Knee Deep Blog

Spring and Summer include Chemo, Radiation and the many side effects

If you're just catching up with me you'll want to start here to learn about my discovery of lumpiness behaving badly which is also known as breast cancer to the every day person, as well as why I am writing about my journey of breast cancer and for the time being a breast cancer blog.

My prior post is here.  My next post is here.

Yeah, yeah, even though I've known this since monday evening I just didn't feel like writing about it - part of my procrastination technique pretending it's not really real, but alas it is.  I have to admit I was so encouraged by the results from the surgery that I had hopes of no chemo and the reality is it's better safe (being proactive to kill all my white blood cells) versus not doing it and having reoccurance.  Afterall, my grandmother had breast cancer in her late forty's died of breast cancer that came back and spread at 54.  So, it's keeping that picture in mind.

During the breast surgery they took out a chuck of breast 5 X 4 X 3 CM which had really clean margins the first time in and I was told by the surgeon he was surprised how compact the cancer seemed and that it was smaller than both the ultrasound and MRI indicated (I beleive all the prayer and energy work did this.) one of my lymph nodes did have a very small amount of cancer that had spread.  Plus I am super estrogen positive on the tests.  So chemo is what next. 

And for those of you who have curious minds my breast is so swollen it is actually bigger then non-cancer surgery right side.  So who knows what that will really look like.

Amazing Discovery...Cheetos Cure Nausea in Breast Cancer Patient

If you're just catching up with me you'll want to start here to learn about my discovery of lumpiness behaving badly which is also known as breast cancer to the every day person, as well as why I am writing about my journey of breast cancer and for the time being a breast cancer blog.

My prior post is here.  My next post is here.

It's always good to start with a bit of humor and perhaps truth.  Post surgery all I wanted to do was vomit and found myself wanting to clutch, pet, and keep near my little bag just in case.  Yes, that's what it is, a just in case bag.

At my request I was given an additional med (a suppository to over share) - nausea medicine to combat my continual queasiness.  So it's really hard to tell, what was worse in my initial recovery pain or nausea. And it seemed like the damn stuff just wouldn't kick in. 

I also took some homeopathic stuff for the nausea, but it wasn't until girlfriend Lori came to the rescue with Cheeto's that I actually felt better. 

Test Results After Breast Cancer Surgery

If you're just catching up with me you'll want to start here to learn about my discovery of lumpiness behaving badly which is also known as breast cancer to the every day person, as well as why I am writing about my journey of breast cancer and for the time being a breast cancer blog.

My prior post is here.  My next post is here.

Hi Everyone -

Kathy Mallary here -- Michele asked me to post an update to let everyone know the latest news, which happens to be very good. She's feeling almost back to her old self, but is going to take a little more time off before tackling the computer.

She met briefly with the surgeon yesterday to discuss the test results from the tumor and nodes that were removed last week.

He was very pleased with results -- said there are "no red flags". The tumor ended up being 2 cm, which puts her at Stage 1 (YAY!). The tests showed a little metastatic cancer in just one node, but she said he didn't seem to feel it was a significant amount(!)

There was more info about the precise stage (a bunch of letters and numbers), but I'm not completely sure I got that down correctly, so rather than start a rumor I'll wait until she can say for sure.

She's going to see the oncologist Monday afternoon, and I'm sure he'll explain in far more detail than the surgeon. They'll also discuss the next step in treatment.

The other GREAT news is that her genetic tests came back negative. Very very good news.

Ironically, when I last spoke with her she was getting ready to play the board game "Operation" with Eli. =^)

Warm regards,
Kathy M. blogging for Michele

P.S. Feel free to leave a comment, it will make her return to work that much more enjoyable!

Surgery Update

If you're just catching up with me you'll want to start here to learn about my discovery of lumpiness behaving badly which is also known as breast cancer to the every day person, as well as why I am writing about my journey of breast cancer and for the time being a breast cancer blog.

My prior post is here.  My next post is here.

Hi All -

Kathy Mallary here, blogging on behalf of Michele, who is taking some time off from the blogosphere and all things work-related.  Here's a picture of Michele on post-surgery drugs looking tip top.

Michele asked me to post an update to let you know that she's doing great -- Friday's surgery went very well. The surgeon remarked that the larger lump actually turned out to be smaller than the MRI indicated, and he was able to get a nice, clean margin around it. He also took three lymph nodes for biopsy. Results from all the tests should be available in a day or two.

Just got off the phone with Michele, and she sounds like herself -- a bit bored (she was "reading a cookbook," which if you know Michele, is NOT what she'd normally be doing on a Tuesday afternoon!), and definitely ready to be done with the lingering after-effects of anesthesia & meds.