Grade 2 infiltrating ductal
My story starts with being quite overdue for a mammagram which i had on 31st july; never expecting anything to happen--the tests-mammagram and ultrasound took quite awhile and even when i was told to see my gp later in the day it didnt really hit me that anything too amiss could be wrong.
My lovely gp made a great referral to a well known female surgeon who did this little trick where she didnt look at the mammagram and ultrasound report but first looked at the images and talked me through what she was noticing--several sections were deemed nothinng to be bothered about but her findings matched the report -except for only one lump being of 'concern'. She asked me to do two tests with her hospital-biospy and nuclear dye test for lymph node. Both were done in a few days time and the nuclear dye one was shceduled for the night before my operation.
At this point what really worked for me was that i have a long relationship with my gp who has great referral sources and she was able to get me early to see a great surgeon who also only wanted me to see her biospy specialist and nuclear team--all women so far, so good..
My results were given to me in later august and my surgeon
infiltrating ductal breast cancer
grade 2 20mm
one lymph node 0.8 mm
er postiive
pr postiive
her2 negative
also spoke that the 3 oncologists consulted on my results recommended chemo and radiation therapy. I fainted twice and felt a mixture of dread, fear and embarrsement! The week later i had a day off to just let it sink in and my fear of chemotherapy was worst then dying but in that week i did realise that i would need to do this obviously if three oncologists were advising this. A very long week later i presented to a oncologist -first male in this process..not connected to the private hospital and after agonsizing small talk--he says--chemotherapy is overused in my clinical picture and says surgery has probably done all thats needed, but lets do radiation and given my results, hormonal treatment is what is needed; perhps..but only slight hint of suggestion-that maybe hysterectomy may be needed given my age. I remember entertaining the slight notion that an oncologist may not recommend chemo and i thought- could i cope with this given most of the information i had seemed to assume chemotherapy was 'best practice'--well the answer is that instantly my anxiety just dropped and i thought 'i can do this' --
then the long wait for radiation at a cancer specialising hospital; this wait seemed even worse after the surgeon seeing me at 7.30 and the speed of everything else and then i became anxious again--waiting seemed to be easier if you had 'chemo' on board but i was 'only' having radiation therapy ...i called and the hosptial although pleasant were firm-- i checked if there were private radiation places and got worked up
At this point i really felt that my treatment --from sites such as this one and american sites-- was really kind of fringe --and not helped by everyone around me assuming chemotherapy. I did google some research sites that said removal of lumps was just as successful as mascetomies and surgery and radiation were best practices but i still wondered if this had got filtered down to real practice.
Started radiation in mid Ocotober --not quiet the walk in the park as fatigue set in -thankfully i organised tow weeks off and so far in the 'journey' i have taken 3 weeks off work--and last week i had a good conversation about my 'fringe' status with kmy breast cancer treatment and the doctor looked amazed--she ..again got to love all this female energy ..says there are no oncologists at this huge hospital that would recommend chemotherapyor mascetomies in my case..and i am not on any fringe...that my treatment is 'standard'...
At this point im glad my surgeon didnt play it safe and refer me to private hospital colleagues, and im glad i have had time to process that fear and it didnt overly impact on my treatment
i havent had scans, blood tests and the like. i did have a bowel test but only as it came free in the mail and apparently a belated 50th bday gift from the government..and a papsmear test as that is also two years overdue; they were fine. I did have a scan when one of my ribs was noticed to be bigger...guess what its always been bigger...so im working on that everything is going to be ok ...and accept when that 'worry' comes up...
This is my story so far--so far there only seems to be a few active women on this site who are similiar to me--but i know they are out there --with hair probably...we are probably not going to make it as ambassadors, or motivational speakers...or make the front page of the local newspaper but with kerry ann kennelly as our role model we will have our voice!!!
