Post by Grits on Jan 16, 2009 19:30:49 GMT -5
This will be the "appreviated" version of my BC journey. I've kept a journal, and I'm on my 3rd book...on 2/23/07(my son's birthday) I recv'd the call we've all come to dread...after a core biopsy I DID have Breast Cancer in my left breast. I met with the first of what I refer to as "My Hero Team", my Onc Surgeon on the 27th and she explained my first step was to have a battery of tests...muga scans, bone scans, x-rays,ct scans and MRI's in the next week...then I would be scheduled for day surgery to place a port for Chemo...since I would be having neoadjuvant chemo (before surgery) to shrink the tumor. My sister, daughter and myself sat in an office talking to this woman from 5pm until 905pm and she never once mentioned the time...I've loved and trusted her from that first visit. On 3/19/07 she called me to give me the tests results...NOT what I was hoping to hear! I had a "few" suspicious nodules in my left lung, spots on my 5th rib, lower sternum and pelvis...she advised me that she would NOT be doing the centinel lymp-node biopsy , but the day surgery for the port was schedued for 3/23/07. In the meantime I was scheduled an appt with a lung specialist for 3/21/07...ok this was the phone call that clearly, as I look back, literally took my breath away...I was going to die...SOON...in a few months!!!! The next few weeks are a fog of sorts...I had my appt w/the lung specialist, we agreed that we'd wait and reinterpret the tests after my chemo...go from there. on 3/26/07 met with the 2nd of "My Hero Team", my Mediacl Oncologist, and he explained that I would be getting 4 AC treatments, each 3 weeks apart...then 10 Taxol, given every week. After Chemo my tumor had shrunk from 4.5 to 3.7 and i had a partial mastectomy on 9/14/07. My dx was Invasive ductal carcinoma to left breast w/ secondary malignant neoplasm of bone and bone marrow. I've continued w/infusions of Zometa for my bone mets every eight weeks and continue with that treatment. After "several" battery of tests the "suspicious nodules" in my lung have completely disappeared...the spots on my bones are showing up as scarring only and I'm feeling wonderful and ALIVE! For anyone doubting the power of prayer...I have some x-rays I'd like to show you of the before and after pictures of my lung! This, believe it or not IS the appreviated version...as all of you know our journey continues from today into tomorrow...we are our Father's children and His protection follows us our entire life, even as we struggle through this life's many struggles! Hugs, Jane
