#gingerSTRONG

October 5, 2017

It was time for my post-op visit. The surgeon revealed that the tumor was larger than the ultrasound and MRI had predicted. He also explained that the pathology report showed that there are still microscopic cancer cells in my left breast. In turn he looks at me and says, “it’s a good thing your breasts are so small because The cells are at the back of your cheat wall and they basically have no room now to spread.” So... glass half full??? Lol. That’s why I had the joy of chemo and radiation to look forward to in hopes that both would kill what cancer is left inside. And kill the HER2 cells that linger beyond what any surgeon can find.

Today was also the day I met my Oncologist. She is personable, sincere, and extremely intelligent upon first encounter. She answers my questions, and describes the chemo process in its entirety. This part I hate, but I accept. Next steps... PET scan and Echocardiogram.

Today was a hard day. It was a lot of information to process for anyone. I still cannot believe this is happening to me. After three hours with doctors I was exhausted and more than confused.

September 24, 2017

The moment you realize your ginger hair will all be gone…

September 13, 2017

Time for a second opinion. Appointment at Moffitt today. I was hoping there would be another solution than aggressive chemo. Surgery I could handle, but I've rarely taken meds throughout my life. The idea of putting pure poison into me, kept me up crying at night. This is when Google is not your best friend. Too much info!

Moffitt was fantastic. If it wasn't an hour or so away, it would have been my choice. As a teacher, I appreciated the time and visuals they created that made it make sense. They were comforting. The facility alone felt like a concierge service at a spa.

Unfortunately, the protocol from Moffitt was the same. Immediate partial mastectomy (aka lumpectomy) and then approximately a year of aggressive chemo. My question to the oncology nurse that day was simply, 'What if I choose not to do chemotherapy?' Her reply, 'Due to the HER2 cells, You'll most likely be back in 18 months to five years with cancer in your lungs or brain and then it's just about quality of life.' Well, f... me. That opened my mind and I knew there was no other choice.

Tuesday, August 29, I was with my 5th grade team at a professional development training. It had been 4 days of waiting, wondering, and hoping for the best. The phone finally lit up around 2:00 pm with an Unknown caller, yet it wasn't unknown at all. I grabbed my phone, raced outside, and answered.

'Well, it looks like you need to call a breast surgeon' were the first words out of her mouth on the other end of the line. My heart dropped. Was this really happening?