Starting Chemo January 2015

Tennisfan

interesting RV6gal... i had the same experience it seems... Found a small lump on my left side, visited the doctor in January and he assured me that it was nothing. Asked me to come in for a "just in case" check in Ausgust and sure enough... The mass had transformed into carcinoma... I am trying to focus on getting through everything and thinking about the future but cannot help myself thinking about the past and "but what if" sometimes...

Personnally I got tired to think how much I told one person versus the next and after starting to talk about it slowly to just a few people it made it easier and now I just tell anyone really..Everyone at work knows and I literally posted a huge rant about people not going to the doctor once a year etc. on Facebook during breast cancer awareness month. It was quite a relief I must say.

I totally agree with the fact that talking about it with friends and family is helping them demistify the thing - the treatments are much better than what they used to be, the outcome is far greater than what it used to be, and there is a plethora of ways to control secondary effects. One of the main lessons I retained from other posts is that we shouldn't be suffering so no vomiting for me, thank you very much!

Tomorrow is my last day of work before the holidays... i am looking forward to the two week-break... Before the tornado hits!!! I have a hospital appointment on the 5, one on the 6th, getting my ovaries removed on the 8, a pre-chemo appointment on the 12 and my first injection (I am praying for no port, as it would really impede my tennis)... But time will tell!

Finally, I feel the same as many of you regarding the fact that I now know my course of treatment - knowledge is power! Until I could put dates in the calendar I had a lot of trouble sleeping properly and had to resort to ask my doctor for help but since I know what is going to happen and when, I sleep like a baby!!

So to me the morale of the story is that I ask about everything, take notes, review my file, repeat after the doctor to ensure I understood, read a lot on internet... Ans now feel that I made sound, calm, educated choices...

Good night, January sisters, and most importantly have a nice week - we will conquer this, but for a few days, let's focus on friends and family and joy and forget about our health issues just a little... We will be reminded sbout them soon enough after the new year!

Tennisfan

Bippy625

hi ladies,

I am in the August 2014 chemo group and just wanted to say I never thought I could complete chemo, and my group help me through all of it. You're going to make some great friends here and get to know each other very well. The time really goes fast, and it will be over before you know it. The only tip I'll give is to prepare, prepare, prepare. I'm hoping very minimal SE for all of you! Best wishes

SweetHope

Hello everyone, I have read all your posts so far and I appreciate each of you so much. In four hours I see my oncologist to discuss next step. I had a PET/CT scan last week because of a mets to lung scare and it found NED. WHEW!

I review each of your diagnosis's but wonder why our age is not part of this. I am 65 and feel my treatment will be affected by this fact; just as a 30 yr. old should be treated different than me. (Hope that sentence made sense.)

I, too, am all cancer talk and thoughts and last night a cancer nightmare...(I was late for today's onc appt. and I had no time to shower first!)

Of course, my family is a mess, too. My DH is angry and confused and feels guilty when he has to go to work. He is off for the next two weeks so he is running around doing all the holiday stuff. It's good that he can help me, but having him around for two weeks?!? My five children are grown and gone except for two with special needs that live here. Our household was carefree and comfortable (after years of hard work to achieve that) and now with this C everything seems chaotic and unpredictable. I know I will get through this, but the timeline, I fear, will take its toll on this family. Thanks for listening.

dimccleland

Hi ladies, hope you are all doing okay and that your holiday preparations are well underway! I must admit that I am still finding all this a little surreal ... its been two weeks since my diagnosis and I am not sure whether I am just being pragmatic about the cancer or whether I am just not dealing with it. Seems like I am just going through the motions and I am really thankful that my husband and children (who are 23, 20 and 17) are being so understanding and supportive.

On the bright side, I had my PET scan yesterday and, other than it showing that three rather than one lymph node are affected, it was "unremarkable" - I did breathe a huge sigh of relief!!

I have my first appointment with the oncologist tomorrow and will hopefully have a clearer idea of the treatment plan after that. Because my cancer is TN, I am also waiting on pre-approval from my health insurance for the genetic blood tests that I need to have. That approval will probably only come through in the new year but shouldn't delay starting the chemo.

Long before my diagnosis, we'd planned a family holiday to Thailand for New Year and, luckily, I've been given the all clear to travel and I'm really looking forward to getting away from Dubai for a couple of days and just relaxing on the beach ... will be good to just be "normal" and away from doctors, medical reports and stress ... I am hoping to leave my diagnosis at the airport and collect it again on my return ... does that make sense??

