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/
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
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! =>
I then ran around the lab telling everyone that I had a biopsy that was benign! =>
Thursday, May 6, 2010
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!
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!
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