Doctor, Doctor

This morning I had a biopsy #2 and I'm wrapped tighter then you could even imagine. I don't know how people wear corsets. It's inly my boobs that are wrapped and I'm uncomfortable. Definitely more so then the last one. But it's just one day. I'll alwep like this tonight and take it off tomorrow. 

{Strength} bracelet on repeat!

I should probably back up to all of the appointments from last week. I'll get better at this I hope. 

On Monday mornings I met with a genetic counselor.  Since I'm 35 with no history of breast cancer in my family, I qualified for this testing. Jessica asked me to go through my family and we drew out a family tree up to my grandparents. Including myself only 4 of 40+ family members have had cancer. She then went through the testing and the different genes they would be testing for. There are 25 different genes associated with breast cancer. If it comes back that I am postitive for any of those, the chance for the cancer to come back more then triples. Celebs like Angeliana and Christina Applegate have helped bring awareness to these genes. Both tested positive and underwent double mastectomies in a proactive measure. If I test positive, I would do the same.

That star would not come off!  And they are all about the pink :)

Monday afternoon I saw an OBGYN. I did not have one here in Denver and that was the original appointment from 3 weeks prior when I called to say I found a lump. So I kept it.  I filled out all the paperwork and for the first time checked the box next to breast cancer. The nurse and I talked about if after she did my blood pressure, height and weight. Yet the doc came bouncing in smiley and happy and said "you are young, healthy and here for your annual, right?"  When I said well actually I was diagnosed with breast cancer last week I thought he was gonna fall over. It was all over from there. Total word vomit. The things coming out of his mouth were just too much for me for say number 5. Things like early menopause and removing ovaries were not what I wanted to talk about. I hadn't looked at any of that part so I could have an open mind when I met with the surgeon. I just kept nodding. He wrote me a script for birth control because he said this is not the time to get pregnant. And I got out of there as fast as I could. 

Tuesday was a short, sweet visit with my primary doctor to see if I had any question. I didn't. Then Tuesday afternoon I met the surgeon. A friend from work went to this one with me. I thought it would be the scariest one that week. It was nice to have someone with me. Dr. B was amazing. She took her time going through everything. We talked though the different options and tests. We have s much of a plan as we can while we wait for results from the genetic tests. She also set me up to see the radiologist later that week. I even left this appointment with a goodie bag and of course more reading materials!

Daily reminder

Wednesday was the MRI. If you've never had one for your boobs let me explain. I laid down on my belly, put my face in a spot like a massage table and then let my boobs hang down into these special holes. They have me headphones but you can barely hear over the noise of the machine. The best part was the warm blankets bill never say no to anything warm. I'm the girl that sits under a pile of sheets or towels just out of the dryer. I had to lay super still for 25ish minutes. The last 12 min is when the contrast came through the IV. It burned going in. I could feel it move through me and when it gets to your legs you feel like you are peeing your pants because it's warm in your blood. Once it was in the burning stopped. I really wanted to pick my head up but knew it would just make it last longer. That was my only appointment on Wednesday thankfully. I was surprised Bonnie called with the results that afternoon. Surprise they found another mass in the same boob and I needed another biopsy. Dr. B called later to explain and tell me about how this one would work since it would be a different procedure then the first one. Much like the MRI, I would lay on a table on my belly with my boob on a hole by he table would be raised so the doc could work under me. This is because this mass is farther from the surface and harder to get to. 

The gown is part of my everyday wardrobe

Last appointment for the week was with the radiologist. He has been working my my surgeon for 16 years and they are very much on the same page. Much of what he told me was identical to what she had said. Which was reassuring. He did say that IF I need chemo it's 3/4 months long. I wasn't expecting to hear that. Trying not to worry about that until we know more. He was nice, gave me a hug at the end and said you will be cancer free when this is over. 

That's the rundown for now. I see Dr. B again next week and hope to have the genetic test results back so we can determine the plan. Surgery date is set for Sept 1.