Post Surgery and Cancer Diagnosis

The days that followed my surgery I was never in any major pain.  I stayed on top of the pain medications and did what the doctor's told me to do, rest but try to get up and walk as much as I felt comfortable.  I can't lift my arms or pick up anything over ten pounds.

For five days after surgery I had brought some books to the hospital to read but I could not see or read anything up close.  I thought I would have to get bifocals because my friends and family would shoot me text messages and emails and I could not read or respond to any of them.  The doctors said anesthesia does have short term effects on eye sight. 

My only complaint is my right arm and hand.  Dr. Grange did say it was difficult putting in my chemo port because I am so small and don't have much meat on my bones.  Either the swelling or the port itself is sitting on a nerve which makes my index and middle finger completely numb.  It wouldn't be a major issue but it is on my right hand.  I can't physically write anything.  I have been wanting to write thank you notes for a week now but I physically can not do it.  Steve left me for an hour one day to go grab a sandwich.  I thought I could handle Olivia's lunch a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich but the jelly jar was brand new and I could not open it.  I can't do my hair or make up, use a fork or cut up fruit.  It is so frustrating!  Dr. Grange wanted to see if it was the swelling that was pushing on the nerve but I know it is not the swelling because it is getting worse.  I couldn't sleep at all last night because any which way I put my arm a sharp pain shoots up to my fingers.  Other then that my all my drains were taken out a week after the surgery and my body is healing quickly so they moved my chemo date up to start May 5th.

Steve and I met with Dr. Grange this past Thursday to get the results from the pathology report.  This will finally give me my stage of cancer.  I learned through this process women have 30 lymph nodes each on the right and left side of their breasts.  Lymph nodes are small bean-shaped parts of the lymphatic system that drains fluid outside blood vessels which is called lymph.

Lymph nodes produce immune cells to help fight infection. They also filter the lymph fluid and remove foreign material, such as bacteria or cancer. Common areas where lymph nodes can be felt include the armpit, behind the ears, and sides of the neck.

When breast cancer spreads, lymph nodes in and around the armpit are some of the first places it travels, and surgeons often remove some of these nodes to determine whether the cancer has spread.

Dr. Grange removed 27 of the 30 lymph nodes and all 27 tested positive for cancer.  My tumor a month ago when I met with my OB GYN Dr. Dan Kirsch was 3-4 cm in my left breast. In one month it grew to 6 1/2 cm.  That is huge tumor!  Dr. Grange tested the tissue on my right breast and said she found the beginnings of cancerous tumors on my right breast.  If you are diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age cancer is much more aggressive.  If I had gone through with the second opinion I was seeking at the time it could have been an extra two weeks and I could have been at stage IV.  I am so glad I went with my instincts this time.  I stopped my second opinion early because I just knew I didn't have much time based on my first opinion.

To get the stage this is the chart they go by:  If you scroll all the way down to IIIC this is my stage and diagnosis.

Stage 0
Stage 0 is used to describe non-invasive breast cancers, such as DCIS and LCIS. In stage 0, there is no evidence of cancer cells or non-cancerous abnormal cells breaking out of the part of the breast in which they started, or of getting through to or invading neighboring normal tissue.

Stage I
-Stage I describes invasive breast cancer (cancer cells are breaking through to or invading neighboring normal tissue) in which:
-the tumor measures up to 2 centimeters, AND
-no lymph nodes are involved

Stage II
Stage II is divided into subcategories known as IIA and IIB.
Stage IIA describes invasive breast cancer in which:
-no tumor can be found in the breast, but cancer cells are found in the axillary lymph nodes (the lymph nodes under the arm), OR
-the tumor measures 2 centimeters or less and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes, OR
-the tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than 5 centimeters and has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes

Stage IIB describes invasive breast cancer in which:
-the tumor is larger than 2 but no larger than 5 centimeters and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes, OR
-the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters but has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes

Stage III
Stage III is divided into subcategories known as IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC.
Stage IIIA describes invasive breast cancer in which either:
-no tumor is found in the breast. Cancer is found in axillary lymph nodes that are clumped together or sticking to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone, OR
-the tumor is 5 centimeters or smaller and has spread to axillary lymph nodes that are clumped together or sticking to other structures, OR
-the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters and has spread to axillary lymph nodes that are clumped together or sticking to other structures

Stage IIIB describes invasive breast cancer in which:
-the tumor may be any size and has spread to the chest wall and/or skin of the breast AND
-may have spread to axillary lymph nodes that are clumped together or sticking to other structures, or cancer -may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone
-Inflammatory breast cancer is considered at least stage IIIB.

