Tina in the Pink!: rhhbschool

The News to Share

March 25-27: I have been struggling to find the right time and the right words to send an email with the latest news about my health and, quite frankly, there is no right moment - the words are still foreign to me! It is not the kind of news we ever want to share. So, I guess it is just best to blurt it out and then to explain in more detail. I will be having surgery tomorrow (3/28) at 11:00am - I have been diagnosed with breast cancer. It is surprising to me to even see those words. It has been a turbulent March, with the first (regularly scheduled 6 month cycle) mammo on the 1st, three biopsies on all different dates, and the diagnosis given to us on the 15th. The following week was full of appointments and decision making and then the surgery date was set on 22nd, so it has been a fast process. The most important thing right now - as far as my health is concerned - is a successful surgery with good results from the sentinel node. That is my focus at this point. --Tina, 3/27/2007

Adjuvant Treatment & Follow-Up Updates

February 2009 - Regular follow-up appointment with breast surgeon, Dr. Edmiston. All is well. No tests ordered. I am going to orthopedic for hip discomfort follow-up.

August 2008 - X-rays completed for hip area, complete body bone scan performed - ALL CLEAR!

March 2008 - Regular 3 month cycle, follow up appointment surgeon, Dr. Edmiston. She was not alarmed at all that I decided against the Tamoxifen. All is well...she said to "get on with life now". Yep, that is the ongoing plan - giddy-up!

November 12, 2007 - Met with Dr. Wilkinson for regular check-up. All is well. She does not recommend a PET scan, but instead 3 month check-ups. Her communication was that if cancer were to metatasize, it would show up with symptoms probably before PET scan identification. Startling words were "it would be Stage IV". Two things I didn't know about recurrence before all this started - First, no matter where (lungs, brain, bone) breast cancer cells metatasize it is breast cancer, and Second, "it would be Stage IV". Cancer sucks.

August 2007 - I will make a decision on which treatment after my surgery on the 28th.

July 2007 - Second opinion at Georgetown University Hospital, same conclusion.

May/June 2007 - Tam is the recommendation after blood tests are returned, but Wilkinson wants me to go for second opinion.

May 10, 2007 - Dr. Mary Wilkinson understands my concern about Tamoxifen so we discussed 2 year vs 5 year plan. She has decided to do a blood test this week to identify markers that would indicate whether I would be susceptible to clots as well on Tam (since my mom had 5 blood clots). She is not too thrilled about the idea of an oophorectomy. Other options include inducing a "fake" menopause and treating me with Aromatase Inhibitors.

May 4, 2007 - Dr. Mary Wilkinson, the oncologist, phoned this morning and indicated the Oncotype DX test came back with very favorable results - low risk group, score=9. Therefore, I will definitely not be receiving chemo. Even though I came to intuitively know and believe I would not be receiving chemo, it was great to have it confirmed through medical testing. Very, very good news. With taking Tamoxifen for 5 years, it puts my risk of recurrence in 10 years at 7%. I am told this is good. I will also learn more about what my recurrence % if I do not take the Tamoxifen. I will learn more at appointment next week.

April 13, 2007 - We went to see the oncologist, Dr. Mary Wilkinson. Due to the results of the pathology report, we are going to have an OncotypeDx test done of the breast tissue taken at the time of surgery (check out link above). My cancer was node negative, hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative and 2cm which, in the breast cancer world, is all fairly good. The additional test is more detailed and will assign me a recurrent score to determine if chemotherapy would provide any additional benefit since I appear to be in fairly low risk group at this point. This test will provide more information about my cancer behavior and better assign me in a risk group. We are hopeful I am confirmed in the low risk group and will not need any chemo. The test results will not be known for about a month. I have been told it will be strongly suggested that I will be on Tamoxifin (see link), which is a daily oral med taken for about 5 years. More reading....

Local Recurrence I and II

March 2011. Small nodule in upper left breast found by me. Originally thought to be a scar tissue or sebaceous cyst, but in-office surgery removal proved that theory inaccurate. Additional surgery needed to get clear margins. Updates to follow. 3/11/11

September 2009. Small nodule in upper left breast found by me. Originally thought to be a sebaceous cyst, but surgery removal proved that theory inaccurate. Size 1cm x 1cm with cancerous cells, clear margins. No alterations in reconstruction. Immediate plans to Hippocrates Health Institute made! Also, the need to sell the house moves up the list of "things to do".

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