One In Eight

One in eight North American women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives which is the highest rate of breast cancer in the world. Think of your friends and acquaintances - one in eight. Think of your family members, grandmothers, mothers, sisters, nieces, aunts, cousins, one in eight!

Now that I am nearing the end of my treatment and at least past the really icky stuff, I can look back and I know that if I had it to over again, I would. If I had to I wouldn't have to think twice. If you are reading this and just starting on your "journey" through this dreadful disease, I would tell you that you should do whatever it takes. I would say that as awful as chemo and radiation are - it is doable. The reality is that you can fight and win, you may fight and lose but you will not win if you don't fight.

Since my last update, I have seen a visiting oncologist who just checked me over and okayed orders for me to continue with the herceptin. I think I have about 6 or 7 to go and then I am done with that. YAY! This oncologist agreed that the surgeon should have a look at my fluid build up on the mastectomy site. In between times I saw my family doctor and he couldn't think of a reason that the surgeon needed to see it. He was willing to drain it for me right there but as far as he could see there wasn't much to drain. I decided to wait as I was waiting for Dr H to return my call. I ended up getting an appointment notice in the mail instead of a phone call. My doctor had also booked a mammogram for me so I arranged the appointments to be on the same day. Dr H did drain the fluid but it turns out that Dr S was right - I didn't need to see the surgeon at all.

I told him I still haven't heard from Dr Z (the plastic surgeon) but he said to be patient, you know that these things always take a lot of time. Yes this certainly is a waiting game. He said that this would give me lots of time to consider my options. I said the problem with that is that I don't really know what my options are and I just wanted a consult so I can know what I should be thinking about! He thought that sounded reasonable so said he would write another letter for me. Here's hoping I hear something soon.

I also asked him if I needed to stay out of hot tubs since having my lymph nodes removed. He had never heard of that! WTH? Everything I've read on the internet and the literature from the cancer centre say you should avoid them. I wonder where that comes from then since now that is two of my team telling me otherwise. I will be asking my medical oncologist next visit. I think a new one has been hired and I should probably get to see him in March or April.

That same day I ended up just having an ultrasound as I wasn't due for a mammogram for another 6 months. They wanted to take another look at the cysts they saw in August as apparently they were abnormal looking. Everything checked out fine. Whew! It never seems to fail that I get the next appointment in the mail the same day I get home from Saskatoon. My next visit will be March 1 for another echocardiogram. (didn't I just have one???) I guess the last one was December 14 and I have them every 3 months. At least I know that they are looking after me.