Good morning! Well yesterday was doctor day..We were able to go to the plastic surgeon and get the second drain removed which was a huge relief. It was really causing me a lot of pain..and having it out is a big improvement.Then we went to the oncologist, Dr.Torrey. The good news is that she didn't tell me to go home and get my affairs in order...the bad news is that I have stage 3 breast cancer with lymph node involvement...still very curable but certainly not the news we were hoping for. We will proceed with the same treatment plan that we had before except that I will have to have radiation on the lymph node area as well..this will be 35 sessions over 7 weeks.
On a positive note when I arrived home from the doctor yesterday I got a lovely card from my ex sister in law Nancy who told me about another family member who had had stage three breast cancer with lymph node involvement many years ago and was just fine today. I love stories like that...And my niece Billie Kerr who told me that she had discussed my situation with a friend of theirs who is a radiologist and he thought that I was not in too bad a shape...Those of you who know me well , know that I am the last of the "true believers"...besides I told my oncologist yesterday that I was going to beat it and she was in agreement. So onward and upward, and keep those positive thoughts and prayers coming.
yes, there is much to be thankful for:
ReplyDelete1. all the grandkids are arriving soon to cheer you up
2. you have excellent care at scripps (except for that (*!*!!* nurse with the bedside manner of count dracula).
3. you have a wonderful and far reaching family who supports you.
4. you have crazy-ass friends (i'm not mentioning any names) who will come and sit on your bed and watch house hunters international with you even though they already seen the episode.
5. and you have tom, the best-ever husband, medical advocate, and all-round great guy, who walks this with you every day.
6. and you will beat this. we all love you. and that's gotta' count for something. xoxoxo
and lest i forget,
ReplyDelete7. you have your indomitable spirit and your wicked black-irish humor that keeps you on a fairly even keel. well, even-keel for an artist, that is.
well said my dear!
DeleteWhat Billie said, except for #7. You can't really have a black-irish humor and be even keeled. We accept this personality quirk as we all seem to have it, even friends of yours who are not, technically, irish... and i'm not naming names either. I am assuming that stages of breast cancer correlate to stages of white water rafting. A stage 3 is scary, fast and you have to hold on and dig in, but you can definitely come out the other side of the rapids as long as you do what your guide says... and maybe it helps to have an angel or two in your boat. I really think you have it all-- there are calm waters ahead eventually for you, so just hang on and "dig in." (Perhaps I should mention at this point that I have spent the last week writing "extended metaphor" poems with 8th graders... can you tell?) I love you so much and will see you soon.
ReplyDeleteI just figured out how to reply! I love the metaphor of the rapids...thats just what it feels like! love you and will see you this weekend!
DeleteYou're so awesome mom! m.
ReplyDeleteAs are you my dear!
Delete