Originally posted on Team Yvonne on July 27, 2014The Cancer Skinny
Have not blogged in a long time…things after radiation went pretty textbook…DIEP flap surgery, removed the tissue expanders, moved my stomach tissue up to make new breasts…then got a little fat grafting and everything looked great! Hubby was promoted to Captain, Chloe graduated 8th grade with honors and Sydney finished 4th grade with Honors and tons of good citizenship awards for her class. We moved from Charleston, SC after a couple of weeks of good parties and back to the DC metro area to more friends and family.
Right before we left Charleston, my shoulder started to bother me and the NP thought it was just stress and recommended a massage. Don’t have to tell me to get a massage twice…I was there! But, after our move…the shoulder still hurt, so I thought I better get it checked out and found a new Oncologist in the DMV. In the meantime, I connected back with my old run group at Pacers (some of the best ladies ever) and started a hard ass strength class called Solidcore.
Went to see the new Oncologist for my shoulder and she decided to order an MRI for the shoulder and a bone scan, since I am still in the super cautious window from my Breast Cancer. The shoulder MRI came back showing just a little bursitis, which is ok to deal with….just some strong ibuprofen and PT. But, then she said they saw a spot on my sternum from the bone scan. Thank goodness Jason was with me for that appointment because I cracked right in front of the doc. She says let’s get a PET Scan and MRI of the sternum area specifically before we make any conclusions… It could have been damage from the radiation. My gut said it was bad, and my gut is usually right.
Went for the PET scan and MRI the same week because I was not waiting over a weekend for results. Side note: Sibley Hospital’s PET SCAN machine went down and they tried to push it to the following week, I had to push back and say unacceptable, find another place for me today…the docs office made it happen the same day….lesson here…be an active patient!
All results came back by Friday morning and Jason and I went to see the doc together…my chart was hanging on the outside door of the room we were walking in to wait for the doctor, so I read the report early…it’s my report…right?! I saw metastic and sternum…my worst fear was realized. Told Jason and we just stared at each other until the doc came in and gave us the details.
So, the Cancer has escaped from the original spot of left breast area and lymph nodes or it may be new cancer cells. Spots include left neck lymph nodes, sternum and behind right breast plate. Have to get spots biopsied to determine estrogen markers and to plan treatment. It is incurable, but treatable. I will start a monthly shot to protect the rest of my bones on Monday. I told him I want to live, not just survive and I have two very busy daughters that I need to see go to college and get married and by the way I have all of these marathons on my calendar this fall.
He told me to keep running (I like him) and stay as active as I feel up to…it will help. I can do that. I try to negotiate what chemo I do not want to do again…no more ACT aka the red devil chemo… Yay! May have to do Taxol again…boo! May only get oral chemo pills…yay! I do not want to lose my hair again…no guarantee on that either…boo!
He wants me to meet some of his patients that have been living a good life
for decades…I am eager to do that.
for decades…I am eager to do that.
So, next week I get my bone strengthen shot and a biopsy. My hubby and kiddos have agreed to be ALL IN again to support me through this treatment…I Love them to the moon and back! So, I have to do my part too and be a good patient, take care of myself and let God heal me!
Peace and Namaste.
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