Since hearing the doctor tell me last Thursday that I have breast cancer, I have been anxiously awaiting today's appointment with the breast surgeon. Dr. Soto-Hamlin is the best in the area. She seems to be a very kind women,explaining everything very well and talking about all the options and their risks and benefits. I had been doing my research as well and Mike and I have spoken at length. In the end, I decided to have a bilateral mastectomy, removing both the left breast with cancer and the right breast. The lymph nodes on the left side will be checked by injecting the area ahead of time with a dye and removing just the sentinel node. If the sentinel node, or "gate keeper node" shows no sign of cancer, she will not have to remove any further nodes, decreasing the likelihood of post-surgical lymphedema, or swelling.
After seeing Dr. Soto-Hamlin and speaking with her for probably an hour, Mike and I met with the surgical coordinator. She was able to schedule the surgery for Thursday, August 18th. I am happy it is so soon. I much prefer moving down this road quickly, not waiting for the next step for too long. Jeanne, the coordinator, spoke about the variety of other appointments I should be having, (also scheduled for the next week or so), and answered lots of the questions I have about the recovery process. I found it incredible that a surgery that seems so huge actually only requires an overnight hospital stay. Further appointments were made for a pre-surgical physical therapy consult, a post-surgical medical oncology consult, a pre-surgical MRI, blood work and an EKG Wow!!
That's a lot of medical information for one day. Mike and I are tired this evening - lots of anxiety for the past week and an overload of information. But we are a team and no women could ask for a better or more supportive husband. And of course, my best friend, my sister Nancy, is the one that I call any time at all and is ALWAYS there for me! My two sisters- in- law, both breast cancer survivors themselves, are welcoming me into that "Pink Ribbon Club." Not a group I really ever wanted to join but they are both such incredible, strong women!!
Thinking about losing both breasts in a couple weeks makes me sad. I know it is the right thing to do and it will give me a much greater peace of mind. But I will miss them. They are so much the outward sign of femininity. But I will still be me, the same strong, smart woman I have always been. And I am learning, and I am sure, will continue to learn, how many people I have supporting me...and Mike as we continue down this road.
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