So after changing my mind multiple times and having the surgical coordinator at my doctor's office take me off the operating schedule only to then ask her to put me back on, we finally decided once and for all that we would not proceed with the surgery to remove the thick tissue from my right breast. My pre-surgical mammogram came out all clear and our plastic surgeon agreed that the thickening is most likely scar tissue and will just return if we cut it out. Neither D nor I ever felt 100% comfortable doing the surgery so we have decided to skip it and just continue to follow my schedule of regular mammograms, MRIs, sonograms and doctor visits. I am much more comfortable with this plan.
Meanwhile, I have a follow-up scheduled with my oncologist for next week. I recently spoke to her on the phone and told her about the ovarian cyst I had removed and how I was recently told that I have another, this time smaller (3 cm) cyst that we are keeping an eye on. I asked her if it is possible that the Tamoxifen is causing these cysts that I never before had a problem with. She said it is certainly not impossible as the drug is messing with my hormones. But how many more of these cysts I can look forward to? No one knows.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
No more surgeries, please!
Has it really been nearly 3 months since my last post? Last time I wrote I talked about an MRI I had that found some suspicious looking thing in my right breast, followed by a sonogram, during which the suspicious looking thing seemed to have disappeared. Since that time, the radiology place sent me a letter stating that they compared my old and new scans and determined that whatever was there is nothing at all. But it doesn't end there. A few weeks ago I also had a regularly-scheduled follow-up appointment with my breast surgeon. During that appointment I mentioned to her that I had recently noticed some thick tissue on my right breast, directly under my implant scar. She agreed with me that the thickening was likely scar tissue but went on to say that she does not like to keep anything suspicious in a person with a cancer history and felt we should cut it out. I scheduled a surgery for April 5. Now I have been having second thoughts about the surgery but the doctor doesn't recommend that we skip it and just keep a watchful eye on the thick tissue. So now, D and I are planning a visit with the doctor for Wednesday to discuss this surgery and whether or not to have it. I'll keep you posted!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Happy Anniversaries and Nerve-wracking Moments
Since September we have been celebrating various cancer-related anniversaries: The day the bleeding started! D-day (diagnosis day)! The anniversary of surgery #1! Typically these anniversaries involve eating lots of good food and drinking some yummy craft beer or fancy bottle of wine and just thinking about how much has happended in the just-over-a-year since it all began. Given that everything turned out so well, these are very happy anniversaries.
Recently, however, we got a reminder of all the worries and anxiety we were dealing with last fall and winter. Just a couple weeks ago I went for a regular MRI (I will be having these either once or twice a year, I can't remember) and received a call from my doctor that there was something visible in the MRI that warranted a follow-up ultrasound. They felt it was very benign looking and nothing to worry about, but that I should still do the follow-up scan to better characterize this mysterious little "nodule." Depending on what they found they might have to recommend a core biopsy - - the same procedure that had me bleeding all over the floor and fainting last year!
I was totally fine leading up to the appointment and then the night before I became so nervous that I started getting really cranky and irritable. The next day I was sick to my stomach and couldn't eat lunch. At the ultrasound, the tech spent an awful lot of time go over one particular spot. It reminded me of the ultrasound I had last year, when the tech kept focusing on the same one spot and looking all concerned. Last year, the tech was concerned because she saw something she didn't like. This year, as it turned out, the tech was all concerned-looking because she couldn't find anything where the MRI had shown the suspicious finding. She called in the doctor, who redid the entire ultrasound and confirmed that the "nodule" was nowhere to be found. In the end, she decided she will compare last year's MRI to this year's before making a final assessment, but said she is not worried at all about what she had originally seen - it could have just been the curve of a blood vessel.
I was instantly reassured and completely trust this doctor's instincts; however, for nearly 24hrs leading up to that moment, I found myself once again thinking about surgeries, treatments, radiation, chemo, drugs, implants, wigs, hair scarves, drains, pain, taking time off, etc, etc. How happy I am that I was able to walk out of that doctor's office and leave all those thoughts behind me.... I suppose this calls for another celebration!
This holiday season I am definitely grateful for my health and the health of my family.
Recently, however, we got a reminder of all the worries and anxiety we were dealing with last fall and winter. Just a couple weeks ago I went for a regular MRI (I will be having these either once or twice a year, I can't remember) and received a call from my doctor that there was something visible in the MRI that warranted a follow-up ultrasound. They felt it was very benign looking and nothing to worry about, but that I should still do the follow-up scan to better characterize this mysterious little "nodule." Depending on what they found they might have to recommend a core biopsy - - the same procedure that had me bleeding all over the floor and fainting last year!
I was totally fine leading up to the appointment and then the night before I became so nervous that I started getting really cranky and irritable. The next day I was sick to my stomach and couldn't eat lunch. At the ultrasound, the tech spent an awful lot of time go over one particular spot. It reminded me of the ultrasound I had last year, when the tech kept focusing on the same one spot and looking all concerned. Last year, the tech was concerned because she saw something she didn't like. This year, as it turned out, the tech was all concerned-looking because she couldn't find anything where the MRI had shown the suspicious finding. She called in the doctor, who redid the entire ultrasound and confirmed that the "nodule" was nowhere to be found. In the end, she decided she will compare last year's MRI to this year's before making a final assessment, but said she is not worried at all about what she had originally seen - it could have just been the curve of a blood vessel.
