Not expecting any tricks, but I am looking forward to at least one treat today. I'm meeting my friend for gelato this afternoon. All good wishes as she begins her radiation treatments today.
I slept last night, thankfully. Today's a new day. I'm OK. All of the changes that have occurred in the past three weeks are overwhelming and my head is spinning but I will get through this.
I am grateful for YOUR support! Thank you for traveling this journey with me. Your encouragement, your steadfastness, your kindness....all mean the world to me.
[Several followers have commented about having difficulty reading the posts with all the pinks that I am using. This morning, I tried and failed multiple times to change the background of the post area and also the background of the blog itself. The blogger indicated acceptance, but when I viewed the blog, it didn't change. If it continues to be an issue, please send an email and I will be happy to send you the posts in black and white.]
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Retraction
Today was supposed to be a great day filled with fun activities....I stopped by YAA to see how my friend, Phyllis, was feeling. At 9:30, I met a friend for breakfast.....we talked and talked and talked. From there, I went to OLLI to share my love of Mah Jongg. On my way home to pick up Lily for her 3:30 grooming appointment, I checked my phone for messages. I noticed one from Leader Surgical (I have that number memorized!) but I came upon a string of green lights. Please, I need a red light! Finally, I was almost home, and hit a red light at the intersection of Richland and Country Club and listened to my voicemail. "Charlene...this is Dr. Mudge. Please call me when you get this message."
Well....it's been nearly a week since my lymph node surgery. I knew she wasn't calling to chat. I am scheduled to see her tomorrow and if the appointment needed to be changed, certainly the doctor would not be calling. This had to be about my lymph nodes. OMG.
I called and within seconds, Dr. Mudge was on the phone. "How are you?" she asked. I told her that I would reserve that response until after she told me why she was calling. I knew.
"The lymph nodes showed a few micrometastatic cells." She was very disappointed, and that, my friends is an understatement. On the day of my lymph node surgery, she told me she would eat her shoe leather if something showed up, that's how confident she was that my nodes were clear. I got the "all clear" on the preliminary testing, as reported in "Clear". But, what I failed to mention on that post was that the nodes would be sent out for additional pathology.
Dr. Mudge called Dr. Fortier, my radiation oncologist, before calling me. I wish I could have heard that conversation!!!
I reminded Dr. Mudge that she was wearing her navy blue loafers that day and that I hoped they taste good and told her that I would see her tomorrow.
Bob was golfing with his friend, Shel, so I knew I couldn't reach him. My first call was to my friend that is walking this journey with me. She was shocked. My second call was to my friend, Christy. I knew she would deliver the words that I needed to hear to "center myself". Thank you, thank you, Christy!
On my way home from Lily's appointment, I finally reached Bob. I asked if he was seated. He was. Told him what I knew. Then I called Anne. Her question: "why did they give you results in the OR if those results could change with further pathology?" Good question.
Bottom line....Dr. Mudge is ordering the Oncotype DX test. From the Oncotype DX website: http://www.oncotypedx.com/enUS/Breast/HealthcareProfessionalsInvasive/Overview/Overview
"Because not all women benefit from chemotherapy equally, the Oncotype DX assay is a 21-gene assay that provides an individualized prediction of chemotherapy benefit and 10-year distant recurrence to inform adjuvant treatment decisions in certain women with early-stage invasive breast cancer1,2. The Oncotype DX Recurrence Score® result cannot be predicted by traditional clinicopathologic variables1, and provides critical information that changes treatment decisions approximately 37% of the time3.
The results should be available in about a week. So, buckle up. This ride gets bumpier by the week. Will I have to have chemotherapy? Maybe. Maybe not. What I do know is that Dr. Mudge and Dr. Fortier discussed my case and have determined that I do not need additional surgery and my radiation treatment will be as recommended.
Bob and I went out for a relaxing dinner this evening. I'm OK. I need to be OK. I will do what is needed to be OK for the long haul. Stay tuned.
For those of you wishing to comment.....please simply click on the word comments at the bottom of this post. A box will appear for you to enter your comments. Thanks!
