Charlotte
I’m going to do updates as they come in and as I find the time. In my last post, “How“, I told you Mom had Breast Cancer. I was wrestling with having to tell him (Troy) and her. I finally got a chance to talk to him alone, and in person. Something like this doesn’t need to be said on the phone, if it can be helped. He said he pretty much already figured it, so we both decided that we would wait until Sunday. The day before the visit with the surgeon. That way she wouldn’t worry and fret and miss sleep. On Sunday evening we sat down. Troy, his girlfriend, (which by the way is Wonderful!), Mom and me.
We talked for a while, then I looked at all three, who were looking at me. Conversation:
Me – “Mom, we have something we want to tell you.”
Mom -”You’re Not Putting Me In A Home. You Hear Me?”
Me – “Oh, hell no Mother”
Mom - ”You better not, I’ll whip your a–” ( We laughed a bit)
Me – “Your results came back and you do have breast cancer”
Mom – “Oh, is that all? I already knew that. But let me tell you one thing, they’re not taking my boob, you hear me? ”
We laughed a bit, all of us. So we discussed the matter a little more and she seemed fine and just wanted to know what we do next. It was kinda like talking about what to have for dinner. Wheww. I was really worried that she would loose it and we all would be crying. Thank You Lord! So see, I’m a worrier, that’s just how I roll.
So now to the visit with the surgeon. Her name is Dr Burene or Buerne, I can’t remember. (I am sure sometimes that I have Alzheimer’s too. Just another phobia of mine). Anyway, the four of us, Troy, Teresa, Mom and myself go the appointment. When we get there, Mom and I go into the room and the Dr, does a sonogram to take a few more pictures and shows us both where it is located. Very cool looking little thingie. (The cancer, not her boob! Keep up with me now). It looks like a little tadpole, Dr points to a very black spot amongst a bunch of white and gray area. She points out that it has a tail. Wow, never saw something like that before. But it did, it looked like a black tadpole.
She then brings Troy and Teresa in the room, (after Mom has redressed, Dr didn’t want to have more than one person in for that, said too many people for such a small room might make Mom nervous, being all undressed and everything). She then tells us our options, of course Mom pipes up and says, “You can’t have my Boob!” Gotta Love Her!
Her cancer is a stage 2 out of 1,2, or 3. It is very small, about the size of the tip of your pinky. (a womans, as a mans might be bigger). Dr gave a bunch of information and options, first she would receive a lumpectomy. Which basically means they take just the cancer tissue and a small amount of good tissue out. But then recommend a procedure called Five Day MammoSite Radiation Treatment which is basically 10 treatments for 5 days, twice a day. I’ve given you the link if you’re interested in finding out more about it.
Supposedly the kind of treatment is very, very successful, and doesn’t make the patient undergo weeks of treatment. Which is what we have decided to try. Mom said she was ok with whatever as long as she didn’t lose her boob. Of Course. So we are going to try it and see how she handles it. If it looks like she may not be able to do this, we’ll try something else. But for now this is how we’ll go.
Thank you again everyone for your support, prayers and love. We need all we can get. I’ll do another update next week. Friday we go in for an MRI as they want to double-check to make sure there isn’t anymore cancer hiding anywhere else they may have missed. Mucho Loves to all of you!
May 22nd, 2011 at 12:47 pm
[...] 6 hours. But surely with three of us working at it, we should be able to do it. Like I said in previous post , she is having the 5 Day Mammosite Radiation Treatment procedure. 2 treatments of radiation [...]