It went ok

I was out of surgery by 2. The first node in the chain tested positive so he had to take the rest. We will see what the pathology report says next week. Overall the surgery went well - I feel good & all @ UMP are rock stars!

First major step down on the road to recovery!

p.s. Thanks Miranda for that top notch lymph node mapping!

Surgery

My surgery is set for tomorrow around 11:45. I will go to ADI (Advanced Diagnostic Imaging) for lymph node mapping first. During the mapping they will inject a dye into my breast so that Dr. Duven can track my nodes to take some for testing during the surgery. In surgery they will do this procedure first - get the nodes to the pathologist for testing and while they wait for the results will then work on removing the tumor. I hope for a good outcome on the nodes - to test negative for cancer. If so - they will be finished after Dr. Duven successfully removes the tumor. If the nodes test positive he will have to take all the nodes in the "chain" of nodes that tested positive. This will result in having a drainage tube under my arm for approximately two weeks. This will also most likely mean radiation under my arm as well as the chemo. I will try and update everyone on Thursday in regards to the surgery. The final pathology results most likely will not be done until Monday - this will determine if Dr. Duven was able to get clean margins on the lumpectomy.

Thank you again for all your support - POSITIVE THOUGHTS!

Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays to you and yours! I am enjoying the day with my family. We just finished a brunch at my mom's house - waiting for the next round of relatives to arrive. I just wanted to report that both Dr.'s that I consulted with agree with the plan for surgery this coming Wednesday. We will hope for the best outcome - that nothing has spread. I will let you all know what they find. So far I am feeling good - and I am trying to keep my mind still.

Here's to a healthy 2010!

~K

I had better add this - because EVERYONE is asking.
Chemo is still in the cards - no matter what I have been told I will need chemo.

The News

On Tuesday, December 15 I went for my annual mammogram and by that afternoon I was informed that I had a 2 cm suspicious mass on the left side. I was scheduled to see Dr. Duven on Thursday morning, December 17 to do an ultrasound and possible biopsy. He determined from the ultrasound that a biopsy was needed as the mass irregular in shape and wasn’t smooth (cysts are). I went to Dr. Duven's office on Friday, December 18 and was told it was "a cancer". I immediately went for an MRI and received the results from that yesterday, December 21.

The news...Dr. Duven said I could do either a lumpectomy or a mastectomy - it was really my choice. Having worked in the dental field for so many years I have always known that the real thing is better than something artificial so, as of today - I am leaning towards a lumpectomy. I will discuss treatment with my two high school friends who are doctors and have a consult with Dr. Bastug, a plastic surgeon to fully understand what a reconstruction will consist of (I would only need a reconstruction if Dr. Duven can't get a clear margin on the lumpectomy).

As of today - surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, December 30 at UMP (United Medical Park) in Waterloo.

I am staying positive and one of the first statements I made was "I can deal with anything as long as I am not going to die". Nikki (my hero at Dr. Duven's office) looked me straight in the eye and said "You are NOT going to die".

That's good enough for me.