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Ok, Pat. You better keep us posted!!

*hugs and healing thoughts going out*

Pat that is so scary, i've been through it twice everthing was fine the lumps were removed, I'm praying that things will go good for you.

Your daughter is so sweet and caring :)

Don't be afraid, and try not to think about it until you get the results. I know six days looks like forever now, but still... Like you've said, don't lose the time on something that is beyond your control. Use these few days to relax and enjoy the things you love. I still believe it's going to be okay.

Take care now, and listen to your own advice :)

Pat that was so sweet of your daughter, hang in there I know it's hard not to worry, I agree with you about that its out of your control I am hoping and praying that everything will be ok.

Oh Pat. I'm sorry that you didn't get the diagnosis you were hoping for.

I want you to know that we're praying for you and sending healing thoughts your way.

Like you said, at least there are no cancer cells in your nodes, and they're only doing a lumpectomy.

PLEASE keep us posted.

I'm so sorry to hear that Pat, I hope and pray everything goes well for you.

-- Edited by Dee on Friday 27th of January 2012 01:26:54 AM

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers everyone! Here's an update...
I met with the surgeon. He wants me to have a breast MRI because he says he still doesn't trust the large lymphnode that got the biopsy. He said it's too large for his liking. Ok, so I told them at the surgeons office that I'm semi-clostrophobic and since my motorcycle crash I am also subject to panic atta! cks. I don't like those mri tubes and don't do well in them at all! I asked for an "open" sided mri and they said they didn't have one for the breast tests, but that my head would be sticking out so I should be ok. NOT!!! It was like being stuck in a tight barrel head first! I had to have to woman pull me out 6 times (I gave it a good shot!) and I think she was getting really frustrated with me but I couldn't help it.
So now I have to have valium, and if that doesn't work, then they will partially sedate me!! This is getting complicated and more scarry! They also didn't tell me that I will be injected with dye by IV! I don't know about you but I would rather there be no surprises!
So I got my "1" valium at the pharmacy and I'll take it with me tomorrow. Yes, we're going to try it again. My hubby has to go with even if they don't sedate me, because of the valium. I've never taken that type of drug before so we'll see what happens. Maybe if they blow a fan on me I'll do better? Least I won't feel like I'm in a can upside down lol. Wish me luck!

Oh yeah, then on wed I see an oncology radiologist for the discussion on the procedure of radiation after my surgery.

Thanks hun, I can use all I can get right now. This darned MRI is necessary so they can decide if I have to have a lumpectomy or a mastectomy and how many nodes to remove. Apparently the dye they are going to inject me with will light up all my nodes so they can tell if it has gone anywhere else! I feel like I'm going to be a reborn with the stuff they're putting inside me hahaha.
Still thinking positive and working. Got the shakes yesterday and heart racing but I'm sure it was just the thought of the surgery getting closer. Hanging in there, and thanks hun! Surgery is in 2 days!

When I had an MRI, it wasn't that bad. Honestly, I almost went to sleep. It was a very rhythmic thumping noise, and humming as well.

Please keep us posted!

Thanks everyone. Well, they had to sedate me for the MRI but I got through it ok. Don't think I was glowing when I left hahaha.
We saw the radiology oncologist on Wed. Surgery postponed for Thurs. We went through all the whatevers with him. While there, I got 4 calls on my cell phone but couldn't respond cause we were in consultation. He kept saying "depending on what your MRI shows"...

So it was the day surgery calling me and so we stopped by the front desk and I was going to answer all their questions while we were there and who should walk up to me at the desk? It was my surgeon! He took us in a small conference room and told us that it was a good thing we waited for the results of the MRI... they found 3 more areas of cancer in the left breast :( and that he didn't think a lumpectomy was a good idea, but he left it up to me. He was recommending bilateral mastectomies, with immediate reconstruction since I am so young lol. He said he couldn't be sure if these were new areas because some cells had migrated or if they just jumped there. He was quite concerned about the incidence of it jumping to the other breast. Of course I opted for the mastectomies, however I had only been thinking about 1 in the back of my mind, trying to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best, kwim?

So we see a plastic surgeon on Monday. They will be doing immediate reconstruction after the mastectomies. I have been watching those types of surgeries on the computer and taking in all my options. I don't know how long between the plastic surgeons visit and the surgery. Both drs have to get their scheduals together. Apparently it can take 6-10 hours in surgery for this I just read. Whatever it takes to save my life!!!

