Today's appointment was good and a bit scary. We met the nurse (Pam) and doctor (Tharp) who I will be seeing while going through Radiation. They gave us the pros and cons of different methods and a bit of what to expect.
I am set to have a Lumpectomy on November 29th, and have four Lymph Nodes removed from the right breast. The left breast will have another biopsy of the small mass that was undetectable in the ultrasound, but was biopsied in the MRI on November 3rd.
The HIGHS & LOWS
The scary part of the meeting today was when we learned that there is a possibility when a lymph node is removed you can end up with lymphedema. That is very scary. With this disease you have a lot to worry about, not just your cancer. In reading the pamphlet it sounded like you would have to live in a bubble because your don't want to get a cut or burn or anything that could get infected fast. You have to wash dishes with gloves. A bug bite can be harsh. Your immune system basically sucks. Lymphedema is not curable.
While Going through Radiation
- Short Term: 5 days
- Long Term: 5 weeks or more
During radiation I will not be able to wear a bra. This is a first for me. I have always been good about wearing one whether it was a good one or not, I had something for support. This practice has reduced sagging. Now I will set them free.
Treatment for radiation had two options. There was the short term and the long term one. I will opt for the long term one. The short term one has many potential side affect. The long term one you are not left with the ugly side effects of the shrinking breast (will be smaller than the other), the one treated will be firmer than the other (they don't treat the other), and you will also get a lump that they will have to biopsy even though they know it will not be cancer. There were other details that we just too many to list.
All in all, it was a good appointment and very informative. Dr. Tharp could read my face when he was talking about the 5 day treatment of radiation. He could tell that was not an option for me. So I believe we will take it slow and long.
