Breast Cancer

Yes, I have breast cancer. I did the breast exam in October, 'Breast Cancer Awareness Month', and with further testing it was determinded that I did have cancer.

I decided that I would come public with it, as the stats say that one in eight women will develop breast cancer.

One in eight!

Maybe my journey will help another cancer victim deal with this strange new process.

Last week was the first visit with my oncologist and I wrote the following to a group of friends:

Well, did I mention before that the dh wanted to go with me to the doctor's? I'm sure I did somewhere. We've been married for over 46 years, and he has NEVER gone with me for a doctor's appointment.

Well, we're sitting in the lobby and I'm filling out pages and pages of paperwork when my name is called. I get up, he remains sitting.

"Hey big boy, let's go".

He reluctantly gets up and goes into the examination room with me.

This is a problem that we always have. He says one thing, then later denies it. "You said you wanted to go to the doctor's with me." "I meant drive you." "Why would I need you to drive me." "You asked me to come." "No. You said you wanted to come." "I didn't mean in the examining room." "What did you mean?" "Well, when you talk to the doctor, you know, in the office."

The doctor comes in, examines me, I redress, and then she comes in again and I'm told exactly what stage of cancer I am in. That it was removed during the biopsy. But I would need to have my lymph nodes on that side removed. Then once there were examined, it would be determined if I needed chemo, at which point I would need a port. But not to have a port installed during the node surgery, as I might not need it. But I would need radiation to kill any remaining cancer in the breast as it's hard to get everything out during the previous extraction. Pretty much cut and dry. Do this, then we do that, if this happens, then we do something else.

So...as we leave the hospital, I ask him if he was satisfied with the visit.

"Yes, but I didn't need to come, you wanted me too."

Later, he did say that he was feeling positive about the whole process. Ah, he was worried.

Which is no wonder that the side of my head is flat from beating it against the wall.

So, I moved up my appointment with my surgeon to Friday, to schedule the node removal.