Wonderful News

Yesterday, I went to see Dr. K to discuss my breast MRI and figure out next steps. She read the radiologist's report to me and gave me her own assessment. The MRI showed many lumps and bumps clearly but they all appeared to be cystic or just tissue or, in one case, a fibroadenoma. A fibroadenoma can be worrisome or lead to other developments that may be cancerous but in almost all cases is simply a fibroadenoma. Almost every woman gets one in her lifetime. It is funny because it is one - not two or three- just one. It seems to last for an average of 15 years and, in most cases, resolve itself. In my case, my MRI didn't appear any different from my previous one and didn't seem to show anything cancerous. Dr. K said that she didn't see anything to be concerned about but it was up to me as to how worried or nervous I was and that the decision whether or not to have a prophylactic mastectomy was up to me. I told her that I had pretty much convinced myself that I wanted to do that but then thought about it some more. If she and the radiologist don't see any cause for cancer concern, then I really don't want to lose my breast.

She said that she agreed. The DIEP reconstruction is already an intense surgery and I had already gone through a major surgery losing my other breast. She didn't see any reason to subject myself to another major surgery along with the increased seriousness of having two breasts reconstructed. Together, we made the decision that I would have a unilateral (one breast) reconstruction and keep the other breast. That was really good news. Of course, every year, I will have mammogram, ultrasound, MRI for the rest of my life - unless, like Dr. K says, I decide at some point that the stress is too much and decide to have a prophylactic mastectomy or if I get cancer. As for me, I don't feel stress from what "might" happen. If it does, I will figure out what to do at the time. As for now, I am glad that we are monitoring it. We have good pictures and good history and it is being watched much more closely than my other breast ever was. If a cancer does appear, hopefully we can find it early enough that a lumpectomy will take care of it and I won't need to lose the breast anyway. Dr. K also examined me and said that, even though my breast is lumpy, it is soft and there is nothing that feels like the mass in the other breast that contained the cancer. I had to agree with that as I had observed it myself. It is still scary that we could miss something in the future but removing the breast is not the solution for me. The bigger scare and risk, as Dr. K confirmed, is that my primary cancer (in my other breast) could spread to other parts of my body (bones, brain, liver, lungs). So far, there is no evidence of that and we will keep watching to make sure it hasn't happened.

Overall, a great report - no biopsies or further testing of the other breast for the time being. Just more CTs (full body), blood work and, of course, Herceptin treatments to go through and then the surgery. October should bring an end to all of it and a return to "normalcy" - whatever that is.

I had a great day. It was a great high!

The only downside - Bachelor #3, who had seemed so promising, didn't call as planned to schedule our date for this evening so I guess I will need to write him off. Back to the drawing board. This whole dating thing sucks! A part of me feels sad despite the overall relief and happiness of my "good news".