What a Week!

Originally posted on caringbridge November 15, 2014

If you are here reading this then you heard the news... I learned on Monday, November 10th that a lump my doctor (bless her!!) found in my breast is cancerous... invasive ductile carcinoma.  I don't know a lot yet but am scheduled to meet with my surgeon on Tuesday, the 18th.  In the meantime I've gotten to have blood drawn, get a chest x-ray, and have an MRI all in less than a week!  We are going to use this site to share updates about what is going on with my treatment.

The good news at this point is there are only two very small spots... the one my doctor felt is about the size of a pea (0.9 cm at it's largest dimension) so it is really small and that is a good thing!  The other spot is even smaller and was found on the MRI on Friday... I will mostly likely have another biopsy on it sometime next week to find out if there are more cancer cells.  Another thing I know is my cancer is "Grade 1" (this is different than the term "stage" which you may be more familiar with).  Grade is a way they tell how different the cancer cells are compared to a normal cell... Grade 1 is the best/least abnormal (with 3 being the worst/most different) so that is good and indicates it is most likely not a super aggressive cancer.

I am so thankful for my family and my friends who I know are going to support me and help me and my family get through this - they already are!  I want to give a special thank you to my friend Beth who has one of the busiest, craziest lives I know, and yet she has already driven me through a snowstorm to my MRI, introduced me to a friend who has been through this, and likely gave you this web address as she coordinates some meals for my family... and she would do more if I would let her!  And also to Dawn for watching my kiddos many extra hours this week and helping their lives not turn quite so upside down.  Thank you!

I know in my heart everything is going to be ok, but I also am trying to be realistic and accept that it is going to be really hard sometimes.  So I can use all the positive vibes I can get for strength and healing and remembering to hold on to all the wonderful things in my life.  Thank you so much for keeping Claire, Bryce, Juan, and myself in your thoughts and prayers.  Love, shana