Hi! I heard about your news. I’m so sorry. I’m curious, since I help diagnose breast CA, what exactly was the diagnosis and stage? All my best and keeping up the positive vibes for you! (two kissy faces)
Thanks! Here is all the dirty details sent to my family a week ago:
As I am sure all of you have discussed, I found a lump in my right breast right before Labor Day weekend. I already had a follow up doctor appointment scheduled for the Tuesday after, so didn’t rush to make another appointment.
I’ve had clean mammograms for years with the last one being this past January.
Tuesday, September 5th, I told my primary care doctor about said lump. She felt it out, we both agreed it was most likely a cyst, and she scheduled me for a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound on Tuesday Sept 12th.
That lead to being scheduled immediately for a biopsy, that happened on Thursday September 14th.
Today was results day.
The lump is 29 x 22x 17 mm, and located on the anterior side of my breast 8 cm from the nipple.
It is an invasive ductal carcinoma, grade III
It is hormonal receptive negative and the Ki-7 indicator is 80%, which means it is a very aggressive tumor, and there is not the additional plus of being able to cut off hormone supply to help stop the cancer.
It is early stage, 1 or 2.
The mammogram and ultrasound did not detect any additional sites or enlarged lymph glands.
I have already been scheduled for an MRI today to insure no other lesions or lymph gland involvement before my first appointment with an Oncologist.
They are also trying to get me scheduled for genetic testing this week, but think it may not happen until next week when I meet with the Oncologist I have been referred too in my network.
The consulting oncologist we met with this morning advised if I was her patient, she would recommend chemo first, as this type of cancer responds well to chemo, shrink the tumor then have a lumpectomy.
If my genetic testing comes back positive for any one of 7 variants for breast cancer, that would change from her original recommendation to double mastectomy to prevent further occurrences.
I will be losing my hair, I may need radiation treatment, but that is still to be determined by the next scans and the genetic testing results.
I have a great medical team that is at my beck and call should I need them, even if it is only to help me with the doctors that are covered in my medical group or answer our questions.
I have been referred to support groups here as well.
The consulting oncologist and my cancer coordinator both emphasized this is very treatable, curable and temporary.
I am in good hands, and this is being fast tracked as much as possible so they can get a treatment plan in place sooner rather than later.
This is all the information I have right now. I am not ready to talk about this, and still have to go back to the imaging center for the MRI. As soon as I know more I will update you all.
Please do not call me today or tomorrow. I have much reading to do, and I have a full day symposium already scheduled for tomorrow that I really need to attend for work.
This weekend I will make time for phone calls. I love you all, I thank you all for your understanding and support.
Thanks for the information! (Kissy face)
I work in our breast center and perform the ultrasounds to help detect these types of cancers in their early stages (God willing) and assist the doctors to mark the area prior to chemo treatment and sometimes even post chemo.
Historically we’ve seen such a positive response to the more aggressive chemo – the neo adjuvant. It’s amazing and I’m sure your oncology team have a wonderful plan set up for you. You answered all the potential questions I was going to ask!
I’m praying the genetic testing is negative. Do what feels appropriate in regards to double mastectomy. i know it’s a tough decision yet it can be an easy one depending.
All my love and feel free to text anytime!
Met with the Oncologist yesterday:
Today was the first oncologist appointment (getting to know you, getting to know all about you….)
My Care coordinator picked a good match. We both like her.
Her assessment of the treatment plan matched the consulting Oncologist recommendations and reasons why
Ready, set, here we go…. (First star to the right and strait on till morning!)
My Oncologists name is Swati Sikaria. She is a Hematology & Medical Oncology Specialist. She is taking a very hands on approach to my treatment, and not only will I be going to the same office for all my treatments, but she has me coming back in for a physical check up every few weeks in between… (that is a whole lot of driving to Redondo Beach).
She is placing me in early Stage IIA for my cancer, only reason for Stage II – size.
She is starting me on chemo first, then we move to lumpectomy (or bye bye babies if genetic test results come back with bad news). We will go from there for next steps.
Chemo cocktails (Dr. Sikaria already confirmed, these are not the fun 5 0’clock cocktails) will be done in two parts.
Part 1:
Adriamycin & Cyclophosphamide every 2 weeks for 4 rounds (total of 8 weeks)
She said this will most likely kick my ass for about 4 to 5 days, then I will start to feel better. There is the possibility to work part time during this cycle, but in speaking with Kim who handles all the disability stuff, variable leave was sounding complicated. My company is willing to work with me on this. Tomorrow we will sit down and put together a tentative plan and go from there once this actually starts and we see how I react.
