(no subject)
OK Gang, I'm gonna update you since Jan 20th. The December illness in Cali was bad enough..my poor BFF and her mommy had to take care of me the entire time. I "was" dying. Heh..literally. Ended up on Barbs couch the entire time until I was hospitalized. It was a mess and now I get a big orange sticker in my files that says allergic to sulfa based medicines. The antibiotic that was supposed to heal me was killin me..
Jan 20th I had a biopsy done on right breast. All four core samples came back with cancer. Now hearing that is one thing..getting a doc here to explain what range 2 means is another thing. Is it stage 2 cancer or what? Well the breast care doc said I was stage 2 and that the lump had to come out. Soooo OK. I have breast cancer and I need a lumpectomy. Let's do it. So they took the lump and results were cancer cells in 25% of margin (which should be cancer free the margin I mean) and two of my 14 nodes that they also took had cancer. OK..now what? Well back in to the same breast to clean margin. We need cancer free margin before you start chemo. OK..let's do it. Oh and the nodes..ya need radiation because those were positive too. Uuum k...surgery done again..results..not more cells but additional cancer puddles they call em. 3 more to be exact. Stage 2A now stage doesn't change because the additional cancer is all smaller than the first found. Now this meant mastectomy. So the doc says it's gotta go but lets get plastic surgeon in there at the same time so reconstruction is successful at the end of chemo and radiation. That is what I did. The two docs went in at the same time..she took breast tissue and he put in what is called in the breast cancer world a spacer. Kind of an implant of sorts. Helps a woman feel somewhat normal and saves the skin for viable surgery at the end of things. I will not have implants but rather what is called a trans flap..they will do a tummy tuck of sorts (mini tuck they call it) and use my own tissue to rebuild breast and some of abdomen muscle as well. All sounds painful to me..but when I'm done..in at least a year more I will be happy. After the mastectomy I had a infection set in to the site. Ended up with necrosis and blistering and they had to go BACK in to the site and clean away dead skin. I spent the 3 weeks that followed doing my own iv antibiotics..I have a port under my skin so they placed a external line and I did it from home. I'm happy to report..it's still healing and looking much better. I have pics but figure I would save those for shock value later if requested. Actually as I go I have taken pics. I will have a site for women one day..anything that can help them understand what they may face or will be facing.
I started chemo two weeks ago Friday. I still have my hair by some from of miracle but I'm sure by the next one this Friday I will have prolly another week till it's all gone. Oddly enough body hair is coming out first. My arms are looking strange..like aliens. Hairless aliens.
There ya have folks. I aspire to be here more..matter of fact they have computers avail. during 3 or 4 hr chemo drip. I should catch up and update there..Oh ya..Im gonna go retrieve a link to my Relay for Life page. I will post entire thing here and if you want you can go clicky clicky on my link and donate. (Thank you again Syd for your generous donation MWAAAAH!!) We walk in two weeks. I'm looking forward to it this year..I am going on line to change my goal. I'm goaling for 500. It's a challenge now. :) I will talk to you all soon..
Huggles..x0x Kat
PS Ryan..the jacket is most awesome. Thank you a thousand times over. I lovers it!! >smooches< BB
Jan 20th I had a biopsy done on right breast. All four core samples came back with cancer. Now hearing that is one thing..getting a doc here to explain what range 2 means is another thing. Is it stage 2 cancer or what? Well the breast care doc said I was stage 2 and that the lump had to come out. Soooo OK. I have breast cancer and I need a lumpectomy. Let's do it. So they took the lump and results were cancer cells in 25% of margin (which should be cancer free the margin I mean) and two of my 14 nodes that they also took had cancer. OK..now what? Well back in to the same breast to clean margin. We need cancer free margin before you start chemo. OK..let's do it. Oh and the nodes..ya need radiation because those were positive too. Uuum k...surgery done again..results..not more cells but additional cancer puddles they call em. 3 more to be exact. Stage 2A now stage doesn't change because the additional cancer is all smaller than the first found. Now this meant mastectomy. So the doc says it's gotta go but lets get plastic surgeon in there at the same time so reconstruction is successful at the end of chemo and radiation. That is what I did. The two docs went in at the same time..she took breast tissue and he put in what is called in the breast cancer world a spacer. Kind of an implant of sorts. Helps a woman feel somewhat normal and saves the skin for viable surgery at the end of things. I will not have implants but rather what is called a trans flap..they will do a tummy tuck of sorts (mini tuck they call it) and use my own tissue to rebuild breast and some of abdomen muscle as well. All sounds painful to me..but when I'm done..in at least a year more I will be happy. After the mastectomy I had a infection set in to the site. Ended up with necrosis and blistering and they had to go BACK in to the site and clean away dead skin. I spent the 3 weeks that followed doing my own iv antibiotics..I have a port under my skin so they placed a external line and I did it from home. I'm happy to report..it's still healing and looking much better. I have pics but figure I would save those for shock value later if requested. Actually as I go I have taken pics. I will have a site for women one day..anything that can help them understand what they may face or will be facing.
I started chemo two weeks ago Friday. I still have my hair by some from of miracle but I'm sure by the next one this Friday I will have prolly another week till it's all gone. Oddly enough body hair is coming out first. My arms are looking strange..like aliens. Hairless aliens.
There ya have folks. I aspire to be here more..matter of fact they have computers avail. during 3 or 4 hr chemo drip. I should catch up and update there..Oh ya..Im gonna go retrieve a link to my Relay for Life page. I will post entire thing here and if you want you can go clicky clicky on my link and donate. (Thank you again Syd for your generous donation MWAAAAH!!) We walk in two weeks. I'm looking forward to it this year..I am going on line to change my goal. I'm goaling for 500. It's a challenge now. :) I will talk to you all soon..
Huggles..x0x Kat
PS Ryan..the jacket is most awesome. Thank you a thousand times over. I lovers it!! >smooches< BB