Well....it's been nearly a week since my lymph node surgery. I knew she wasn't calling to chat. I am scheduled to see her tomorrow and if the appointment needed to be changed, certainly the doctor would not be calling. This had to be about my lymph nodes. OMG.
I called and within seconds, Dr. Mudge was on the phone. "How are you?" she asked. I told her that I would reserve that response until after she told me why she was calling. I knew.
"The lymph nodes showed a few micrometastatic cells." She was very disappointed, and that, my friends is an understatement. On the day of my lymph node surgery, she told me she would eat her shoe leather if something showed up, that's how confident she was that my nodes were clear. I got the "all clear" on the preliminary testing, as reported in "Clear". But, what I failed to mention on that post was that the nodes would be sent out for additional pathology.
Dr. Mudge called Dr. Fortier, my radiation oncologist, before calling me. I wish I could have heard that conversation!!!
I reminded Dr. Mudge that she was wearing her navy blue loafers that day and that I hoped they taste good and told her that I would see her tomorrow.
Bob was golfing with his friend, Shel, so I knew I couldn't reach him. My first call was to my friend that is walking this journey with me. She was shocked. My second call was to my friend, Christy. I knew she would deliver the words that I needed to hear to "center myself". Thank you, thank you, Christy!
On my way home from Lily's appointment, I finally reached Bob. I asked if he was seated. He was. Told him what I knew. Then I called Anne. Her question: "why did they give you results in the OR if those results could change with further pathology?" Good question.
Bottom line....Dr. Mudge is ordering the Oncotype DX test. From the Oncotype DX website: http://www.oncotypedx.com/enUS/Breast/HealthcareProfessionalsInvasive/Overview/Overview
"Because not all women benefit from chemotherapy equally, the Oncotype DX assay is a 21-gene assay that provides an individualized prediction of chemotherapy benefit and 10-year distant recurrence to inform adjuvant treatment decisions in certain women with early-stage invasive breast cancer1,2. The Oncotype DX Recurrence Score® result cannot be predicted by traditional clinicopathologic variables1, and provides critical information that changes treatment decisions approximately 37% of the time3.
The results should be available in about a week. So, buckle up. This ride gets bumpier by the week. Will I have to have chemotherapy? Maybe. Maybe not. What I do know is that Dr. Mudge and Dr. Fortier discussed my case and have determined that I do not need additional surgery and my radiation treatment will be as recommended.
Bob and I went out for a relaxing dinner this evening. I'm OK. I need to be OK. I will do what is needed to be OK for the long haul. Stay tuned.
For those of you wishing to comment.....please simply click on the word comments at the bottom of this post. A box will appear for you to enter your comments. Thanks!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Clear
Today was the surgery to remove the sentinel lymph nodes under my right arm. Admittedly, I was nervous, but, I tried not to allow my thoughts to wonder too far. Dr. Mudge was extremely confident from the beginning and while that was a comfort, it did not allay all of my fears. Remember, the spot of invasive lobular carcinoma was a surprise in my pathology. The unexpected can happen. Everything went well....experienced some discomfort during injection of the radioactive fluid and when the sedation hit my IV, but fortunately neither were long-lasting. I awoke in the OR and within a short amount of time, heard the call that the nodes were clear, bringing a feeling of relief and a few tears!
My sincere thanks to the staff at Leader Surgical Center -- an amazing group of capable and compassionate individuals. Most were on my case three weeks ago, and it was comforting to be in their care again.
After eating an early dinner, in response to feeling physically and emotionally drained, I napped for several hours. Soon after I arose, I saw lights in the driveway. Anne was home!! Love, love, love having her in my midst. Thanks to Beth for picking her up at the Amtrak station!
Thanks for stopping by Pink Ink. I am grateful for your support. It is from that support that I derive added strength to walk this journey. Several of my followers are cancer survivors and several others are living with serious chronic health conditions. You are truly inspirational to me and I draw courage from you to meet this challenge head-on. Thank you!!
Thanks to my many family members for all your loving support. Thanks, too, to my friend that I walk hand-in-hand down this road. You are a blessing!