Part 2:
Taxol & Carboplatin (which is a new drug in the chemo arsenal and she is willing to fight the HMO if they don’t approve it. Really tough on triple negative cancers like mine.) This will be administered weekly for 12 weeks. Adding the Carboplatin will kick my butt day 1, and maybe day 2, but I will recover quickly and I can work from home, but cannot go into office when I do this.
This all starts Tuesday 10/10 at 9am sharp.
But wait, there’s more… (and you don’t even have to cover shipping and handling charges)
We get to have Chemo Training…. (they teach me the best way to puke and Robert the best way to hold the bucket?) That is this Friday at 1pm.
I am being scheduled for a port – yeah, another battle scar! (and less needle holes!)
I am being scheduled for the Genetic Testing (as hinted at above) – has to be approved by the Insurance company, if that fails we will be doing this anyway and paying for it out of our own pocket. It’s important. It will be a full genetic mark up, not just the breast cancer genes.
I will be given a self-injectable of Nulasta to take after every chemo session to keep me healthy during all these designer drugs I’ll be doing meant to kill me, oh, wait, I mean the cancer.
And the bad news – genetic testing results take about 3 weeks… If I come back positive for any cancer indicators all three kids will then need to be tested as well.
That is all the new news for today. You can all go back to your regularly scheduled programming.
I can add you to my emails I’ve been sending out. Christmas Eve theme is PINK! 🙂
Thank you!
No problem. Writing this all out for he family actually helps me understand, helps me remember all the stuff they keep throwing at me, and gives me something to do. One of my nephews reached out to me this morning wanting to be added to the emails too.
Over the years I’ve heard consistently, the more successful healing for patients with a large support group. I’m not surprised you have many people behind you!
I don’t Facebook, so the emails are greatly appreciated!
I’m glad your doing the genetic testing as this now changes history for your daughter. she can start her mammo screenings at 40 as opposed to 50.
Good. I started at 35 because of the thyroid cancer.
you never have a family history before correct?
I see more and more patients who are diagnosed with No family Hx. And Getting younger and younger at diagnosis. Youngest I’ve been involved with was 21!
And by the way your writing is hilarious with injections of song references (laughing crying face)
Nope. Although my aunt (dad’s sister) when he was talking to her last Friday, told him my diagnosis sounded like exactly what she went through almost 10 years ago. She did chemo, lumpectomy that turned into mastectomy because her lymph nodes tested positive during surgery and then radiation. She’s been fine since.
Gotta keep the humor man!
They’ll likely do a sentinal node testing prior to surgery for node involvement.
Yes, in my briefcase full of information we received at diagnosis, I was advised they would do the SN mapping.
Now I just have to decide if that happens or the genetic test comes back hinky, do I want new boobs or not. One of my originals is trying to kill me… (dead face)
I’d go with double mast. likely of contralateral side getting CA is high. Again, only based on the results of the testing.
Of course
Left side is more commonly diagnosed initially. We’ve seen cases after double mastectomy, where CA was found in one breast via imaging or palpable, and path found CA in the other breast as well! Crazy
OK now you’re just scaring me. (Scared face) Having a hard enough time trying to figure out my relationship with my boobs and The Lump and whether I want reconstruction if it comes to bilateral mastectomy. Don’t tell me about the bought boobs going rogue too!
Of course I have to be different than the norm…. phhhbtt. Left Boob. why would the slightly bigger boob go rogue so a lumpectomy wouldn’t be such a drastic change between the two. That would make too much sense (eye rolling face)
OMG I AM So SORRY!! The bought boobs won’t go rogue! I haven’t heard that happen! Nooooo!
Oh, ok. Totally misunderstood that then.
This is PRIOR to reconstruction. My BAD I shouldn’tve said aww man (sad face, zip lip face – 4 times)
It’s ok, I make this kind of mistake all the time.
no its just the volume we see. Either way I’m so sorry to cause more distress but I’m hearing you and your boobs be it bought or original packing, will be well looked after
Thank you. No worries, it was only a mild flop of the tummy. (sick face) really! (Now I get to tease you unmercifully! (Joking face)
Yes Yes you do !!! Even as I bring you Middleton (Angle Face and kissy face)
….
you’re more than blessed
Yup! I have angels watching over me. they keep leaving their feathers behind. Found this one on the backseat of my car today.
Life is finding the humour in a deadly situation