Keep you posted!

I am so sorry Pat I'm keeping you in my thoughts and prayers, hang in there.

Oh thank you so much my forum family. I luv you guys!
I just got the message on my re-schedualed surgery. It is Monday Feb 20. Have to be there at noon and the surgery is at about 3 pm. As for the immediate reconstruction... it isn't exactly going to be immediate :
They will do both mastectomies, then the plastic surgeon will come in and do his part, which includes putting in expanders behind the chest muscles. I will go to his office once a week and they will add more saline until about 408 weeks have gone by. I have to have implants :( but whatever it takes to get rid of the cancer...
In about 3-4 months I'll go back in for a second surgery to remove the expanders and put in the implants and reconstruct the "girls" lol. I don't want "perkie" like everyone has been teasing me about, that wouldn't be natural for someone my age. I need a little sag hahaha. I'll be in the hospital for about 2 days. Don't know what my chest will feel like with all that busyness going on, probably pretty sore. So I may not get back in here till the weekend or so. But I know you guys are here for me and I'll pop in before Monday a couple of times. What a way to get new parts eh? hahahaha

Thanks Kim! I have had many of my customers at work talk to me as survivors, even a mother/daughter set of bc survivors doing great! I am positive that all will be good in the end.

I have tried a couple of times to post an update here but my computer gets a glitch :/ so here goes again lol...

This has all been pretty fast. Diagnosed in Jan with invasive breast cancer, double mastectomy in Feb, chemotherapy in March! And still working on my reconstruction with the plastic surgeon. I do have tissue expanders and they fill them with saline every 3 weeks right before my chemo the next Mon. The ps put in 500cc at surgery. Most people I have read only get not more than about 150cc at surgery! Didn't do so well in the hospital so they kept me 4 days instead of 2.

Even though they did the double mast, I still opted for the chemo. They take all your tissue they remove (5 pounds for me lol) and they send it to a lab for full microscopic testing. They test all kinds of drugs and stuff on it, find out if your hormones are feeding your cancer (mine were but its a good thing) and then they also try chemo and radiation on them. You get a test score that lets your oncologist know what kinds of treatments you should have, if any. Its called an OncoDx test and my score was 22. If it had been below 10 I would not have gone with chemo. And he said that I was not a good candidate for radiation (good!!!). So I am having agressive chemo, every 3 weeks for 4 treatments. Then I will go on hormone blockers to stop any hormones in my body so as not to help any cancer cells that may pop in.

My 1st chemo treatment was at 80% strength. I handled it ok but did have severe nausea for a week + a few more days. The next day after my chemo I go back in to have an injection of a drug that makes the bone marrow over produce white cells and shove them out into my bloodstream to keep all my counts up. If they get too low you can get really sick and/or die. I'm being a good patient! 4 days after that chemo treatment I went back into the hospital to have a power port put in my chest for bloodwork and chemo infusion. I was really sick and after that they found out I had MRSA, a serious staph infection. Got that cured with more meds, and also have meds for nausea plus get anti nausea drugs right before chemo (they call it the "appatizer" hahaha).

So I go tomorrow for my 3rd chemo session and hopefully it won't be as bad as the last one I had. Only 1 thing... I started losing my hair at 16 days after the 1st chemo. It should be all gone by now but I still have 10% left. I look like my grandmother! So I wear hats and scarves and I keep telling my hair to get the heck off my head!! I either want lots of hair or none at all lol. My gf said she's gonna bring over colored markers when my hair finishes falling out and draw on my bald head. she's so funny! Ok I'm done writing here. Sorry it was soooooo long lol . HUGS to you all my forum family!

Thank you for the update Pat!!

Glad you seem to be in such good spirits! That goes a LONG way towards your overall healing.

Keep it up and keep us posted!

Had my last chemo a weeks ago!! YAY me! Saw the oncologist on Wed and had bloodwork done. It was fine. He wants me back in 2 weeks for more bloodwork, then we are going to start the hormone blocker meds.
Saw the plastic surgeon on Thurs. Had my last "fill" in my temporary expanders! It feels like 2 hard rubber tires on my chest :(
He says I will be having my exchange surgery to implants in August. He will also take out my port that was put in my chest for the chemo. Woohoo!

Woot, Pat!! Awesome news! Keep us posted!