Our family is deeply saddened by the unexpected passing on Tuesday of my niece, Pam. The cause of her death remains unknown. Pam was my sister's eldest child and was four years younger than me. In addition to her parents, she leaves a sister, a brother, their families, her husband Mike, and children Amanda, Emlyn, Bryce and Katie, as well as Amanda's four children. Please keep the family in your prayers.
My sincere thanks to the staff at Leader Surgical Center -- an amazing group of capable and compassionate individuals. Most were on my case three weeks ago, and it was comforting to be in their care again.
After eating an early dinner, in response to feeling physically and emotionally drained, I napped for several hours. Soon after I arose, I saw lights in the driveway. Anne was home!! Love, love, love having her in my midst. Thanks to Beth for picking her up at the Amtrak station!
Thanks for stopping by Pink Ink. I am grateful for your support. It is from that support that I derive added strength to walk this journey. Several of my followers are cancer survivors and several others are living with serious chronic health conditions. You are truly inspirational to me and I draw courage from you to meet this challenge head-on. Thank you!!
Thanks to my many family members for all your loving support. Thanks, too, to my friend that I walk hand-in-hand down this road. You are a blessing!
Our family is deeply saddened by the unexpected passing on Tuesday of my niece, Pam. The cause of her death remains unknown. Pam was my sister's eldest child and was four years younger than me. In addition to her parents, she leaves a sister, a brother, their families, her husband Mike, and children Amanda, Emlyn, Bryce and Katie, as well as Amanda's four children. Please keep the family in your prayers.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Rabbit Ears
Thank you! I am grateful for the overwhelming response to Pink Ink. Last week was a lesson on how quickly the picture can change and the blog affords me the ability to update my family and friends a little more efficiently. Your outpouring of care and concern and positive energy means the world to me. I derive great comfort from your comments and I hope you will take the opportunity to comment directly on the blog!
Why Rabbit Ears for my title today? Many of you will understand. But, for those too young, televisions once had antennae that we called rabbit ears. They were used to improve the reception and make the picture clearer on the TV set. It was long before cable, remote controls, satellite TV, digital and HDTV but sometime after dinosaurs roamed the earth.
As I wrote in Fast Forward, complications arose following the additional diagnosis of invasive lobular cancer in my surgery pathology. All of a sudden, that which seemed fairly clear to me, became very fuzzy....MRI to rule out additional cancer, sentinel lymph node surgery to rule out spread of cancer, the radiation regimen that I elected (brachytherapy) hanging in limbo, and the possibility of additional surgery for better margins.
Happy to report that the picture is becoming clearer!
The lymph node surgery is next Thursday. Following the pathology on that, which I should know by the time I leave to come home, the picture will be clearer.
I had an opportunity to spend time with several lovely friends over coffee this week. Played my weekly game of Mah Jongg. Also spent a few hours with Logan, our second youngest grandson, on Tuesday. What a delight he is! Saturday morning, I am having breakfast with a friend who is visiting after moving away from York and is on her own breast cancer journey. That visit will be followed by attendance at the Inauguration of Dr. Pamela Gunther Smith as the 4th President of York College. Tomorrow afternoon, Mitchell and his family are planning to visit. Next Thursday night, Anne arrives for the long weekend. What better comfort can a mom and grandma ask for???
I know that my emotions and moods are erratic. A friend, gratefully celebrating her first anniversary being cancer-free, assured me that the ups and downs are normal and I should be easy with myself. [My apologies to those that have witnessed my wrath, my impatience, my crying.....] What a roller coaster!
So, as the announcer once said on TV....stay tuned! Enjoy the weekend!
I wanted to show you my bracelet made by my friend, Sheila Bardol. I commissioned her to create them for my daughters and daughters-in-law, our eldest granddaughter and my dear friend with whom I travel this journey. Sheila added the guardian angel to my bracelet. The bracelets are intended to unify these women with me, as I traverse my journey, as well as show them there is HOPE. Sheila's company is J2Originals. Thanks, Sheila!
