What a whirlwind my life has been lately.
This week we met with the surgeon, Dr. DuTar, and we loved him. Much more well spoken than our oncologist and super caring. (I also learned he is one of four brothers all doctors in CDA, a nurse at the hospital whispered "Catholic" to me smiling as she told me how much he is respected." He said some very important things.
The two most important was that my cancer is curable, and that he would be very very surprised if it has spread yet. Since it has only been ten months since my last mammogram that and told me I had done everything right. As you can imagine, this had me on cloud nine. However, I will still be nervous until the CAT scan and bone scan come back.
He also stated that he and Dr. Allen. my oncologist, are in connection at all times and in fact all the surgeons and all the oncologists get together one day a week and go over each persons case to make sure that everyone agrees on course of treatment and how it is progressing.
In fact he had just had a conversation with Dr. Allen about me and within it they had obviously discussed my wanting a double mastectomy. We had felt the reluctance with Dr. Allen about it, but Dr. D put it in perspective. He gave us the history of breast cancer, how they started by taking off everything down to the bone, then how they realized they could leave the muscle, then how they only needed to test the first lymph node, etc. He stated the statistics that a double mastectomy is at great risk of infection, etc, then the chance of reoccurrence and that they would be very vigilante on keeping an eye on if it grew back and if it did then they would do a mastectomy. He stated that if it was his wife he would not want to put her through the mastectomy. I have five months to think about it and talk with Kev.
Then yesterday I saw him again as he put in my port, if only chemo would be as surgery is. Everyone here is very caring and nice, when I went to leave my nurse gave me a big hug even in this time of covid. The surgery went like clockwork and Karen Snow dropped me off and picked me up. The dr placed my port so that if I wear low cut things it will be hidden, lol like that is going to happen, The tail of the port sneaks up my neck and into my jugular. It feels like a bad kink in my neck and was sore last night but keeps getting better.
This morning I was up early to hit the hospital by 745 so that I could bet some radioactive material in my bloodstream. I must wait three hours and return for the bone scan. I am at the wellness bar having gluten free avocado toast and a sugarless smoothie..... the new me.
Keaton leaves today and Kev returns on Sunday so just a couple days on my own, Usually I would love it, but in this state of mind, I love having someone around. But Kev went to California to get check rides done that he already had scheduled so he could be home on Monday when I have a heart echo and start my first round of chemo. First four rounds are every other week because they are very strong, so eight weeks in all, then twelve weeks of weekly chemo. I am already counting down.
Tuesday is CAT scan. When they come back negative I will be much better.
Then Wednesday we are suppose to leave for Alpine with Karen and Steve. We are suppose to stay at a guest house, the Farm House, of a Lances. I am scared because I hear one day after chemo may be very bad, but that it is different for each, and I am worried about that. But it is Kevins birthday weekend and he is so excited for us to go and thinks it will be good for me. I can't disappoint him.
By the way, Kev has stepped up so much during this. He is the one reading the two inch think book the dr gave us. I told him I don't want to know everything, it scares me. So he reads all about the side effects and then if I get one, he will tell me it is a side effect. He is on the ball with coming with me to appointments and asking questions and getting info. I love him so much. In fact I am going to tell Teena the oncology nurse if it is bad new, call Kev so he can tell me.
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