Well, best be off to feed the family, its dinner time here ... will be back tomorrow to update you all on my treatment plan.

Take care and have a good day x

SweetHope

Dear Dimc, Aren't PET scans the greatest?! Such good news. It is also good that you are just going through the motions. That means you are not picking up ugly baggage that would drag you down. My favorite quote which is used often here: "Don't go there 'til you get there." I hope you have a great time on holiday with your family. We'll be here when you return.

Cherylfg

Bippy625- Thank you for the encouraging words! I keep thinking that by the end of April, the worst of it will be over for me. I feel like I can handle anything for four months.

dimccleland- Have a great time on your trip! A few days on the beach sounds like heaven right now. And, congratulations on the unremarkable PET scan. For me, having my treatment plan was really helpful. Even though it was not exactly what I hoped for, just having a plan in place helped.

SweetHope-I hope your meeting went well. What did your Onc say? I agree about age. All of my Oncs have said my treatment is different because I'm 39. One of the largest factors is that I have not gone through menopause and my tumor is aggressively estrogen positive.

I just talked to my Onc's nurse. My MUGA scan was good and my CT scan was normal except for a few indeterminants at the lower end of my ribcage. The DR didn't think they were important and it doesn't change my treatment. She said CTs, MRIs, etc. are so sensitive today that they can lead to false positives. I see my DR on January 8th and she will go over the results in more detail. I'm hoping they really are nothing but its hard not to worry.

Has anybody heard what prescriptions they will have during chemo? The nurse said I have 7 so far. 4 anti-nausea drugs, 1 anti-biotic because I will be on Cytoxan, a tube of lidocaine cream to put over my port before infusions, and 1 for reflux. I'm not sure if I will be taking the anti-biotic the entire time I'm taking Cytoxan. I'm prone to yeast infections so we'll see how that goes! One more thing to add to the list of unpleasant side effects.

How is everybody who has had surgery already recovering? I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy on November 6th and this weekend was the first time I really felt like myself again. I still have some pain, particularly first thing in the morning, and hard spots in my breast. I still can't wear an bra with underwire but luckily, I had only stopped nursing my son last May and still had my nursing bras. They are nice and soft, so I've just been wearing them. My surgeon said it would take me a while to fully recover because she took a lot of tissue out to make sure I had clear margins (I'm thankful she did!) and it took them a while to stop the bleeding during surgery.

Tennisfan

Dear Bippy625, thanks for taking the time!!! I calculated that pretty much all of my 2015 year will be about this, so my goal is to have some hair back by next Christmas and.. to be fully back on the court :0)))

DSweethope - we will listen to you all you want, promised!!!

dimccleland - I think you are being pragmatic... A lot of people tried to bring me down with them when I shared the C news - seriously I think it affected some of my family members and friends mor than myself... i respect that but at the same time I refuse to be depressed. I did a lot of thinking o see if I was in complete denial - but after 4 months people can now tell it's simply in my nature. My sisters even worried that I did not cry - well I watched gooey movies and cried, and pet given as a Christmas gift videos and cried.. So I think I am just-action oriented for now. The chemo might be another story altogether but I want to cross the bridge only when I get there lol.

Cherylfg - I will know about my meds on Jan 12 - I am curious as we have pretty much the same diagnostic... Also, will you ask your doctor if you can tske probiotics? They are fabulous for yeast and other infections. Following my surgery I had two rounds of ten days and avoided yeast infections that way. Not sure if allowed when doing chemo though.

Bon, off to bake kale chips - my new "junk food". Seriously it is so easy to make, tastes lovely (to my great surprise) and they are one of the superfoods so give if someone is interested inam happy to share the recipe (a child could make this).

A bientôt!

SweetHope

Appointment with Onc was short and sweet. We decided to get oncotype dx test. It will take two weeks, so my next appointment isn't til Jan 5th. And here I was already picking out wigs, night caps and scarves .

I'm going to try to escape from myself for the rest of the week...take deep breaths...and stop my mind from thinking about this gigantic C thing. But what will I do about you guys? Sharing your experiences has helped me get through this month. I feel a strong connection to you all. I love my family and have fantastic friends, but they aren't walking the walk we are walking. So I may not be posting for a while, but I will certainly be reading your posts.

