Long and Windy Road

granitegirl

Long and Windy Road

granitegirl

It has been a long, windy and scary road, but thankfully I think I am reaching the end game, I hope.

The past August, a day before my 50th birthday, I had my routine annual Mammogram.  Because of a Strong family history, I routinely for the past ten years have alternated every six months between a Mammogram and Sonogram.    The Mamo showed Micro Cluster Calcification's in my right breast, which the Radiologist recommended a Sterotactic Biopsy to remove and have sent to a lab for testing.  I was in the middle of changing jobs and waited until the end of Sept for the Sterio.

The Path for the Sterio came back as Pampilloma - not initially DCIS - but an Incisional Biopsy was recommended for further evaluation. 

The Biopsy was perfomed on 11/11/11, which I thought meant it would be good luck.  During the needle loc the Radiologist at NY Hospital in NYC, saw another area with Micro-Cluster Calcifications that she marked with the wire to be removed during the Incisional Biopsy.

At my follow up to the Surgery, the Surgeon came in with the Path report and she informed me that the first area marked and removed was nothing of concern, but the second area that the Radiologist had marked was DCIS.   She was very abrupt and told me that I would need six weeks of Radiation, followed by Tamox and should make an appointment to see her in six months,   Her assistant would provide all the referrals for the Oncology group at the hospital.   She also said that I should have an MRI first and her assistant would make the appointment, then she left the room.    I was really shocked and scared and did not like her abrupt approach.

I proceeded to have the MRI and received a phone call from the Surgeon's office saying they wanted to do a Biopsy, guided under an MRI.

I was not comfortable with the Surgeon and proceeded to contact Sloan Kettering, also in NYC, a block away from New York Hospital.   Before I could even meet with a Doctor at Sloan, I had to provide the following; Mamo,Sono films and reports for the past three years, the Pathology slides from both the Sterio and Surgical Biopsies and the MRI Films and report.   

Finally, I met with a Surgeon at Sloan and she wanted to perform another Surgical incision to clear the margins, which was performed on 1/9/12.   Unfortunately, the margins were not completely clear, but "close" and I had to have a third incisional Biopsy.   I am a 36C and the areas that were removed were very small and there is no noticeable difference in my right breast.

Thru Sloan I underwent Genetic Testing for the BRCA mutation, I was a bit nervous, since all 4 Grandparents were Eastern European Jews.   Thankfully, I am negative for the mutation.   

The margins now being clear - the Surgeon at Sloan has recommended Radiation.   I met with the RO and two weeks ago had the Sim, last week the Set Up and tomorrow will be the first of 20 scheduled Radiation Treatments.

The past six months have been scary and I am thankful I have found these boards and the information I have learned has been very helpful.  I understand everyone's experiences are different, yet the same in many ways.

I am hoping the 20 Radiation Treatments will go by smoothly and I can hopefully put this Cancer to sleep for the rest of my life.

cycle-path

You really did have a long road! My BC road was mostly pretty straightforward, but I've had long winding roads with other medical issues. It gets so you wake up in the morning and the first thing you think about is what doctor appointment you have that day.

Good luck finishing the journey! 

RockiesGal

My road was similarly long and windy, starting with a papilloma and ending with radiation treatments.  I'm also taking tamoxifen now.  Certainly not a road I ever expected to travel, but I'm glad I'm not walking it alone.  I just wanted to say, I hope your radiation treatments go well.  Hugs!