I had an appt with the oncologist today. It looks like the cancer is small enough to be treated with a lumpectomy, 5 days of radiation treatment, and if I need chemo it will be in pill form.
I have an appointment with the other oncologist tomorrow, and next Thu with my surgeon, so I assume the surgery will be the week after that, but I don’t know yet.
The radiation will be twice a day for five days, something called Brachial Radiation (I know I’m spelling that wrong.) It’s internal radiation as opposed to externally radiating the entire breast. I’m going to take that week off work…it’s just too much to get radiation, go to work, leave work early, drive and get more radiation…nah. I’ve got the vacation time.
The other good news is the tumor is postive for hormones. Since healthy breast tissue normally produces estrogen and progesterone, the fact that my tumor is producing these hormones means it’s just a bit…confused.
I feel so silly saying I have cancer. I feel fine, and it looks like the treatment and surgery will be fairly minor. So, caught early enough, this is just an inconvenience. Make sure you’ve had your mammograms, and for the men, make sure the women in your life have them!
It’s amazing to hear how much progress they’ve made in treating breast cancer in the last few years, though what’s even more amazing is how you’re sailing through this with such composure and aplomb. Go lefty (and ivylass), go!
I could handle everything except the mastectomy. That terrified me. But they don’t seem to do radical mastectomies anymore, and even doing them because of “pre-cancerous” regions seems to be a lot less frequent. They think they’re going to treat my “pre-cancerous” spot with chemo, which will be in a pill. That I take twice a day.
Jeez, this is nothing! Can you really say you have cancer when it has such a small impact on your life?
(Knock on wood, don’t whistle past the graveyard, I’m grateful they caught it early.)
Holy crap, I don’t know how I missed this news, but I’m glad to hear things are going to be okay. You’re one of my favorite posters and always dispense the best advice. My grandmother beat breast cancer about 20 years ago. Wishing you a speedy recovery like hers!