I wish everyone a happy holiday, sweet dreams, no pains, and oodles of laughter - it's such good medicine.

Lillp07

I have had a lumpectomy and now just about to start chemo. I'll then have a double mastectomy. Does anyone know why some need radiation after chemo and mastectomy?

You are all such a great support and I get great comfort in reading your posts Thank you all

Have a Merry Christmas everyone

dstar

I just asked my onco doc the same question. She said: Chemo is more to clean up the whole body of any "distant" cancer cell cells that may have traveled through the body but not taken hold yet. So that our breast cancer does not metastasize in the future. Sorry, I am not scientific with this.

Then radiation is more local, to clean up any cells in the breast area and in the lymph glands near the breast bone. Then the hormone suppressing drugs, for those of us with ER+ cancer, helps to prevent cancer in the future. The onco doc said any tumor over 2 cm is considered large and so they like to use rads to clean the local area. I don't know anything about her+ treatment.

cherlfg, sounds like you more had a mastectomy "lite" than a lumpectomy. I am alternating cold and hot packs under my arm and doing the stretches they gave me after surgery. That is helping with my discomfort and easing the swelling. A PA recommended the hot packs to bring blood and lymph flow back to the area and help it heal.

This guy I know made me really mad when I was talking about my decision to have reconstruction or not. He said, isn't it all about vanity? WOW! The things that come out of people's mouths. I said no! it's about identity and wanting to feel whole. That is completely different. If you had breasts, you wouldn't be so and quick to think you could just cut your breast off and not have another thought about it.

If you laid me down on my back, you could pour water into the hollow curve my surgery left behind and small birds could drink from it. Maybe that's a new employment option for me.

RV6gal

I got my CT Results today and they were good. Glad to hear Cherylfg nothing of significance was found on yours either! SweetHope, sorry to hear you are waiting again until Jan 5 for more information. I found that to be the toughest part. You have a good plan to put it out of your mind for now.

As far as surgery recovery goes, I still get some minor pain more like nerve spasms from the mastectomy. It actually helps to just touch and massages the area. I actually just bought my first prosthesis on Saturday. I was able to wear a t-shirt for the first time out of the house today. It felt so normal!

I just picked up my meds today as well so I'm ready for my first chemo. I have Ondansetron, Emend, Dexamethasone as well as metoclopramide if needed.

For the time being, I am going to out this cancer aside and enjoy the holidays. Wishing you all a merry Christmas/Joyeux Noeland the best results for us all in 2015!

dimccleland

SweetHope - thanks for your kind words and the "quote" ... so very true! Sorry you didn't get the answers you were hoping for at your appointment with the oncologist, I know that the 5th of January feels like its miles away but with all the holidays it will be here before you know it. I had to smile when I read that you had already been looking at wigs and scarves etc - I'm not sure what my treatment plan is yet but I have already decided that if I lose my hair, I not going to wear a wig. I also cut my hair today ... I've had shoulder length hair for 12 years and today I cut it short. I guess, its my way of accepting the journey I am about to embark on :-)

Cherylfg - thanks, I'm with you on the treatment plan, I have actually pushed to get an appointment with the oncologist before the holidays so I an have my plan in place before I go on on holiday, I almost feel that I will relax more knowing what is in store rather than the other way round. So glad your scan results were good, a huge win I'm sure. I will let you all know later today what my meds are as my appointment is in a couple of hours x

Tennisfan - thanks so much for the validation. I also haven't cried about this yet and I think it concerns some people, like you say though, I have cried at the Christmas adverts on TV and soppy movies :-) Funnily enough, my hubby cried for the first time yesterday when the results from my PET scan came back, he has been so strong and so supportive and I think that the relief for him was just overwhelming. Like you, I have accepted that most of 2015 is going to be spent battling the beast and I am actually okay with that. Not sure whether I will still be saying that once the chemo has started but am determined to stay as positive as possible.

RV6gal - so pleased to hear your CT results were good - my PET scan yesterday was good and I know what a relief that was xx

Right, I am off to check out my new haircut in the mirror again and then head off to my appointment with the oncologist ... will report back later.