.JPG)
PS For those of you that are curious, the brachytherapy would have involved insertion of a device into my breast. After insertion, it would be opened and would resemble a kitchen whisk. There would be catheters on the outside of my body which would receive radioactive seeds that would travel into the device and deliver the radiation. It would have involved twice a day treatments for five days. From insertion to removal of the device, it would likely have been only about 10 days. Very high tech, but expensive. I'm disappointed!
Why Rabbit Ears for my title today? Many of you will understand. But, for those too young, televisions once had antennae that we called rabbit ears. They were used to improve the reception and make the picture clearer on the TV set. It was long before cable, remote controls, satellite TV, digital and HDTV but sometime after dinosaurs roamed the earth.
As I wrote in Fast Forward, complications arose following the additional diagnosis of invasive lobular cancer in my surgery pathology. All of a sudden, that which seemed fairly clear to me, became very fuzzy....MRI to rule out additional cancer, sentinel lymph node surgery to rule out spread of cancer, the radiation regimen that I elected (brachytherapy) hanging in limbo, and the possibility of additional surgery for better margins.
Happy to report that the picture is becoming clearer!
- The MRI that I had on Tuesday evening was negative for additional cancer. YAY!
- The precertification for coverage of the brachytherapy was denied by my insurance company, based upon the second diagnosis. :'(
- There is no need to reopen the original surgery site.
The lymph node surgery is next Thursday. Following the pathology on that, which I should know by the time I leave to come home, the picture will be clearer.
I had an opportunity to spend time with several lovely friends over coffee this week. Played my weekly game of Mah Jongg. Also spent a few hours with Logan, our second youngest grandson, on Tuesday. What a delight he is! Saturday morning, I am having breakfast with a friend who is visiting after moving away from York and is on her own breast cancer journey. That visit will be followed by attendance at the Inauguration of Dr. Pamela Gunther Smith as the 4th President of York College. Tomorrow afternoon, Mitchell and his family are planning to visit. Next Thursday night, Anne arrives for the long weekend. What better comfort can a mom and grandma ask for???
I know that my emotions and moods are erratic. A friend, gratefully celebrating her first anniversary being cancer-free, assured me that the ups and downs are normal and I should be easy with myself. [My apologies to those that have witnessed my wrath, my impatience, my crying.....] What a roller coaster!
So, as the announcer once said on TV....stay tuned! Enjoy the weekend!
I wanted to show you my bracelet made by my friend, Sheila Bardol. I commissioned her to create them for my daughters and daughters-in-law, our eldest granddaughter and my dear friend with whom I travel this journey. Sheila added the guardian angel to my bracelet. The bracelets are intended to unify these women with me, as I traverse my journey, as well as show them there is HOPE. Sheila's company is J2Originals. Thanks, Sheila!
.JPG)
PS For those of you that are curious, the brachytherapy would have involved insertion of a device into my breast. After insertion, it would be opened and would resemble a kitchen whisk. There would be catheters on the outside of my body which would receive radioactive seeds that would travel into the device and deliver the radiation. It would have involved twice a day treatments for five days. From insertion to removal of the device, it would likely have been only about 10 days. Very high tech, but expensive. I'm disappointed!
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Fast Forward
Bob and I spent two weeks in Myrtle Beach driving back to York on September 24th. My mind was preoccupied with the cancer diagnosis but the weather was great, we had good food, and I had an opportunity to spend time with several family members/friends, which was delightful. We met my sister-in-law, Pam and her husband, Keith, in Georgetown (SC) for lunch one day. It is always wonderful to catch up with them! [Pam is my late husband's younger sister who lives near Charleston] Of course, I enjoyed a bit of retail therapy, too!
Once home, my schedule was packed with appointments, meetings, a massage and time with friends. I was afforded time to mentally prepare for the surgery. A little known fact is that I am traveling this road with a friend. We were diagnosed at almost the same time. We ran into each other just before I left for my trip and discovered that our surgery was scheduled for the same day with the same doctor. She and I talked for hours on the phone, met for gelato and spent the afternoon before surgery at Brown's. The camaraderie and the support that we were able to provide each other is priceless. A bit surreal-- and a true blessing!
