’m not seeing Dr. J until tomorrow, but he wants to block out the time next week for the procedure. I guess he doesn’t see what the radiation doctor sees. And I guess it means I’m getting a lumpectomy.
Then, we saw the chemo doctor. He’s on vacation, so we met with another doctor, so we got sort of a second opinion. He also doesn’t think a mastectomy is necessary, but I will not be a candidate for the 5-day partial breast radiation treatment…I’m too young. All my body scans came back fine…apparently, I have the heart of a racehorse.
So, I guess I will get official notice tomorrow that I will have a lumpectomy and a sentinel lymph node biopsy next Thu. This is an out-patient procedure, so I will stay home Friday to recover. Then, depending on what the lymph node says, I may have chemo or hormone therapy, but I will definitely have radiation therapy. I meet with both oncologists on June 24, after the procedure.
Woohoo! (Wait, am I allowed to “woohoo” in a cancer thread? Eh, fuckit.) Three cheers for Lefty and the good news! Does this mean we’ll be building a slightly smaller boat for the lump’s Viking funeral? 
Thank you for keeping us up to date; I am glad to hear that you are getting positive news on most fronts at this point.
hurray for lefty! i hope all goes well and smoothly.
My grandmother had a mastectomy at the age of 91, followed by five years of a medication whose name I don’t remember. She’s still going strong, at the age of 103!
I still think you should have a party!
Damn, Baker…I think your grandmother will live forever!
Good luck on the booby squishing today, and may everything be free and clear.
I’m resisting the urge to refer to you as lumpy. 
Happy to hear that it’s not the whole deal. Good luck with everything. I’ll be thinking of you.
Yay Ivylass That’s good news indeed. (I think doctors sometimes tell you the worse thing that can happen, so when it’s not as bad as you thought, you feel so good.)
Great News Ivylass!
As always, let us know if there’s anything we can do.
Well, this is more complicated than I thought. I thought you go in there, pop out the tumor, give yourself a few weeks to heal, then it’s off to radiation/chemo/hormone therapy.
Not quite. I have to go in the day before so they can inject me for the sentinel node biopsy. The surgeon plans to remove the tumor, the pre-cancerous lesion, the sentinel lymph node, and do a biopsy in the hinky area on Righty.
Then, we wait a week for the results. Basically, he takes out the tumor and an area of healthy tissue around it to make sure he’s gotten it all. That’s sent off to the lab to make sure there are no cancer cells in the “healthy” region, ie, the margin. If there is, then I face more surgery, and you have to admit, there’s only so many times you can take a melon baller to the ladies before it becomes cosmetically inappropriate.
I’m somewhat aggravated. I haven’t been sick since my appendix burst when Ivyboy was a baby, and even then, they just stuck a syringe in my abdomen and sucked out the pus (my appendix had burst and then sealed itself off.) I was thinking I could have the surgery on Thursday (June 12), recover over the weekend, and go back to work on Monday. Nope…he shook his head at my silliness and said I should stay home until I see him again, the following Thursday.
Isn’t it time for Star Trek-type medical equipment? Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful at how much things have progressed in the past several years, but it still seems a lot of this is “cross your fingers and hope for the best.”
Grrrr…
ivylass, I had the mammogram today! I don’t know what the fuss is about, there was no real discomfort at all. The official results get sent in a letter, but the gal who performed the procedure said that at first glance everything looks okay.
Sorry to hear of your aggravation. Call or email if you need to, I’ll send you my number if you want it.
ivylass, I’m sorry to hear that you’re facing more recovery time and more uncertainty than you had hoped to face.
Hang in there!
I certainly hope they get it all.
I’m sending good vibes and positive karma and all that other hokey stuff your way, girl!
I don’t know how I didn’t see this thread until today. . .
Anyway, best wishes, prayers, good vibes, and all kinds of the best stuff I can muster are headed your way!
Having had a lumpectomy of a benign cyst, I can tell you that it’s more involved than that. My breast was badly bruised after the surgery…of course it could have been the surgeon having his entire forearm inside my breast…at least it felt like that.
Good luck, we’ll be rootin’ for you!