After the dust settles....

It's been a crazy couple weeks, which is why I've been slow blogging since the surgery. Jenny was quite right, although I was not looking forward to this surgery, it wasn't bad. Not too much pain, since I'd been worked on there before. I took the first week pretty easy and got very re-acquainted with my Lazy Boy chair. Last week was a very different story. Lots of doctor's appointments. Started off with the surgeon and a post-op visit. She had the pathology report to share. Good news, not so good news. There was another tumor behind the reconstruction, and so it really did need to come off, no second guessing there. Not so good news - they didn't get a clean margin at one point, meaning the cancer had progressed right up to where they cut. It was microscopic at that point, so the surgeon doesn't know when she's cutting to cut a little deeper, and she said if she had cut any deeper in that region shw would have had to cut into my pec muscle. She also got me set with my first "padded bra" so I can stop stuffing that side with a sock (only kidding about the sock!) Next day I go see the Radiation oncologist. While still optimistic, she was a bit more guarded than the surgeon - course she's the one expected to successful in the next phase, so I get that. She marks me up and says lets get on with radiation next week. Next up is the medical oncologist (aka chemo doctor, who I still see because I take a hormoe drug every 3 weeks). She was "very concerned" about the pathology report. That did not leaving me feeling very good, as she is normally the most optimistic of the team. She said a lot of things but what stuck with me is that even after radiation and the hormone drug, they won't know if they got everything - it will be a wait and see game for the rest of my life. After a "pick me up" lunch with my good friend Nancy, I got a phone call from the oncologist. Once she had a chance to study the 7 page pathology report in more detail, she was more optimistic that the chemo hit the one tumor the way it was supposed to, the other tumor is of a different type and not expected to respond to chemo, but the good news is the type of cancer that was right up to that boundary is one that SHOULD react to radiation and the hormone therapy they will start me on after radiation. That left me feeling a little more upbeat, but still bummed that they can't say they got it all, and I'm just hoping that "wait and see game" is one I play for a real long time.

So its on to the next phase - radiation starts tomorrow. 5 days a week, at least 5 weeks but the radiation doctor wants to give some extra shots to the margin area, if my skin isn't burned to a crisp by then. So I guess even with all the rain we're getting, I'm starting on my "sun tan" tomorrow!

I can't say thanks enough for all the meals - people have really been generous and we've been eating much better than usual (all those brownies and chocolate chip cookies are making it hard to keep loosing weight though!). I really appreciate the time away from work, as I'm still finding a need a nap every day, and as always, really appreciate everyone's prayers and good wishes - I'm sure that contributed to making this surgery better than what I dreaded!

Love to all,
Teri