Hugs to all of you x

dimccleland

Right, I'm back and feeling slightly freaked out but also more focussed now that I have my treatment plan in place! Met my oncologist today for the first time, what a lovely lady, actually, I am blessed all round with the doctors that have treatment me so far. Being an expat is tough at times but it becomes even tougher when you are faced with something like this, so feeling comfortable and liking the team treating your becomes very important as they become your support network. At least, that's the way I look at it.

All being well, I will have an echocardiogram on the 5th of January and will also have a port inserted then. My first session of chemo will be on the 6th of January. My oncologist says she prefers to keep her patients in hospital overnight after the first treatment to monitor their reactions to the chemo. Has anyone here been told they will have to stay overnight following their first dose? I'll will have four sessions of Adriamycin and Cytoxan (once very three weeks) and then 12 sessions of Taxol & Carboplatin (because my cancer is triple negative).

Feeling a little overhelmed as I write this but I guess that's completely normal. Need to take my mind off this and go and start preparing for our family Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow night.

Take care everyone and have a good day x

Cherylfg

Tennisfan- Great idea about probiotics. I used to give them to my son when he was an infant because they kept him from having chronic diaper rash. I'll email my nurse and ask her about them. Can you tell us how you make kale chips? I've tried a few times and mine never taste good. They are either too dry (totally disintegrate) or not dry enough. I love kale and I want to like kale chips but I can't seem to get them to bake properly.

dimccleland- Is the echo to make sure you don't have any underlying heart issues before you start chemo? I am also going to be on AC and my DR ordered a heart scan to make sure I didn't have any problems. The radiology nurse who did said they would repeat the test a few times while I was on chemo to make sure the Adriamycin doesn't impact my heart.

RV6gal- Great news about your CT! That must be a relief. Thank you for sharing your list of meds. I haven't heard of any of them! What are they for? Nausea?

We are off to my in-laws tomorrow and will be there until Saturday. My boys are lucky because we celebrate Chanukah at our house and Christmas at my in-laws. I usually love visiting them but my father-in-law is really struggling with me having cancer. He refuses to talk about it or hear about, and considering that is all I seem to want to talk about and everybody else will have more questions, I know it is going to be uncomfortable. Plus, I feel frustrated because my husband could really use the support of his dad right now. Oh well, we'll see how it goes. The nice thing is that we will be celebrating my husband's grandmother's 90th birthday! She is still living on her own and is really amazing.

I probably won't be on here until Sunday so I hope everybody has a restful few days. If you celebrate Christmas, I hope it is joyful.

I have my port placement on Monday and I'm really nervous about it. I think it will be good to have a break from the internet for a few days because then I won't be able to read stories about port placements.

Cheryl

dstar

Hi All,

Having port placed today, I will write about it so don't look here for a few days, cherylfg! Tomorrow I am off to the family's for Christmas. There is some healing going on- because I have cancer, parts of the family who have not gathered together for years are coming together for dinner tomorrow night. That is a pretty great Christmas present!

Went to the dentist yesterday, will be going in every 3 months while having chemo to check for bone loss, gum health.

Merry merry!

RV6gal

dstar, it's wonderful that you will see family members that you haven't seen for a while. That happened to me back in October just after my initial Dx. I saw family that I had not seen in 20 years. I had planned the trip before I found out about cancer but it was very comforting to see their support for me in person. I wish you the best on your port surgery today.

Wishing you all Happy Holidays as we take time to enjoy our family and friends and hopefully forget this part of us for a short time

Lrwllms

Hello everyone, my name is Lori, and I've just been diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer on Dec. 1st by doctors at advanced imaging, where I did my Mri guided biopsy. The week before Christmas I got into my oncologist, which I think is a superior doctor. I already know I will be doing chemo (taxatere & carboplatin) along with antibodies/proteins against Her2 (herceptin & projeta) every three weeks for six cycles. Then I will have surgery, hopefully a lumpectomy, but will decide when genetic results come in. I will keep the herceptin IV going to complete one year (once every three weeks). Then radiation on breast for 6.5 weeks. My plan is in place, hopefully everything goes as planned, and this cancer goes away. I go to get my echocardiogram on Jan. 6th, my port placement on Jan. 7th and begin chemo on Ja. 9th. I'm ready to get this going and over with. God is always in control!! I'm glad this forum is here. How is the port surgery for those that haven gotten that already

