My Fight with Breast Cancer

Dr. G scheduled me to have a new bilateral mammogram (meaning both breasts) with ultrasound, as well as a chest x-ray and bone scan.  The Mayo Clinic does all of their blood work and radiology tests in house, so I should get all of my results by tomorrow.
The mammogram was a lot like the first [...]

My pee is radioactive from the injection for the bone scan.  The technician suggested that I “flush twice” after I use the toilet.  Like I don’t have to do that already.  Ha ha, just kidding.

My husband, Mr. Stable-Minded, has insisted on coming with me to get the results of yesterday’s scans.  I don’t want to use the word “crazy” to describe his state of mind, but let’s just say that I didn’t trust him to drive to the appointment. 
We arrived at the Breast Clinic and were ushered into an [...]

Dr. G wants me to get a few more tests.  He thinks that I could benefit from a CT scan of my lungs.  (We still need to get to the bottom of what is making me cough so much.)  He also wants a CT scan of the shadowy spots that showed up on my bone [...]

I had to be at The Mayo Clinic at 7:00 this morning.  This means, that I had to wake up at 5:30 to get there on time, and I was still about 10 minutes late because I underestimated traffic.  I don’t know how people do it every day.  I had road rage just from driving [...]

My next test was an Echocardiogram and EKG.    I have a great pulse and blood pressure, so these tests were no big deal.  I actually found it to be quite relaxing.  The tech placed several nodes on my chest and basically took an ultrasound of my heart.  She had the lights dimmed while I layed there [...]

Today I received my test results from Dr. G.  The breast MRI showed that the tumor was  much bigger than we thought.  In fact, it shows that the tumor is actually comprised of two tumors next to each other.  The MRI also showed that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under my armpit. 

Today, Dr. G mapped out my plan of attack.  Based on all of the testing that has been done so far, this is his recommended course of strategy for my War with Cancer:
Battle 1:  The Chemical War Offense–  Considering how large my tumor is, Dr. G has recommended that I begin chemotherapy.  As soon as [...]

I met my Chemo Oncologist, Dr. N, this afternoon.  He’s a very confusing fellow.  I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as stoic as he.  I guess that’s a good thing.  You don’t want your Oncologist playing the “got your nose” game with you or telling you, “Lighten up!  You’ve got cancer.”  It’s just that when [...]

I’ve been sitting here thinking about today’s appointment with Dr. N.  When I got home today, my husband grilled me about every moment of my appointment.  I’ve been going to the appointments by myself because my husband and I are self-employed with a very busy mortgage company.  (By the way, if you need a mortgage in [...]

I just wanted to take a moment to reflect back on my previous post.  If you read yesterday’s post, you’ll see that my doctor told me that “countless doctors” have looked at my file.  This is the difference between going to a ”learning” hospital that specializes in cancer- like the Mayo Clinic- and just seeing your local oncologist, who probably makes [...]

Today I went to Mayo so that I could have a PET Scan done.  A PET Scan is the most sensitive cancer detecting scan available.  If you have a cancer cell in your body, the PET Scan will find it.  In order for it to be effective, I was not allowed to do any strenuous [...]

Mary was the name of the angelic nurse who hugged me and helped me to calm down.  I allowed her to put an IV in my arm for the CT Scan and she wheeled me in a wheelchair to CT Scanning room.  I had stopped crying, but I couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling of dread.  I allowed the technicians to help [...]

I have an appointment in the Radiology Department of the Mayo Clinic to have a “clip” inserted into the tumor in my right breast.  The clip looks a little bit like a staple, but smaller.  It’s purpose is to monitor how well the chemo will shrink my tumor, if at all.  It will provide the doctor with a [...]

Tonight my mom and dad flew in to Phoenix to be with me for my big day tomorrow.  My mom has been afraid to fly ever since the 9/11 tragedy.  She swore she would never step foot on a plane again.  That was before her baby was sick.
My mom and dad are staying at a [...]

Today I start chemo.  But, before I get my first dose my chemo doctor, Dr. N, wanted me to attend a chemotherapy “class”.  My parents waited in the lobby at the Mayo Clinic while my husband and I were ushered into a section of the Patient Library.  We were crammed into a room with 4 [...]

Dr. N was actually looking for me while I was in the chemo class.  He had the results of my PET scan and needed to speak with me right away.  I went into the examining room with my husband and my father.  Mom elected to wait in the lobby because she was too upset and [...]

I walked out of the office of the Breast Clinic to see my mother sitting in the waiting room looking nervous.  I was still riding the inertia of anger from my awful, metastatic cancer diagnosis!  I didn’t even stop to think as I walked up to my mother and yelled- in front of God and everybody- “Well, [...]

Silence.  The car is so quiet.  I look in the rear view mirror.  Mom is trying to put on her ‘brave front’ which means that she is crying without sound.  It’s like somebody pressed the mute button.  Dad looks shell-shocked.  Michael is holding my hand while he looks out the window and stares in silence.
I [...]

With loved ones in tow, we arrive at the hospital and are directed to the Out-Patient IV (OPIV) ward.   Here, I learn the protocol to be followed every time I have chemo.  
First, I check in so that the chemo nurse can place my chemo order with the pharmacy downstairs.  Second, I’m given a vibrating beeper [...]