Dear Jean & list, Congratulations on your good news! Even if you weren't worried, I'll bet you can admit to at least a small bit of relief. I'm very happy for you.
Though I usually stay in the background lurking, I want to share my last month's experience with you all in the hope that it may be helpful to any who find themselves facing breast issues. I, like many others, really look upon this list almost as "extended family" and feel very grateful for the friendships I have made and for the sense of being part a such a wonderful worldwide community. On February 4th, the day before my Dad (age 77) was scheduled for mitral valve repair (open heart surgery), I went for my routine annual mammogram. The radiologist saw a suspicious area and did additional views, including magnified views. I was then trotted down the hall for a sonogram which also showed the suspicious area. He said it was very small (and couldn't be felt) and that without comparison to films from previous years he might not have noticed it. He recommended that I have a biopsy. With the situation of my Dad's impending surgery coupled with the fact that we were due to have houseguests from England for almost a month starting the following week, my head was spinning. "This is really bad timing" was all I could think. I wasn't even sure how to go about the next step, but the radiologist said he would call my primary care physician for a recommendation of a breast surgeon. My doctor spoke to me by phone while I was still in the radiologist's office and managed to calm me down, assuring me that it "might not be anything bad" and referred me to a breast surgeon who I saw on February 23. Following my meeting with the surgeon, an ultrasound guided core needle biopsy was scheduled for March 4th. That was a Thursday, the day after our English guests went home. Surgery was scheduled at the same time for March 8th, the following Monday. If the biopsy was positive for malignancy (which it was), a sentinel node biopsy during the surgery would test if lymph nodes were involved (thankfully they were not). Anyone facing the situation should definitely inquire about the sentinel node biopsy procedure since it is relatively new and eliminates many risks associated with other lymph node procedures--though if the node is positive, additional surgery is still necessary. To make a long story only slightly shorter, following the lumpectomy for "invasive ductal carcinoma", my pathology report showed stage 1 (early/small), grade 1 (not aggressive), no lymph nodes involved (it hasn't spread), and hormone receptor positive (will respond to tamoxifen or similar drugs - taken in pill form for a specified period of time). This is just about as good a report as one can have short of "benign". I will have to have radiation treatment 5 times a week for about six weeks, starting about a month after surgery so incisions can heal, but from all reports it is not too bad an experience. I have surfed my heart out for the past two weeks and feel I have really had a crash course in a scary but (call me twisted) somewhat interesting subject. (Of course, it is much easier to find it interesting when you land on the comparatively good side of the fence which I have done.) The point is this: Don't neglect your mammograms & self exams. I almost postponed mine because of my father's surgery and because I was busy, but my husband scolded me not to postpone it. Thankfully I listened to him (not that I don't usually (-:). I believe my radiologist's diligence & sharp eye may have saved my life. It certainly put me at much lower risk for a negative long term outcome than if the tumor had been discovered at a later date.....say a year later or worse. I know this from personal experience, since my own mother died after advanced breast cancer metastasized (spread) to her liver. She was 69 when she was first diagnosed and died at age 76....a long life which might have been a lot longer had her cancer been discovered earlier. She never had mammograms and her cancer was only discovered inadvertently through a routine physical exam because she had decided to participate in a cholesterol-lowering drug trial. A maternal aunt who *does* get her mammograms had a lumpectomy 11 years ago and is still living in her 80s, very active, and with no recurrences. Family history makes it all the more important, but many people who develop cancer have no family history or other obvious risk factors, so timely screening is important for everyone. Stay on top of other screenings too, like pap smears, colonscopies [trust me...they really are not that bad at all (-:], and for the guys--prostate exams. Cancer is very treatable if not totally curable at early stages and screening exams are NOT painful. As you might expect, I have been on an emotional roller coaster over the past few weeks, but I think I have emerged feeling extraordinarily lucky. Now I *know* that sounds twisted....you're not lucky if you get breast cancer. But it isn't a death sentence and no one dies of breast cancer itself. It is only when it spreads that it may become life threatening, but even then there is a great deal which is available to treat it. The key is to be diligent in catching it early. It may sound corny, but the experience (albeit whirlwind....it has all happened so fast) has left me feeling "redefined". Coming face to face with one's own mortality definitely has a way of jarring your perspective on things, especially when you think of yourself as young (well....isn't 54 young? (-:)....and with a lot of things you still want to do, lace you want to learn, places in the world you want to visit, etc. etc. That is one piece of this experience I hope I will hold on to.....i.e. not taking anything for granted. Even when we think we don't do that, I think most of us do. I now feel like my senses are sharpened....sort of like what they say about what happens to your taste buds when you stop smoking (sorry, Tamara (-:) and I feel energized. And I feel ever more thankful for friends, among which I consider the many kind and sharing souls on Arachne. You are a priceless resource for information and even more important, for friendship and sharing. Blessings & good things to you all. Vicki in Maryland where the weather in appropriate for St. Patrick's day.....a "soft" day as they would say in Ireland....and an abundence of "liquid sunshine" To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
