3 Weeks Progress

Yesterday was a big day, seeing the actual pathology reports from my tissue after the mastectomy were all negative!  Just to give you a little idea of the aggressiveness of my type of tumor, remember when I had an ultrasound and breast exam the week after I completed "The Red Devil" chemo that showed no signs of any tumor?  Well, my surgery was exactly 6 weeks after that last dose of aggressive chemo, and it gave my tumor enough time to start growing back.  The reports described a small, residual tumor from my original site that was removed.  That was enough for me to feel even more confident that my choice to have a bilateral mastectomy was the right one.  If this cancer could begin to grow back in as little as 6 weeks, I have little doubt that the percentage of reoccurrence for the remainder of my life would be quite high without the removal of the majority of my breast tissue.  But, the good news is that the tissue is one, all the samples of my lymph nodes are negative, and I can officially say that my body is free of cancer!!!

Now, I just have to complete my 52 weekly doses of Herceptin, keep taking my estrogen-blocking drugs for 5 years, and visit my breast surgeon for yearly exams for.....well, pretty much forever.  I'll also have another surgery to finish the reconstruction, 3 months from the first one.  And, Dr. P said, as I was leaving her office, "once you're finished with Herceptin, just give us a call, and we can take your port out, just here in the office."  What?!?  Didn't I have full anesthesia and a major surgical operation to put this thing in?  "Taking it out isn't that big of a deal, especially after all you've been through!"  Sure, just like removing a few stitches, right?

It's been 3 weeks since my mastectomy and reconstruction, and I am making progress.  Every day is a little better, and I try to do a little more.  Today, I actually climbed upstairs, something I haven't done since August 20th.  In addition, I put on a t-shirt today.  That might not seem like big news, but today is the first day I was able to get clothing on over my head!  My range of motion is improving, my pain is decreasing, and I'm able to get around better and better.  Before surgery, a woman who'd been through this procedure told me the hardest part of the recovery was the abdominal area, but for me it has been the breasts.  There is still quite a bit of swelling and that is where I feel much more pain.  It's been interesting to see how some of this pain feels more like neuropathy, an uncomfortable tingling, but it's telling me that this new tissue is making connections, and I can feel it connecting, once again another example of pain being a useful thing.  

I'm doing well, but not trying to overdo it.  Tomorrow is my first big test--the first time I will need to get both boys up and ready for school without anyone here to help.  Gonna make it.....gonna make it......gonna make it!