Hematoma

Surgery went well... it was over in a flash. Turns out I had a big hematoma (blood clot) under my incision. It was just getting bigger and bigger and would not let me heal. So, they performed an irrigation and debridement and also removed some dead tissue. I have a drain in for a week or so (hoping to have it removed when I'm back in Seattle for my radiation consult next Thursday). I'm on another week of antibiotics to prevent infection while the drain is in place. I'm also in CRAZY pain!!! I can hardly believe the pain. I've barely slept since surgery and I am keeping myself in an oxycodone fog until it calms down a bit. I spoke with a nurse today... apparently this is typical when you operate on an area multiple times. Ouch!!! But, this procedure should help me heal up fast and get back to an active lifestyle as soon as possible. I hope to feel great by the fall! So much for shorts, swimming, biking and many other activities this summer... but next year I'll just appreciate it that much more!

Lounging with my Hemovac drain.

Complications

After 3 trips to the ER over the past month and a visit with my sarcoma surgeon this morning... it has been determined that I need part of my leg incision cleaned out and restitched. I have something going on that is keeping it from healing. Whether that is an infection, abscess, dislodged internal sutures, etc... we don't know. I do know that I am scheduled for surgery on Friday. Yep, general anesthesia in the OR... yet again... and I'll probably have another drain. The only way out of it is if I miraculously heal in the next two days. I am pretty much devastated that I have to go through this. Losing my zest for life!

Left: 7 weeks post-op with random bruising occuring...
Right: One week later with swelling/redness increasing...

When both of your sisters take you to the ER, it becomes a photo shoot.

In other news, my radiation consultation is on Thursday, July 2nd... treatment will start shortly thereafter. My leg situation won't affect this at all... radiation is localized to the breast.

Thanks to the few of you who read and comment... or even better, reach out to me personally. You know who you are and it means a lot to know you care about me.

No chemo!

My Oncotype Score was 15.  That is a nice, low score and I do NOT need chemotherapy!

I should be hearing from the radiation scheduler very soon to set up my final phase of treatment!!  After that, I'll start Tamoxifen and simply be on surveillance (for the rest of my life).

FABULOUS DAY.

Treatment decisions

I had my lumpectomy post-op yesterday. Everything looks great and is healing well. According to pathology, I am Stage 1b, grade 2.

About that positive lymph node... I will NOT have to undergo an axillary lymph node dissection to look for more positive nodes. No more surgery! They used a prediction tool from Sloan Kettering to determine my likelihood of breast cancer spreading beyond the sentinel lymph nodes to additional lymph nodes under the arms. My risk was only 5%!

There is one more hurdle... I am waiting for the results of a test called Oncotype Dx. This test will determine whether or not I will need chemotherapy. I need a low score.

I will be having six weeks of radiation no matter what... but IF I need it, chemo would need to happen first. So, right now we are just waiting to find out.

Micrometastases

Full breast pathology came back yesterday. The good news is that my tumor margins were clear. It was 1.2cm and totally removed.

The not-so-good news is that 1 of the 5 lymph nodes that they tested was positive for 1mm of micrometastases. YES, we originally thought they were negative... but when it's that small, it's hard to detect during surgery. Full pathology tells the whole story.

I only had a quick phone convo with my surgeon, so I'm not totally clear on what this means for my treatment (another surgery to test more nodes? chemo?)... but I have a gut feeling that my treatment will stay the same. She actually said that she didn't think I would need another surgery, but would need to go over this path report with my medical & radiation oncologists first. I have post-op on Thursday and will know more then!

Lumpectomy

I had my lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy on Monday, June 1st. Today it is still quite swollen, but the pain isn't too bad. I am only taking ibuprofen & Tylenol now. I'm also wearing a surgical bra with a lot of compression to reduce the swelling. I should have pathology back before the end of this week. They were able to test my lymph node during surgery -- it was negative! Big relief.

My leg is still healing at a turtle's pace... It's so tight and my range of motion is JUST over 90 degrees bent. If I walk too far or stand for too long, it swells up like I have elephantitis. It's a very, very frustrating process.

I have pretty much spent the entirety of the last 6 weeks just sitting around healing. I am dying to get back to my normal self. I think many people would be surprised at just how much poking, prodding, probing, imaging, testing, and surgery I've endured this past year. It can be a very lonely process... I think it's easy for people around me to become desensitized to it all. But I feel it all the time.

Upcoming appts in Seattle:
Thurs, June 11 - lumpectomy post-op
Tues, June 23 - sarcoma, regular follow-up
Mon, July 20 - dermatology, regular skin check

My schedule for rads is TBD... likely end of June - early August. I'll know more after my post-op next week.