Hello

Hello everyone. Today is May 30th and we are a month into our fight with the Big C. Today we have the checkup with the surgeon for the first time. Her mastectomy and lymph node removal was last Tuesday. The pathology came back TOTALLY CLEAR so that was fantastic news. Thanks everyone for your prayers and positive thoughts...I'm sure that has sent those cancer cells running.

Just to give you a chrono line of what has happened so far:

April 15th, Sunday....with Alison who had found a breast lump and urged Tess to check. She did and found a lump.

April 20th, Friday....her doctor who sent her for a diagnostic mammogram.

April 24th, Tuesday...Diagnostic mammogram where they scheduled her for a sonogram.

April 26th, Thursday...Breast Sonogram where they were very solicitious and she burst into tears but still was unaware.

May 2, Wednesday...Meeting with surgeon at Cleveland Clinic to try to aspirate the "cyst." Only able to get a few cells but those were benign. Nonetheless, the surgeon felt it was important to "get that thing out of you as soon as possible." A good thing too. We have read many stories of false negatives that grew to be very invasive cancers. But we were still blissful at this stage.

May 7th, Monday...Biopsy. Surgeon still felt it was benign.

May 8th, Tuesday...CC called with the results. Big turn of events. Invasive Intraductal Carcinoma. Not one of your easier cancers to deal with.

May 14th, Monday...Meeting with the surgeon. Very sweet but not encouraging. Dealing with an aggressive cancer that would require extensive treatment. Tumor was 3.5 centimeters with unclear margins. Subtle recommendation for full mastectomy with lumph node incisement. Suggested with meet with oncologist before surgery.

May 17th, Thursday...Meeting with the oncologist. Black Day.
Black. He prepared us for spread of the cancer because of it's type and the fact that it had reached both the lymph system and the blood system.

May 18th, Friday...PET scan, CAT scan and bloodwork.

May 19th, Saturday...Plastic surgeon called surgeon to discuss type of surgery so that reconstruction options would be as varied as possible. Meantime, results of tests came back and we were cheering in the grandstands at cancer in only one lymph node. Can you believe?

May 22nd, Tuesday...Surgery.

May 23rd, Wednesday...Home already and doing very well. Drains dragging and high on drugs.

May 25th, Friday...Lab results. Lymph node was a FALSE POSITIVE!!! CANCER HAS NOT SPREAD THAT WAY!!!
Also clear margins so no spread to the chest wall. Way good. Thanks again for those prayers and thoughts!!! Keep those candles burning and those rosaries glowing and dances around the fairy rings. This is an ecumenical group. We welcome all positive thoughts. (We have rosaries blessed from Majagorie(sp?), Lourdes and the Vatican!) Wow and double Wow.


So that brings you uptodate. What a roller coaster emotionally and physically. But do you see how long between events? Young women out there .............. do those breast checks!!!!

I have to go now but this will be the site where we keep all of you informed as to our progress. The next steps are chemo and reconstruction. Hopefully with the false positive on the lymph node we can skip radiation. Blessing to all. Love, Marlyn