In other news... Keith and I went to see my breast surgeon today. We talked through a couple of scenarios. The next step is for me to get another breast MRI. He wants me to get this a week after my last round of chemo (hopefully that is next week). The scan will give us a very detailed picture of what is left of the cancer in my breast. The results of this scan will determine what kind of surgery my surgeon would recommend. If there is just one spot left, he'd recommend a lumpectomy followed by radiation. If there are two spots left (there were two spots visible in my MRI in January (before chemo)), he'd recommend a mastectomy. I just want to get rid the cancer that is left. I know the recovery from the mastectomy will be harder, but honestly I'm totally ok with that. I'm actually excited to get rid of this crap. Yes, I know there is probably more floating around, but anything I can do to get rid of it is good by me.
My surgeon also spilled the beans that my oncologist is leaving?!?!?! From the sound of it, he wasn't supposed to tell me, so I'll keep my trap shut and pretend to be surprised when she tells me. I don't know how I feel about this. I trust my oncologist, but she isn't the most warm person. The doctor I will be transferred to comes highly recommended and hopefully she is a little more personable, but no matter what change is hard. I'm just feeling happier than ever that I have my trusty second opinion oncologist at UCSF (hopefully she isn't going anywhere anytime soon!).
Wish me luck for chemo next week. At this point I wouldn't be at all surprised if my counts are too low for chemo despite all my bone soup!
Send good vibes up to Duluth for Keith's mom (and her doctors)!
We're sending double pronged flocks of prayers & good wishes: one straight to Oakland and the other heading NW to Duluth. It must be especially tough as Keith's mom is at a distance from home. Fingers crossed for a clever doc who can put the puzzle together and fix her up. Tough, as well, is a switch in oncologist. Here's hoping that the new one will be brilliant AND personable. Glad you have a plan for getting rid of that darn tumor(s). Fingers crossed that chemo #6 goes as planned next week. Thinking of you, S,L &N
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear that Keith's mom is in the hospital. Hope her symptoms are diagnosed and resolved soon.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your treatment next week. Hope the bone soup does the trick and that you can move on to the next step soon. I really appreciate your keeping us updated.
Love,
ann
Kate and I are hoping for the best for you and for Keith's mom. This must be especially trying for Keith now.
ReplyDeleteHi Eileen,
ReplyDeleteSorry I missed this entry-- too much end of the semester busyness... Hope that Keith's mom has gotten a good diagnosis. It's very disturbing when the docs have no idea what is going on or what to do about the symptoms.
I hope you were able to have the chemo number 6 today and are recuperating with some good rest and relaxation. With any luck you'll be able to have the scan next week and then can make plans for the next few months. It's so good that you have the UCSF doc on board - and maybe you'll have a new doc who has good rapport. Good luck to you Keith; you've got a lot to deal with right now.
Prayers and good wishes to you all in Duluth & Oakland. Ellen