Yikes! It's been two weeks since the last blog…time goes by when you're having fun (or going to appointment after appointment). Since my last blog, I've had an MRI, bone scan, PET scan, and ultrasound. Awesome news first - bone scan was normal!! Thank you for the prayers and fasting. It works. The MRI showed a couple of questionable spots, but we were told MRI's are highly sensitive and tend to show areas that may not be of concern. The PET scan showed nothing new. We met with the nurse practitioner, Heidi, at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. She was very informative AND adorable. She's British with a heavy accent, and we loved it. After the test results came back, the doctors at SCCA wanted me to have a biopsy on the questionable spots revealed in the MRI. They did an ultrasound first and determined, due to the shape and coloring of the nodes, they were normal or clinically benign and didn't need to do the biopsy. Yay!! I think I reverted to an excited child when the doctor told me I may not have to have the biopsy. We are meeting with the specialists at SCCA today where they will give their findings and recommendations. Today is the day we hope to choose a definite treatment plan, understanding that things may change a little along the way. Oh, I also met with the radiologist in Yakima last week and he went into more detail and gave me an 80-85% cure rate with neoadjuvant chemo, lumpectomy, and radiation. Not that statistics matter. I have Faith, I Believe in miracles, and I Believe that God will heal me. I have no doubts. And Jim says I still have more Candy Crush to play. LOL!
Speaking of Jim, he's going to lead off the humor part of this blog. For those of you who don't know him, he's a warm-loving person but when he is worried or stressed about a situation, especially with those he loves, he tends to verbally snap. He's the kind of person that focuses on the solution, believes wholeheartedly in miracles, and could care less about the details in between. I think the details make him worry, so he'd rather not know. When I discovered the third lump, I came downstairs and Jim was sitting in his chair. I said, "Honey, I found another lump." And with frustration, he said, "Well, then QUIT looking for them!" We still laugh today when we talk about it. He couldn't remember saying it, and when we told him, he started laughing uncontrollably.
For this next story, we're going to leave the doctor's name out so as not to embarrass anyone. This story is entitled, "What Not To Say When Doing A Breast Examination." Needless to say, I've had numerous breast examinations over the last month. This one is definitely the funniest. The doctor examined my right breast first and, while he was covering that side and getting ready to look at the left side, he said, "Well, nothing lights me up over here." My husband better NEVER say that. As we're typing this up, Jim says, "I've never thought it and never said it." Good answer.
So when we were meeting with Heidi, we were talking about staying positive and upbeat. We told her about the "What Not To Say When Doing A Breast Examination" story and she thought it was hilarious, or unbelievable. She couldn't believe the doctor said that. We thought about not sharing it, but she said in her strong British accent, "Oh, you absolutely MUST share that one!" She then proceeded to tell her own funny story and gave permission to share it. She herself is a breast cancer survivor. After she found out, she grabbed a beer and sat on the couch sobbing and drinking her beer. Her husband felt bad and wanted to make her feel better, so he said (not being in the medical industry), "Don't be upset. Wait 'til we get the autopsy." She stopped crying, looked at him, and said, "Autopsy?! That's too bloody late! I'll be dead by then!" And then she started laughing hysterically, just as we were.
You have to keep laughing, smiling, and enjoy life to the fullest.
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