Stage IIIC describes invasive breast cancer in which:  THIS IS MY STAGE
-there may be no sign of cancer in the breast or, if there is a tumor, it may be any size and may have spread to the chest wall and/or the skin of the breast, AND MY CANCER DID NOT SPREAD TO MY CHEST WALL
-the cancer has spread to lymph nodes above or below the collarbone, AND
 MY CANCER DID NOT SPREAD TO MY COLLARBONE
-the cancer may have spread to axillary lymph nodes or to lymph nodes near the breastbone

Stage IV
Stage IV describes invasive breast cancer in which:
the cancer has spread to other organs of the body -- usually the lungs, liver, bone, or brain

"Metastatic at presentation" means that the breast cancer has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes, even though this is the first diagnosis of breast cancer. The reason for this is that the primary breast cancer was not found when it was only inside the breast. Metastatic cancer is considered stage IV.

After Dr. Grange told me my stage I kept thinking thank God it wasn't stage IV and it did not spread.  It really didn't sink in how serious my condition was until after I got home and did a little research.  I know I am not a statistic but the statistics show 49% of people who are diagnosed with Stage IIIC breast cancer live up to 5 years after they are diagnosed.  I am praying now that the chemotherapy and radiation kills off all the cancer cells that could have been left behind after surgery.  I also pray that after 2012 I never have to hear the words "You have cancer" again! 

I hate cancer more then ever.  It took the life of Hannah a 5 year old girl who passed away Easter morning.  She is in my Auntie Em Prays section.  Two out of three have been killed by cancer since I did the Cancer walk down in Lincoln.  Hannah's story was introduced to me by my friend Kathi.  It makes me angry that her life was cut short.  The other two people Kathi was walking for was her boss Bob who passed away last year from cancer and me.  I don't plan on going any where with out a fight.  I am determined to come out of my situation cancer free and help other women who find themselves battling with breast cancer.

Ladies, Please do your self breast exams  two to three days after your period.  It saved my life and it will save yours!

Surgery Day!

Friday, April 15, 2011

6:30 AM  Steve and I arrive and check in at Midland's Hospital.

I am introduced to my nurse as she takes me back for a urine sample, wash down with surgical wipes, change in to my hospital gown, surgery tights, stockings and surgery cap.  Holy cow did I look ridiculous!  My mom and dad arrived for a last good bye and of course my dad was trying to get a picture of me.  Needless to say I won..there were NO Pictures!

I was starting to get anxious as there was a clock right in front of me and I found myself staring at the seconds.

7:15 AM
The anesthesiologist came in and asked me a LOT of questions and said I was going to be his easiest client.  I have been healthy my entire life, he laughed when I told him I never had a cavity, so there were no major concerns.

The nurses put in my IV and Dr. Grange (the general surgeon) came in to brief us before surgery.  The surgery lasts at least four hours so Dr. Montag (the cosmetic surgeon) wouldn't arrive for another hour when Dr. Grange needed her to start with her part. 

7:45 AM...now I am starting to get really nervous....only 15 minutes until surgery.

Dr. Grange is doing double mastectomy and a biopsy on my lymph nodes. If they test positive for cancer then she removes those nodes and several ones around them to make sure she removes all of the cancer.  Dr. Montag will move in after Dr. Grange and insert expanders under my breast muscle.  They look like deflated balloons and once I heal from the surgery (3-4 weeks) I will go in every week to have them filled with saline solution to help stretch my skin to my desired size. (This could take 3-6 months) I am going for a B cup this time... a gift to myself!  Once I get to a B cup then the expanders are removed in another surgery then an implant will take its place.  When it is all said and done I will look like a barbie.  Ta Ta's with no nipples and they will move with me.  Another bonus, when I am eighty my boobs will still be perky!  =)

THANK YOU Midlands Choice Insurance for my new Ta Ta's! =)

I remember one of the nurses say I probably won't remember much of the conversation because they started to administer the anesthesia.