I was instantly reassured and completely trust this doctor's instincts; however, for nearly 24hrs leading up to that moment, I found myself once again thinking about surgeries, treatments, radiation, chemo, drugs, implants, wigs, hair scarves, drains, pain, taking time off, etc, etc. How happy I am that I was able to walk out of that doctor's office and leave all those thoughts behind me.... I suppose this calls for another celebration!
This holiday season I am definitely grateful for my health and the health of my family.
Monday, November 7, 2011
The SCAR Project & Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
I don't remember when I first heard about The SCAR Project. It was probably through the YSC. Yesterday, D and I got to visit the last day of the 2nd annual gallery exhibit of The SCAR Project, a collection of images of young women facing breast cancer, beautifully photographed by David Jay.
The SCAR Project website explains:
The mission is three-fold: raise public consciousness of early-onset breast cancer, raise funds for breast cancer research/outreach programs and help young survivors see their scars, faces, figures and experiences through a new, honest and ultimately empowering lens.
For me, this project is so special because when I was doing my research for my own cancer surgeries and decision-making, the one thing I could not find enough of was good examples, and images, of other young women who had been through a similar experience.
I hope to soon get involved with this project. Please check it out here:
The SCAR Project website
The SCAR Project Facebook Page
Also, last month I participated in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Central Park, as part of the New York-Presbyterian hospital team. I raised nearly 2X my $250 goal and it was a nice way to celebrate finally circling back around to a year since this all began! Click here for my donation page and for more information please go to the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer website.
The SCAR Project website explains:
The mission is three-fold: raise public consciousness of early-onset breast cancer, raise funds for breast cancer research/outreach programs and help young survivors see their scars, faces, figures and experiences through a new, honest and ultimately empowering lens.
For me, this project is so special because when I was doing my research for my own cancer surgeries and decision-making, the one thing I could not find enough of was good examples, and images, of other young women who had been through a similar experience.
I hope to soon get involved with this project. Please check it out here:
The SCAR Project website
The SCAR Project Facebook Page
Also, last month I participated in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Central Park, as part of the New York-Presbyterian hospital team. I raised nearly 2X my $250 goal and it was a nice way to celebrate finally circling back around to a year since this all began! Click here for my donation page and for more information please go to the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer website.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Can't a girl catch a break?!
Last night I had emergency surgery to remove an ovarian cyst I didn't know I had. What's worse is I am smack in the middle of my orientation for a new internship program I have started.
Saturday night D and I were celebrating his grandfather's birthday with his whole family. I was having weird discomfort all night but I thought it was a GI issue - - maybe I ate too much or had gas or something. Trying to go to the bathroom didn't help though.
I made it through all of Sunday (yesterday) feeling perfectly fine as usual. Then, around 10 or 10:30 PM I started developing a bit of an abdominal pain that started spreading and becoming more and more painful and violent. Before I knew it I was crying in excrutiating pain (and I actually have a really high pain tolerance!). I was pretty sure it must have something to do with my new IUD. If not, then it had to be GI-related or maybe a UTI.
We called my OB/GYN since the IUD was my first thought. She was concerned I could be pregnant despite the IUD, or have ruptured a cyst. She advised us to go to the hospital she is affiliated with so that she could come take care of me if my condition warranted a visit from her.
While trying to put on some clothes to wear to the hospital, I ended up sprawled on my bedroom floor in pain. Something was definitely wrong.
At the hospital, once we finally were given a bed in the ER, my doctor's team, a resident and a PA, came to see me. After a pregnancy test turned out negative, they explained they were concerned I had a cyst and did an ultrasound to look for one. Sure enough, I had a moderate to large cyst (5 x 7 cm) on one of my ovaries. They explained how a cyst can cut off the blood flow to an ovary so you have to remove a big threatening cyst like that or you can lose your ovary. They were pretty sure I was going to have to go immediately into emergency surgery, but were waiting for my doctor for the final word.
When my doctor came she basically confirmed everything they said except that she didn't think the blood flow to the ovary was being cut off. That said, it was a large cyst and I was in a lot of pain, so there was no room to send me home "under observation" - - I was definitely going into surgery ASAP. I would not be going back home without having surgery first.
By the time I was being wheeled into surgery it was probably around 4AM this (Monday) morning. As they pushed me to the OR in a wheelchair, all I could think was "I can't believe I'm about to have another surgery!" It just didn't seem real. It didn't seem possible!
Before the surgery my doctor had explained that depending what kinds of incisions she had to make and what she found once inside, I could be in the hospital anywhere from just that day, to three days, to up to a week. Fortunately, I ended up with the most ideal situation: she was able to do the surgery laparoscopically, with just a slit above either hipbone, and the ovary was not cut off from its blood source and did not have to be removed. I could leave the same day. (Since coming home I found out from D that the cyst actually ruptured sometime between the ultrasound and the surgery.)
