Monday update

I am scheduled for an ultrasound tomorrow morning, to find out if there's anything on the left side. I've also started the wheels turning on meeting with a plastic surgeon - so far we're exchanging phone calls, but I expect to have an appointment scheduled tomorrow. That is just in case I opt for mastectomy with reconstruction. That option didn't appeal to me at all yesterday, but today it's in the hopper. I also had a nice chat with my GP, who told me she has the utmost faith in the surgical team. She's very candid and objective - she's not a cheerleader for Kaiser. She has been with them for decades and has been both a doctor and an administrator - she's top notch. She has been my doctor since 1989, and was my father's doctor and is still my mother's doctor. She told me that the current diagnosis and treatment recommendation is pretty straightforward, and while she didn't discourage me from pursuing a second opinion, she said that she herself wouldn't bother; things are pretty black and white and the same options would be made available no matter where I went based on my diagnosis. She thought it might just cause added stress, which frankly I don't need. I took her comments to heart, but have not ruled out getting a second opinion. She did suggest that if things become complicated later, it might be advisable. Thing is, we won't know the size or stage of the tumor or extent of invasion until the day of surgery. It's possible that a lumpectomy could be performed, and days later we'd learn that lymph nodes are involved, so that will mean another surgery. So there are some ways it could get complicated. (She also prescribed an antibiotic for what we think is yet another sinus infection; hope it works.)

At this point I know that my cancer is ductal, and it is invasive, which means it has grown out of the duct and into the surrounding tissue. We know that it has tested positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors which is favorable. We don't know yet whether it is positive for HER2 receptors, but will learn that after surgery. We don't know the "stage" - the size, rate of growth, whether cancer cells have infiltrated my lymph nodes, but will learn at least some preliminary information about that on the day of surgery; final test results on the lymph nodes will come a few days later. A couple people have asked about chemotherapy - that might be prescribed once tumor size and lymph node status are known.

I have received such warm and supportive messages from you, and I can't thank you enough. It means the world to me to know that I have the support and good wishes of so many whom I hold dear. Please know that I am very optimistic - ever the Pollyanna, I guess. I know it's going to be fine. Just might take a while.

I know that my news and the shock of reading this blog has been hard on many of you, and I am very sorry for that. I'll post again tomorrow. Take care.