The last week of 2022 was a whirlwind! Christmas was a nice little break from my worries about the biopsy and what was to come next. Once the holiday was over things were kicked into high gear.

Tuesday was a pretty normal day until my cell rang that afternoon. It was my surgeon. It seems that I was topic of the breast cancer tumor board for over an hour that day. The biopsy results still weren’t back, but they were 98% sure it would come back cancer. They spent the time debating back and forth the best way to remove the tumor and how to stop it from multiplying again. The board said it was time to remove the entire left breast, and it needed to be done fast. Due to the urgency to get the surgery done, I wouldn’t be able to have any of the reconstructive part done at the same time. The surgeon went into the details and believe me, my head was spinning. The decision was ultimately mine to make, but I agreed I wanted the best chance of survival. She then promised to call on Wednesday, probably in the afternoon, with the results and surgery info.

Warp-speed get my life in order began immediately. Work projects were hastily finished or handed off. Massive amounts of laundry were completed. The surgeon called Wednesday around 10am saying that the biopsy came back as cancer. It had mutated from the original tumor and was more aggressive than they originally thought. My best bet was a mastectomy. I agreed. They wanted to do surgery that afternoon, and since I only had a cup of tea, surgery was possible. I was being added to the schedule as an add on, so the surgery center would be in touch soon with a time to come in.

I then called the hubs and my mom and told them it was go time. They both arrived at the house a half hour later. While I was on the phone with the hospital sorting out details, the two of them packed up the Christmas decorations and got the house in tip top shape. They did their best to keep my mind off of what was going to happen.

Finally, it was time to go. Mom headed back to her place and the hubs and I took off towards the hospital. Due to COVID regulations, hubs could only stay with me in the waiting room. Once I was brought to the prep area the hubs was sent home to wait. While I understand that they want to reduce their expose to possible COVID, having someone who is about to go through such a big surgery sit alone, is just cruel. The plus side is I already knew my surgical team from my previous surgeries. They had all volunteered to stay late so I could have the surgery done right away.

I’ll spare you the horrid details, but the surgery was a success. My entire left breast was removed and was sent out to be tested. The team of docs want to see how the tumor grows in the tissue, so they can then determine what chemo to use that would be most efficient. Since the cancer has mutated, chemo will have to be done again, and will be started as soon as it is safe to do so (approx. 3 weeks). The waiting game has started again on what my next step will be.

I am glad to say that 2022 is finally over. Don't get me wrong, there are some parts that I cherish and hold close to my heart. Here’s to hoping 2023 will bring more cherish memories!

Dear Santa,

I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me. I’m hoping that I’m not too old and you can grant my Christmas wish.

You see, after my surgery I thought things were going well. The surgeon was able to remove the tumor in its entirety and we all thought that I was cancer free. Then the rest of the pathology reports came in and a bit of bad news arrived. It seems that one of the lymph nodes “leaked” and there is no telling on how long it’s has been going on. It could have been 3 months or 2 days. So, while yes, the tumor is gone, there is no way to say that I’m cancer free.

The panel of doctors reviewed my case. I asked them to think out of the box. Since my case wasn’t ordinary, I didn’t want just an ordinary treatment. So, they put their heads together and came up with a plan. I didn’t love it at first, but I’ll do what must be done. Radiation will come first, once I’ve healed. Then will come 6 months of a chemo pill, 2 weeks on – 1 week off, to kick any lingering cancer out of my body. I only agreed to the chemo pill because they promised I could pause it to go on vacation. I am in desperate need of some time on a beach, a cocktail or two and not a worry or care.

With a plan in hand, there was only one thing left to do. Before radiation a PET scan would be good. They knew that it would show trauma from the surgery, but they wanted to make sure cancer hadn’t taken up residence anywhere else. So, Monday I went, and all was well, until the results were posted in my health portal. Hallelujah! There were no signs of cancer anywhere else, but the left breast is showing another mass. It might just be a bit of trauma from the surgery, but a mammogram and ultrasound are needed to stop the worry.

The orders were placed and Friday morning I was at the Women’s Breast Center for a “squeeze and scan” and a few laughs too. The one thing I’ve learned is after your ultrasound, it is not good when the doc that reviews the images comes in. The mass looks a lot like the cancer tumor that they just removed, so a biopsy is needed to see what it really is. The good news is they were able to fit me in for the biopsy in about 45 minutes. Now for the best surprise, the tech and the doc that did my biopsy back in May was the team that were going to do the biopsy. Yippee! Old friends, kind of. Once we got started the biopsy was quick and for the third time in 6 months, I was leaving the hospital with an ice pack in my bra.

I should know the results sometime next week and I will do anything for all this fuss to be about nothing. If it isn’t could you please send me some extra strength to get through whatever comes next?

Merry Christmas!
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Love,
Dawnie