Thursday, May 19, 2011

One week after surgery and I just got some great news from my surgeon today at my follow up appt. My tumor was measured at only 1.3 cm! Yahoo! They had estimated based on other tests to be between 1.4-2.5 cm. The pathology report also confirmed lymph node negative and all margins are clear which means my surgeon removed all my cancer surrounding the tumor. They staged my breast cancer at Stage IA. The only stage before mine is stage 0. There are 7 stages after mine. (stages are 0, IA, IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, and IV.). Everyday I am so thankful that I found this lump myself and that I took immediate action.

The chemotherapy question is still up in the air and will be decided after I meet with my Oncologist in two weeks. There is another test that will need to be done to determine my level of risk for recurrence. Based on the results of this test and me being young will help the doctor and I determine if chemotherapy would be beneficial. Right now I am estimating a 50% chance of needing chemo. Regardless, I will still need six weeks of radiation and will be taking the drug Tamoxifen for the next five years.

The doctor removed my dressings today. I feel better already. He wants me to start using my right arm. I have been babying the arm until now. He also told me to start walking some to get things going again. He said the arm tingy feeling I am getting sometimes can last up to four months. My stitches will dissolve. The incision site near my armpit (where the doc took out my sentinel nodes for testing) hurts more than my breast incision site. He said this is to be expected.

As I sit here and wonder what will happen to me over the coming years like…will this come back and if it does will it come back even worse… I give thanks to God for watching over me today and during this journey. I will freak myself if I ask myself the what if questions so for today I will celebrate being cancer free today!

Love,
Kim