I spent the whole morning recovering in the PACU. I was allowed to eat but my mouth was so dry and no amount of ice chips, water, tea, cranberry juice or losenges was helping. So I felt like I was choking on the eggs that my brother-in-law brought back for me. When D brought sugary croissants it was exactly what I needed to get the salivary juices flowing! I also finally managed to pee too. I had a lot of discomfort but as soon as my CBC results came back normal, I could go home!
I was given some basic discharge instructions and a presription for percocet, which I had already had at home from my last surgery. At home I took some drugs and then we snacked and napped. As soon as the 6 hours of drug effectiveness was up, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my abdomen. I took more drugs and we ate dinner. Now, I am still walking funny and sitting up straight is a challenge, but the drugs help enough that I am going to try to make it back to school tomorrow. Wish me luck!
What a night.
Saturday night D and I were celebrating his grandfather's birthday with his whole family. I was having weird discomfort all night but I thought it was a GI issue - - maybe I ate too much or had gas or something. Trying to go to the bathroom didn't help though.
I made it through all of Sunday (yesterday) feeling perfectly fine as usual. Then, around 10 or 10:30 PM I started developing a bit of an abdominal pain that started spreading and becoming more and more painful and violent. Before I knew it I was crying in excrutiating pain (and I actually have a really high pain tolerance!). I was pretty sure it must have something to do with my new IUD. If not, then it had to be GI-related or maybe a UTI.
We called my OB/GYN since the IUD was my first thought. She was concerned I could be pregnant despite the IUD, or have ruptured a cyst. She advised us to go to the hospital she is affiliated with so that she could come take care of me if my condition warranted a visit from her.
While trying to put on some clothes to wear to the hospital, I ended up sprawled on my bedroom floor in pain. Something was definitely wrong.
At the hospital, once we finally were given a bed in the ER, my doctor's team, a resident and a PA, came to see me. After a pregnancy test turned out negative, they explained they were concerned I had a cyst and did an ultrasound to look for one. Sure enough, I had a moderate to large cyst (5 x 7 cm) on one of my ovaries. They explained how a cyst can cut off the blood flow to an ovary so you have to remove a big threatening cyst like that or you can lose your ovary. They were pretty sure I was going to have to go immediately into emergency surgery, but were waiting for my doctor for the final word.
When my doctor came she basically confirmed everything they said except that she didn't think the blood flow to the ovary was being cut off. That said, it was a large cyst and I was in a lot of pain, so there was no room to send me home "under observation" - - I was definitely going into surgery ASAP. I would not be going back home without having surgery first.
By the time I was being wheeled into surgery it was probably around 4AM this (Monday) morning. As they pushed me to the OR in a wheelchair, all I could think was "I can't believe I'm about to have another surgery!" It just didn't seem real. It didn't seem possible!
Before the surgery my doctor had explained that depending what kinds of incisions she had to make and what she found once inside, I could be in the hospital anywhere from just that day, to three days, to up to a week. Fortunately, I ended up with the most ideal situation: she was able to do the surgery laparoscopically, with just a slit above either hipbone, and the ovary was not cut off from its blood source and did not have to be removed. I could leave the same day. (Since coming home I found out from D that the cyst actually ruptured sometime between the ultrasound and the surgery.)
I spent the whole morning recovering in the PACU. I was allowed to eat but my mouth was so dry and no amount of ice chips, water, tea, cranberry juice or losenges was helping. So I felt like I was choking on the eggs that my brother-in-law brought back for me. When D brought sugary croissants it was exactly what I needed to get the salivary juices flowing! I also finally managed to pee too. I had a lot of discomfort but as soon as my CBC results came back normal, I could go home!
I was given some basic discharge instructions and a presription for percocet, which I had already had at home from my last surgery. At home I took some drugs and then we snacked and napped. As soon as the 6 hours of drug effectiveness was up, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my abdomen. I took more drugs and we ate dinner. Now, I am still walking funny and sitting up straight is a challenge, but the drugs help enough that I am going to try to make it back to school tomorrow. Wish me luck!
What a night.
Friday, August 5, 2011
The Pink Daisy Project
I just read about this great resource in this article on CNN.com
Check out their website here: The Pink Daisy Project
Check out their website here: The Pink Daisy Project
Friday, July 29, 2011
Breast Cancer in the News - - Here's What I'm Reading
When a Breast Cancer Surgeon's Mother Undergoes a Double Mastectomy
Washingtonian - July 5, 2011
Brooklyn Cancer Survivor Receives Donations Of Breast Milk For Her Baby
CBS New York - July 28, 2011
Breast Cancer: Tamoxifen Saves Lives but Some Women Go Without It - ABC News
July 29, 2011
Washingtonian - July 5, 2011
Brooklyn Cancer Survivor Receives Donations Of Breast Milk For Her Baby
CBS New York - July 28, 2011
Breast Cancer: Tamoxifen Saves Lives but Some Women Go Without It - ABC News
July 29, 2011
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