RV6gal

Hi Lori, welcome to the group but sorry cancer brought you here. I'm also glad that you have found a great oncologist. Good luck with the start of your chemo on the 9th. I start on Monday but will not have a port (at least not to begin with) so I can't shed any info on that but there is another thread that talks about it on here. Some of the ladies on this thread have or will have a port so I am sure they will have some information for you too.

precious12_44

Hi, I will also be starting chemotherapy in January. I see my oncologist Jan 5 to go over everything and determine drugs. I had a lumpectomy Dec. 9 and found out it is stage llb, grade 3 and very aggressive. It would be nice to speak with others going through this. I also have had systemic lupus for 35 years ( but I'm still here, thank god ) because it has been a hard fight & I just feel so tired, but somehow I have to find the strength for this. Like Wendy said I find it hard to talk to others as well, because they try to understand, but I just don't think they can truly know what you go through. I'll keep u informed & thanks for starting this.

Deborah

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RV6gal

Welcome to BCO and this January chemo thread Deborah. Sorry that you are now dealing with breast cancer in addition to lupus for so long. I have been anxious about all the different parts of tx but the ladies at BCO have made me feel less fearful with the wealth of information here. I'm sure you will find it helpful too. My DX is aggressive cancer also and I'm ready to get this chemo on the go! We can definitely share our experiences as we go through this.

PMR53

Lrwllms

Hi Lori! It sounds like we are on the same course of treatment. Port Jan 5th and starting TCH and Perjeta x 6 cycles after that. I am scared and praying for all of us. Not sure after that what surgery I will have. Went to the chemo class and was over whelmed by the information. I appreciate what everyone has to say esp the ones that have gone through already. God bless all of us!!

PMR53

Lrwllms

I am glad I found this group. I know all of this is done for a reason, and we all will overcome it. Thanks for the support thus far, I know we will best of buds, before all this is over with

dstar

Port Placement Report or, how I became a cyborg on Christmas Eve.

First, hello to everyone just joining this group! Welcome--here's to getting through this together.

Having a wonderful holiday with my family, a safe port in this storm for a few days (thanks for the good wishes RV6gal); I am relaxing in the comfort of meals being prepared for me, long walks on the beach and lots of sleep with no worries about work and deadlines while I heal from surgery. Christmas night, I dozed in front of a warm fire after a yummy meal while my family talked around me, laughing and sharing stories; together after 15 years apart and I thought well, cancer can bring moments of grace; I have wanted that for so long; best present ever! I hope all of you had a chance to rest and share peaceful time with your families before the chemo starts. People can have such different reactions to cancer.

Well, I had my port "placed" on the 24th. The surgery was no problem, took a little longer than I thought. Sedation and local worked great for me during the procedure I was conscious and talking during the surgery, although I am sure I made no sense. I recovered and went home. Two incisions, one where the port was placed under the skin and one in the base of the neck where the tube was threaded into the large vein (?) that goes into my heart. The PA who put in my port advised ice packs and made sure I still had narcotic pain meds if I needed them. Once the local wore off, I had to take pain meds so I could sleep. Ouch!!! But the next day, I was able to drive by the afternoon. Though you cannot lift anything heavy on the side you get your port in. Still had a lot of pain and bruising/ swelling at the site and needed a lot of rest. Today I felt a lot better, still some local pain but it is manageable w/out meds I can turn my head fully and lift my arm. So, I would suggest making sure you have a cushion of 3 to 4 days around your port placement in case you had the kind of pain that I did. Others seem to have a lot less than I so I hope you all have an easier time. It still feels weird, a little tugging when I turn my head etc. but I was advised that this will go away in a week or two. Glad to have my port though because the nurse had a tough time getting an IV into my arm, bruising, three needle pokes. Can't imagine chemo that way for 5 months so I can tolerate the port! So now I am a cyborg. hahahaha.

Next for me is bone scan on the 31st. Then CT scan and heart scan on the 6th. Chemo on the 7th. Still need to buy head wraps. Got to shave my head the day before chemo. That will be hard, I will miss my hair. I am gonna wear lipstick everyday for 5 months along with pretty earrings.

