June 12, 2009 · 12:04 am

Navigating

This afternoon, I called the Sharon Ewing Walker Breast Health Center at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare.  They offer “breast cancer counseling” and “patient navigation.”  Boy, do I need help navigating!  I need someone to help me figure out what questions to ask my medical team!  I am reading steadily in my “Breast Book” but I dread looking at the [surgery] illustrations — but it must be borne!  I need courage!  Did you know 1 out of 8 women will have breast cancer? Many women have come before me and I will learn from them.  Many women will come after me and I hope to help them.

Remembering the words of a favorite hymn:  “Be Thou My Vision.”

I am sleeping well, with help from some nutritional supplements and my swimming.  I hope to swim laps every other day and would love to have a swimming buddy.  So, call me!

Thank you for your comments.  I read them eagerly each evening.  I am thankful for each of you. You honor me by taking the time to read this, so I will try to keep the entries short.

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June 10, 2009 · 10:32 pm

MRI Results

Karen, Dr. Croom’s nurse, called today:   She received the MRI report and  it  indicated nothing unusual.  I chose a tentative date for surgery:  June 29th.

Today, I swam laps and also taught my friend, Laura, Lesson 3 on how to swim; it is very gratifying to see her progress.

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June 10, 2009 · 1:30 am

Appointments

Dear Family & Friends,

Dr. Croom’s office called this AM and said they had not yet received results of Friday’s MRI.  This AM, I had my routine annual check-up [Dee, Nurse] at the office of my Dr. Hogan, my Family Practitioner.  I made an appointment to consult with Dr. Hogan, whom I did not see today.  Dr. Crooms recommended that Stephen & I read the book, “The Breast Book,” by Dr. Susan Love; it has been extremely informative.  Phone calls, comments on this blog, emails, etc. are a huge comfort to me.   Swimming also has been therapeutic to me.  [During sleepless hours, I review words of ancient hymns and of Messiah by Handel.]

Coram Deo, 

Margo

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June 9, 2009 · 1:35 am

The Journey Begins

Dear Family & Friends,

This will be repeat information for some of you; for others, it will be an introduction to the events that have transpired over the past two weeks:  On May 26, I had a routine mammogram, which indicated a dark spot on my right breast.  Two days later, I had an ultrasound and both reports were sent to my Family Practitioner, Dr. Patricia Hogan.  She referred me to Dr. Jeffrey Crooms, Surgeon, for a core needle biopsy, which he performed on June 2.  Stephen drove me to this appointment, drove me home, and was with me when Dr. Crooms called, two hours later,  to inform me that the I had a cancerous tumor in the right breast.  Stephen and I immediately returned to Dr. Crooms’ office and he ordered an  MRI, which I had on June 5.  I have not yet received results from this test.

Specifically, I have Stage One Invasive Ductal Carcinoma [IDC]. This is a common type of breast cancer:  Among all the women who have breast cancer, 70% of these women have this type.  Stage One refers to the size of the tumor, which is between 1 and 2 cm.  Invasive does not necessarily mean that the cancer is aggressive; it means that it travels outside of the milk duct.

What are the next steps for us?  We are preparing for surgery in June to remove the tumor — a lumpectomy.  While I am on the operating table, the surgeon will remove a few lymph nodes and a pathologist will examine them.  Following the lumpectomy, I will recuperate and receive radiation.  Until we receive the results of the post-operative biopsy of the tumor and the lymph nodes, we will not know what further treatment will be required.

Please pray for us.

Coram Deo,

Margo

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