On this day, 10 years ago I received my first treatment of radiation and chemotherapy. Today I'm writing to celebrate my survival! I'm writing with gratitude and a joyful heart because in the last decade, God had shown me how He makes the impossible possible. The last 10 years have been marked by some personally crippling, even devastating, days, but the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer is still the worst. God has led me through those crises by placing some exceptional people in my life.

As it's late in the night, I will give a quick run down of what I have to be thankful today. I have an adorable 7-year-old boy, who was naturally conceived 2 years and 2 months after my first chemotherapy infusion. My husband and I are still married and are working to make our marriage better. And yes, that is a miracle.  :D I am in good health still and am now in my 40s!

I took a new genetic test a couple months ago from Ambry Genetics, which tested 25 genes in their OvaNext panel. There were no alterations that affected the function of those genes, except possibly one. There was 1 variant of unknown significance,  but I was told that in perhaps 5 years, the variant would be confirmed in its significance.

More later!

Something inspirational

I just came across it today in the Pink-Link e-mail and liked it a lot.

Nicole Johnson's Invisible Woman sketch
http://www.freshbrewedlife.com/

Doll pic

Apparently, a line by Gwen Stefani! Compare to earlier pic!

It's Benign!

Or as the ladies who way are too familiar with biopsies say, B9!!!! Dr. E called me this afternoon and told me he had good news. I couldn't believe it! I asked if this was a preliminary result or the final. He said he wouldn't have called if it was preliminary. So I had to ask what it looked like, any abnormal cells that were dead or just all normal. He read from the report that there were "lobular atrophy" (dead cells) and calcifications. I'll have to talk with Dr. Z, my radiation oncologist, and others to explain it, but thank God I can still say that I'm cancer-free!

I then ran around the lab telling everyone that I had a biopsy that was benign! =>

Photos from the lab

All those late nights have altered my eyes!

My mad scientist look.

This one reminds me of those perfume bottles that look like a doll.

Yay! No surgery needed!

I woke up this morning thinking that I'll be having a surgical biopsy. I grabbed my box of oral drugs and made sure that I didn't eat anything since midnight last night. I drove with Sam in the car since the surgery room is right next to where I work. We arrived pretty much on time at 9:15 am.

I had already changed into hospital gowns and had the iv put in Old Faithful when I was wheeled up to the 4th floor Outpatient Center for the wire localization. Jo, the gentle mammographer from before, told me that Dr. E was doing the wire localization, but I became slightly alarmed since the last time he did it, I felt he didn't use enough lidocaine. Sam requested that perhaps another radiologist could do it so Jo talked to Dr. M (the one who found the new calcifications) about it. Surprisingly, as I waited, Dr. E came to me and asked that perhaps he can do a stereotactic biopsy instead. I was confused since I thought that the stereotactic machine did not have the capability of seeing the calcifications. It was up to me, and fortunately, Dr. M passed by at the time. She was surprised as well that Dr. E wanted to try the stereotactic when she had tried 2 weeks ago without success. The lure of not going into surgery was too great to pass up, and I agreed to the stereotactic. Jo said that she would be there, and if I felt uncomfortable, I could let her know. Once Dr. E found the area to biopsy, I asked that Dr. M see the area too and agree on the biopsy.

Dr. E had my left arm and chest go through the hole in the middle of the table. Missy was the volunteer who talked me through the whole procedure. She had been diagnosed 12 years ago. The compression wasn't too bad, and whatever Dr. E did, he found the area! Dr. M came into the room and agreed that he had found it. So finally a stereotactic biopsy worked after the 3rd attempt! I was pumped with lidocaine locally, a prick and then a burning sensation. This time Dr. E was generous. Jo said he put in 2 5ml syringes. Missy said that Dr. E made an incision, and then there's this loud pop. 12 samples were initally taken and x-rayed to check for the calcifications. Dr. E took 4 more for good measure. The whole process took over an hour so my neck got a little stiff, and Jo said that my arm started to turn blue. After the lidocaine, I was OK. I talked to Missy about the Columbia area and the Avon foundation. It was funny that she mentioned Dr. Ben Park because I had just e-mailed him the night before asking if there was a position open in his lab.

So someone called Dr. Jacobs to let her know that I won't have the surgery. I should have the results most likely on Monday. Once I straightened my neck and arm out, Jo took a few more mammograms. Dr. E had put in a clip at the biopsy site. To Jo, it looks like a frog. It's then that I realized that the clip is in another location of the breast. So it's not in the same quadrant as the original one. That's worrisome, but I will have to wait for the results.

I'm just taking Tylenol and putting on cold compresses. I'll give further updates soon!

Hopefully I won't have to start up again

I had my 6-month follow-up bi-lateral mammogram today.  A new tech, Jo, took my pictures, and it wasn't too bad at all until she had to do the magnifications on the left side. The magnification views are standard for me, but when the new radiologist took a look at my films on her computer, she saw some calcifications very clearly. When compared to the ones from 6 months ago, the older films had more dense white areas where the calcifications were so they were hard to see. So the new radiologist suggested that I talk with my surgeon for possible treatment, which may be surgery or something else. Fortunately, I was able to be squeezed in for next Tues. to see my surgeon. 

I saw Dr. Khouri (my first radiologist who diagnosed me) when I was with the new radiologist. He actually remembered about me getting married, and I'm glad that he was there to at least take a look at my films before he took a call. I trust what he sees. I was quite dismayed that I may have to have surgery again so I kept asking what the differences were this time and the other films. The new radiologist said that she analyzed it a bit differently, making the calcifications clearer. So she agreed with me that it doesn't mean necessarily that new ones had formed. I think maybe just a biopsy is needed. I'm thinking that these calcifications were from the first round that got missed, but then that's what radiation and chemo should have helped to control. If there aren't any more oddly growing cells, I'm happy with just continually monitoring  the calcifications until it looks like more pop up.

I'm very preoccupied with moving into our new house this weekend. Last week we had the house painted. Today, we had the carpets "deep-scrubbed", and the air ducts cleaned out. Now I should take the boxes from the lab and pack up some tonight and tomorrow. Plenty of things to do.

Last week I saw my medical oncologist in a very short visit. He didn't think that I needed to take aspirin since the studies out there stating that perhaps aspirin can reduce recurrence are not very solid. Basically, more work needs to be done, but interestingly, several of the women I know are taking it now, even recommended by their oncologists.  I think that it's up to me. I haven't had time to buy any baby ones, but I'll think about it.

Wish I had better news to report, but the house really is very nice!