On September 30, Dr. KimberLee Mudge performed a lumpectomy/partial mastectomy and I was home resting late that afternoon. Except for some lingering tenderness, the healing is progressing well.
This past Monday, Bob and I met with Dr. Mudge for the Post-Op follow up. She was pleased with the surgery site. While going over my pathology report, she was quick to point out that the ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) likely saved my life. A small (2 mm) spot of invasive lobular carcinoma was found in my tissue. The doctor explained that it likely would not have appeared on a mammogram for several years and the situation would be very different. It's surreal being grateful for cancer, but I am grateful for the DCIS. As an aside, the DCIS shows up as little white specks (micro calcifications) on the mammogram. As a result of the invasive diagnosis, I am scheduled for a breast MRI on the 15th and additional surgery to remove the sentinel lymph nodes on the 24th. Please pray that both tests are negative.
On Thursday, Bob and I met with Dr. Fortier, a radiation oncologist for my initial consultation to discuss radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is used to destroy any cancer cells remaining in my breast and is used to lessen the likelihood of recurrence of the cancer. I am likely a candidate for two options: brachytherapy or external beam radiation. For now, allow me to just say that the brachytherapy is more intense but a shorter duration than the external beam. I'll explain more when the determination is made which method we move forward with.
Thursday afternoon and most of Friday, we had rain that came down in bucketsful. The lake behind our home overflowed its banks encroaching about half way up the side of the tee box that we overlook. In addition, it flooded the boulevard, which is the main artery into our development. All told, I believe we had about 10" of rain. Today we had intermittent sunshine.
Tomorrow we're heading to Baltimore to watch the Ravens take on the visiting Green Bay Packers. I was a Packers' fan for many years and have been a Ravens' fan for the past 10 years. Go Ravens!!
Once home, my schedule was packed with appointments, meetings, a massage and time with friends. I was afforded time to mentally prepare for the surgery. A little known fact is that I am traveling this road with a friend. We were diagnosed at almost the same time. We ran into each other just before I left for my trip and discovered that our surgery was scheduled for the same day with the same doctor. She and I talked for hours on the phone, met for gelato and spent the afternoon before surgery at Brown's. The camaraderie and the support that we were able to provide each other is priceless. A bit surreal-- and a true blessing!
On September 30, Dr. KimberLee Mudge performed a lumpectomy/partial mastectomy and I was home resting late that afternoon. Except for some lingering tenderness, the healing is progressing well.
This past Monday, Bob and I met with Dr. Mudge for the Post-Op follow up. She was pleased with the surgery site. While going over my pathology report, she was quick to point out that the ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) likely saved my life. A small (2 mm) spot of invasive lobular carcinoma was found in my tissue. The doctor explained that it likely would not have appeared on a mammogram for several years and the situation would be very different. It's surreal being grateful for cancer, but I am grateful for the DCIS. As an aside, the DCIS shows up as little white specks (micro calcifications) on the mammogram. As a result of the invasive diagnosis, I am scheduled for a breast MRI on the 15th and additional surgery to remove the sentinel lymph nodes on the 24th. Please pray that both tests are negative.
On Thursday, Bob and I met with Dr. Fortier, a radiation oncologist for my initial consultation to discuss radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is used to destroy any cancer cells remaining in my breast and is used to lessen the likelihood of recurrence of the cancer. I am likely a candidate for two options: brachytherapy or external beam radiation. For now, allow me to just say that the brachytherapy is more intense but a shorter duration than the external beam. I'll explain more when the determination is made which method we move forward with.
Thursday afternoon and most of Friday, we had rain that came down in bucketsful. The lake behind our home overflowed its banks encroaching about half way up the side of the tee box that we overlook. In addition, it flooded the boulevard, which is the main artery into our development. All told, I believe we had about 10" of rain. Today we had intermittent sunshine.
Tomorrow we're heading to Baltimore to watch the Ravens take on the visiting Green Bay Packers. I was a Packers' fan for many years and have been a Ravens' fan for the past 10 years. Go Ravens!!
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