8 AM

I remember the nurses rolling my bed past Steve and my parents going to the surgery room and then darkness....

9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM,

12 PM (Steve said Dr. Montag came out and said everything was going fine, Dr. Grange was finishing up and should be done around 12:30 PM,

1PM.......

1:30 PM They finally got me to wake up from the anesthesia.

All I remember is seeing my mother and father-in-law and saying thank you for coming and then I was out for the rest of the day.

I don't remember this but Steve said when I woke up I was complaining of a pain in my arm. (from my port for chemo)

I am not sure when I woke up again but it was later in the evening and Steve was in a reclining chair next to me watching TV.  At this point I met my night nurse Megan who promised me to give me the much needed pain medications every 4 hours.  She brought me some water and did bring me my medications every four hours.  I had no pain. =)

Thanks to Marv and Annette my in-laws who drove all the way from Remsen, my friend Lyndsey who sat with my family and Steve while I slept, my parents who waited patiently for me to come out of surgery.  Thank you to my husband who was by my side through out today, Saturday and Sunday.

Thank you to my sister-in-laws Rebecca and Jessica who sent me pink roses.

Thank you to my Aunt Vicki and Uncle Denny who sent a bouquet of flowers.

Thank you to Ruth, Scott, Grant and Kyle who sent flowers.

Thank you to Leah, Chad and Charlie for the beautiful Tulips.

Thank you to my Aunt Linde, Uncle Terry, Leah and Chad for having cleaners come to our house.  It was spotless!

Thank you to Crystal for coming to visit me the next day, for the flowers, magazines for Steve and gift for Olivia.

Thank you Lyndsey for coming to visit me the next day.

Thank you Sasha for my get well kit! =)

Thank you Louise for my support pillows.



Thank you to my mom and sister for coming to visit me the next day.

Thank you Travis and Michelle for watching Jake and Elwood.

Thank you to my sister for watching Olivia the entire weekend.  I am sure she had a blast hanging out with her cousins.

Thank you to Dr.Grange and Dr. Montag and the staff of Midlands Hospital.  You made my stay very comfortable and helped me to get on the fast track to a complete recovery.

My Cancer is Genetic

When I was diagnosed with cancer in March, I never thought I could get cancer.  Cancer does not run in my family.  I am healthy, I exercise on a regular basis, I do not smoke, I eat my fruits and vegetables.  I never thought I was at risk until today.   I met with Twilla Westercamp at Bergan Mercy Medical Center for the second time to get the results of my genetic testing. 

I must be lucky because I fall in the top 10% of having a mutation since birth.  What this means is my mom and/or dad  is a carrier.  This increases the risk of my mom and sister to develop breast and ovarian cancer, and my dad to develop prostate and breast cancer. 

The scary part is I could have passed this down to my daughter Olivia.  Twilla did say they are doing several clinical trials on vaccines to fix mutations.  What this means is by the time Olivia is old enough (19 years old) to have genetic testing they will have a cure to prevent cancer that come from mutations.  Thank God for modern medicine!

What is a mutation?  I am not quite sure myself because I am learning all this medical "stuff" all at once.  This is what I got out of it.  Cells reproduce all the time, copy each other and die off.  So let's say my cells ABCD are copied several times then die off the correct way.  The mutation I have is causing my cells to reproduce incorrectly.  I developed cancer because B and C switched and my cells are reproducing as ACBD which is incorrect.  Because my cells are being copied the wrong way, they will not die off causing my tumor to grow.  This is how I developed cancer.

My cancer is 1/3 estrogen based which is stimulated from pregnancy which is why I can not carry a child again.  The risk of the cancer coming back is extremely high and either I stay around for Olivia to grow up or I try for number two and not be around for either one.

In some ways I am relieved to know this so I can prepare Olivia when she is older.  I will have genetic testing done on her. 

T-minus 11 hours and counting and my cancer will be removed.  I am so relieved to get it out.  I can actually feel it growing and it is pinching a nerve which sends a sharp pain down my back.  It will be so nice to know it is out.  Please pray it has not spread and the doctors can remove all of the cancer.

Thank you so much to all my friends and family who have sent me well wishes and prayers.  I am so grateful to have you in my life.

Ta Ta for now!