NYC times Three

I have been to NYC twice this week and will be driving up a third time tomorrow. I wish I could live closer or drive myself, but I am lucky to have very supportive friends and family to tow me back to and from Sloan.

On Monday I saw my Plastic Surgeon for my f/u to check on my drains, drain the reoccurring seroma, and to take off my bandages. Good news: Bandages are off and the seroma was drained. Bad news: Only one of the drains came out. That means I get to wait a few more days until I can take a real shower with shaving and shampoo in tow.

I also saw my Oncologist in NJ on Monday. We discussed my pathology report. My cancer was IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma), Stage 2b, Grade 3, Estrogen + (95%), Progesterone + (10%), and Her2-. The primary tumor in my left breast was 2.5cm with two smaller tumors (0.1cm) within the ducts. The lymph channels in my left breast were filled with calcifications (small pieces of cancer) and the ducts were fill with DCIS. I am glad I got the mastectomy otherwise I would have had so much cancer left in the left breast beyond the original lump. My surgeon removed 21 lymph nodes from my left side, 3 were positive for cancer (2 were within my breast and 1 was under my armpit). They found 0 signs of cancer on my right breast, but its gone and neither it nor my evil tumor ridden left breast can hurt me.

It looks like I will be doing chemotherapy. My oncologist is leaning towards using Adriamycin, Cytoxan, Taxol/Taxotere. I will be starting December 15, but I will not know the combination or frequency of treatment until I consult with the oncologist at Sloan on December 1. At that point, I will have a clearer idea of how long chemo will be. I also will be having radiation, I am truly not excited about this at all. I have read so much how it damages skin and your implants...bla bla bla. I have seen nothing good from it. It just seems very very old school, but apparently its "recommended" from my oncologist in NJ and my surgeons at Sloan. My onclogist is sending me for some more testing - Echocardiogram to get a baseline of my heart before chemo and a pelvic ultrasound due to my aunt being a survivor of ovarian cancer to also get a baseline. After I am done with Chemo and radiation, I will be on Tamoxifen and Lupron to shut off my ovaries and decrease my production of estrogen, due to my tumor's high estrogen receptivity.

Today I met with my oncological surgeon at Sloan, we also reviewed my pathology. 0 signs of tumors or cancer beyond my breast. She also drained the seroma some more...ewww. I was referred to a Medical Oncologist, Dr. Goldfarb, at Sloan for a consultation about the type of chemo Sloan would recommend based on my pathology. Sloan will be sending their recommendations to my oncologist in NJ and I will resume treatment in NJ. By next Wednesday I should have a clearer picture about things to come.

Tomorrow, I get to go back to NYC. My last drain is coming out, the last of the seroma is going away, and I am going to celebrate having my first shower in 13 days and getting to shave my legs in warm water. YAY