This will be scheduled (the week of) 8/12:

Double Mastectomy

AND

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

OR

Axillary Lymph Node Dissection

This will be scheduled (the week of) 7/15:

MRI Breast

MRI Brain

PET/CT Full Body

re-imaging of the chest to see what’s changed with the lumps & lymphs.

the last of the red devil !

i will have a port (port a catheter / implanted medical device) installed for safety & convenience with chemo infusions and blood panels. i suspect this is when i will no longer be able to function in any capacity of denial.

meeting with another surgeon, recommended by a friend, who specializes in breast cancer.

review results of genetic testing to determine “sporadic” or “hereditary” and odds of future cancer diagnoses. results may affect the chemo cocktail in the second round.

meet with radiation doc to determine when to being radiating pelvic region.

will review in greatest detail results of MRI and further findings of PET scan and discuss all things related to chemo, radiation, etc.

initial sit down to get professional opinions on surgical treatment options (is lumpectomy enough? is future risk high enough for double mastectomy? [insert: kill two tits with one stone joke]). seems there will be a lot of “choose your own adventure” options to review, since the genetic testing results are not yet available to factor in and if the radiology report from yesterday’s PET is not available.

a PET scan was scheduled after the preliminary MRI findings came back to reveal additional masses and enlarged lymph nodes. results will determine if this is isolated to the breast, if the additional masses are malignant or benign, and if the lymph nodes are enlarged because they are fighting cancer or because they are cancer.

i am not only middle-named and very similarly profiled after my tough-as-nails grandma Helen but may have also inherited some of these markers from her. results will take 1-2 weeks but i’ve already firmly decided that it’s in my very best interest to hold off on any surgical decisions prior to having this testing.

the breast MRI will look at both the existing, known mass on my right breast and give us a looksie at her friend on the left to see if there is anything to be concerned about due east. it’s my understanding this also will tell us more about the lymph nodes. depending on all of the findings, we will be able to make a draft of the treatment options and/or determine if additional imaging is necessario.