Looking Up

 In case I didn't already blog this, I got some good news. I had a sonogram of my breast and the tumor has gone down 30%! The meds are working. We will keep monitoring this to see if I need surgery by the end of the year. Hopefully, not!

Not only did the breast tumor go down but he couldn't even find the one in the lymph node.

As far as the one on my vertebrae, they will be zapping me with radiation to take care of that. I went for another MRI today. It will be more concise than the previous one. Tomorrow I get to do another CT Scan. The radiologist will put the two tests together so she can have a precise area to shoot the radiation.

I am told I will only have to go a few times, and that there are no side effects (except I might get tired). 

It would be nice if I can have all this done by the end of the year. The oncologist told me if I had to have cancer, this was the best kind to get. Very curable. 

Catching Up

 The biopsy went well. Any time I'd moan they'd give me meds, so that's good. It was pretty quick. I did get lost looking for the right place, though. Followed signs that said "Surgery Waiting Room." Sat there 20 minutes, then decided to look for a bathroom. I pass a desk that says, "Surgery Sign In." So I ask the guy about this and he sends me back upstairs to a different check in area. And then I'm sent back down again, only this time I was given what to look for: "Special Procedures." They said they'd been trying to find me and I told them I was sent the wrong way. But it all worked out okay. 

I am still somewhat sore from the procedure, though.

Went to Dr. Ahmed's office yesterday to get the results. Mike and I were both very nervous, not knowing what we'd hear.

Yes, I do have cancer on my spine. But even though I'm in Stage 4 (I think that means it has started to spread) we caught it very early. I'll be on 2 different meds for some time that will deal with the breast cancer. (Actually, "malignant neoplasm of left breast, estrogen receptor positive.) I might need surgery or radiation. There will be a meeting of the doctors to discuss my case. I go back in 2 weeks to see what my next step will be.

Mike and I are both feeling very relieved. I'm still sick, but I think I can handle this. I have been on one med for a while (I think it is an estrogen blocker) and add a second one as soon as it gets delivered. I haven't felt side effects from med 1, but might with med 2. Mike points out that I will be more likely to get sick from other people so I have to avoid anyone with a virus. Not that I hang out much with anyone, anyway.

I've come to the acceptance stage of all this, but I will always wonder how the hell it happened.

Side note: 2 of my neighbors have cancer, too! One has rectal cancer (ouch) but I don't know what the other one has. 

I'm beginning to think Long Island Syndrome is a real thing.

Bio Tomorrow

 I have to be there at 10 and will be under sedation. Alas, Mike can't come with me. But since I will be there 4 hours I'm sure he'd prefer to do something else than sit in the waiting room!

I am steeled to the possibility of this being cancer. At this point, nothing would surprise me. 

Some Goodish News

 They were going to send me into NYC for a biopsy of my T2 vertebrate. Mike and I said, "NO." It is just too stressful for us to go into the city these days. For one thing, it's about a 2 hour drive from here!

So Dr. Ahmed made a call to StonyBrook to see if there was someone there who would do this procedure. (Apparently it's tricky.) Mike took it on himself to make phone calls, and spent over THREE HOURS being shuffled back and forth until he finally got through to the office of the doctor who can do this.

So the goodish news is that we are set to go to Stony Brook next week. Really good news would be, "whoops, our bad--you don't have cancer."

But this is just wishful thinking.

Crap

Yes, it is cancer. And I have cancer in the nearest lymph node.

Results from a back MRI I had last week are inconclusive--either it is more cancer or something called Pagets Disease (a bone problem second only to osteoporosis). Never mind 'crap.' FUCK!!!!

Seriously, HOW????? I don't drink to excess, I don't smoke. I don't eat too much junk food. Is it because I live on Long Island and have for 64+ years?

I see my doctor on Wednesday and my oncologist on Friday. I will be having a biopsy on my spine at some point--sooner than later, I hope. I have to say the doctors are moving quite well on all this. I just want to be done with it, whatever it takes. 

A Bit of a Scare

I went to the doctor a while back because of a damned cough I can't shake. She sent me for a CTscan.

The CTscan showed "something" so I went for a PTscan.

Turns out I have a pea-sized 'lump' inside my breast. I had a biopsy taken last week and I have a HUGE bruise there. I went for a mammogram today and a sonogram. Fortunately, neither hurt the bruised area. I learned my last mammo was 11 years ago. I vow to do better from now on.

No word yet on if the lump is cancer. The oncologist is 99% sure it is. Whatever, at least it was caught early on. He says surgery is easy, so I'm not terribly worried about it.

The cough, I suppose, is due to allergies. I have some medicines for it.

What it really is, is a blessing in disguise. Without it, I wouldn't have gone to the doctor and we wouldn't know about whatever is going on in me.

Sad

It is hard to write this, but I am not going to be a Grandma  next January. Michael called at 6:30 am yesterday (a Sunday) to say Megan had a miscarriage. They were at the hospital so he must have taken there. I don't know the whole story.

Megan is resting at home and healing physically. Michael and Megan are both healing emotionally.

One day at a time...

(I put away all the baby things I was making, but they will come out again soon, I hope!