I brought my tape recorder this time and my friend Sandy. I was still reeling a bit from the news but felt I had a general idea of what I had, what was going on, and just wanted to hear what she had to say.
Dr. P very slowly went through the information in the Cancer book with me so that I could refer back to it at another time. The pathology report from the biopsy lists me as having Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in the upper quadrant of my left breast. It is deep and difficult to view seeming to be about 0.5cm in size. She placed a clip in the area within my breast to help identify the mass. My tumor is also Estrogen receptor positive (100% in fact) and progestrone receptor positive (70%). I am also HER2 positive which means my cancer cells divide more quickly which makes them more aggressive.
Usually people who receive chemotherapy with herceptin first, then radiation after surgery. The whole series is likely to take about a year to go through. I can receive my treatments right from the Johnson Center nearby and there are medical oncologists and radiation oncologists right there in the facility. Since I don't know who to choose, she said I could ask my family physician, friends, or she could suggest people as well. It would be a good idea to start thinking about who I would like to work with.
We discussed compiling a list of questions I may have for my next visit and we'll take things from there. All I want to do now is read all I can to find out what I need to do to get this started and get well!
As Sandy and I headed home, I had some goofy thoughts about the little clip hiding within. Was it plastic? Titanium? Would it set off the bells and whistles at the airport? How would I explaing it and better yet, how would they locate that little sucker? It made for a lighthearted and giggle filled ride back to Whitehall.
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