OK, now is the time for walking!!

precious12_44

Thanks for the Support. It sounds like I have to get several things done b4 chemo starts, but will know for sure in 9 days. I will go ahead and call to setup a cleaning for My teeth & echo. I saw the cardiologist b4 My lumpectomy and he told me to make an appointment for the echo. Now I understand why. My doctors had all been in contact with My breast cancer surgeon, so I am sure they had more info at that time than me. All of your information has been invaluable. I live alone, but My Mom is not far and My church family is great. I just don't want to become dependent on anyone. Because of the lupus my immune system is so bad. That is making me so fearful of my chances. First time I have said that to anyone. I spend so much time trying to have my kids(25,27) and friends think I am fine so they will not worry so much. The Lord has delivered me from so many things and spared my life and I know there is a plan that I do not know of, but this....sorry. Thanks for listening to me. I probably won't log on again until I see the oncologist. You will all be in my prayers.

tambeth

Hello All,

This is a wonderful group and it is helping tremendously to read each and every post. I was diagnosed in November but the diagnosis has not been real to me yet except for every visit for another test. I know the lump is there but am otherwise healthy (as the doctors all now know by having scans of inside and out up and down) It has not been moving quickly enough for me as I keep thinking why tell me it is her2+ aggressive but hurry up and wait. Some of the delay has been due to having Health Alliance and they need approval for everything. I actually go in to start the chemo 12/31 but feel I can relate to all of the anxiety of each post I have read. Cherylfg- thank you for starting the post.. RV6gal- best of luck and prayers for you tomorrow my thoughts will be with you. I definitely will keep each and everyone in my prayers. It does help to read all posts so I agree post away...I am thankful to have found this great group to listen, support and ask questions of my fellow warriors.

dstar

RV6gal--My thoughts will also be with you tomorrow. Please let us know how you are when you can.

Hi tambeth, glad you found us though sounds like you are going through a tough run. Do your doctors want to shrink your tumor before surgery? From what I understand, the faster the cells are dividing, the more the chemo works to destroy your cancer cells, all guns blazing.

tambeth

I must say the port placement took me by surprise. I had pain meds but only needed one and did nothing at all that day. That is the most important part that you plan on no activity whatsoever. It is itching a little now and is 8 days out but healing very well and I am happy to have it as my veins seemed to roll every time and was having problems with blown veins (ouch!) best of luck to you I am not saying it is completely pain free but is worth it in the end I think. Again, hope you have an easy recuperating time and much rest

RV6gal

Thanks for the good wishes! I'm a little anxious but ready to get going. I will definitely keep you all posted.

Welcome to the group tambeth! I have heard the same thing as dstar about chemo being more effective on quickly dividing cells. In addition, it will provide absolute proof that the chemo is working on the tumor. Good luck on the 31st.

Cherylfg

Welcome to all of the new members! While I am all sorry you have to go through this, I am glad we can support each other through it.

dstar- I'm glad your port placement went well. Thank you for sharing how it went. It helps to read that it went so smoothly.

RV6gal- Good luck tomorrow! I'll be thinking of you.

I have mine tomorrow and I'm both mad and nervous about it. I'm mad that I will have yet enough scar because of this disease. I know that is petty and the port will allow for life saving medicine but I'm still mad that it has to happen. And, that it will make hugging my kids hard for a few days. My 3-year-old does not understand that he has to be gentle around me.

It was great to have a few days to relax and just lounge around at my in-laws. Of course, everybody had a lot of questions but I don't mind. I actually find it easier when friends or family ask because then I can talk about it. And, we celebrated my husband's grandmother's 90th birthday. She said she had a great time and was really happy to see so many friends and family members.

I've been starting to look at wigs. Has anybody else done this yet? I think I need to just face that this is going to happen and find a wig. I have a wig a friend sent me but it is different than my hair. I don't think I'll wear a wig except to work. I teach at a university and all of the students I will be teaching will be students I had this past fall. They know what I look like and I haven't told them about being diagnosed. I don't plan on telling them (the other faculty know) because I want the class to be out the topic and their learning. I'm fine with wearing hats the rest of the time. I'm a knitter so I have a large collection but I just think I'll be more comfortable if I have a wig for work.

tambeth

dstar--My oncologist suggested trying to shrink the tumor as the reason for chemo before surgery but then also said because several nodes were involved thought it would be best to minimize the chance of reoccurrence. She said she would try to go with a lumpectomy if possible but the surgeon would determine that. Said there was concern of there not being enough tissue to close the wound after surgery. It is hard to turn your care over completely. I do feel I have a great team. So yes indeed, pulling out all stops to fight!