CAT Scan

Hi all:

All I can say, hold on, put your seat belt on, keep your hands on and sit down, the roller coaster is starting.

I was dianosed 12/14/07 with triple negative breast cancer in my left breast. I have already had an MRI. My chest x-ray showed a spot in the right, lower, lobe of my lung. I had an CAT Scan but it was not able to identify what the spot is. My surgeon is sending me to an oncologist for a PET Scan, Bone Scan for her opinion.

The surgeon did say it would be very unusual for this spot to be cancer, she'd expect to see more than one spot if it was cancer. I did have a chest x-ray in Oct. of 2003 and the spot was not there.

Anyone have any opinions? I was scheduled to have a lumpectomy on 1/7, but now that is cancelled. Now, I am wondering if I should just have a mastectomy so I don't have to worry all of the time. I am the Worry Wort of Macomb County, MI. My daughter used to tell her school friends, "Oh, you don't have to worry about that, just tell my mom and she'll worry for you." Get the picture? And, I cry at store openings, so I am a mess.

The surgeon still says she can do a lumpectomy because I am bodacious and she says that there is a lot to work with. But with a 4.6cm tumor, and this damn spot on my lung, I am falling apart and think that maybe I should just have the mastectomy and be over with the entire mess.

Any suggestions? I am most interested in anyone that has any information about the spot on my lung. I feel hopeful because the Dr. said it would be very unusual for it to be cancer.

Thanks

Cookie

Thanks for the positive feedback. My oncologist was excellent with me yesterday. She said, "first we have to take care of you and make you feel normal, so here's a script for xanax and ambien" I was amazed just one xanax worked in less than 1 hour and I do feel like I am back to normal.

I asked her about the physcian to physcian treatment consultation with MD Anderson and she said she worked there and just left them a year ago. That she is still affiliated with MD Anderson, has a grant and knows everyone in the breast cancer department, so she talks to them all of the time.

She is going to use doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide with paclitaxel (Adriamycin and Cytoan), I think I heard her right, 3-6 months. I'll have radiation too. I failed to ask if I'd get chemo before and after surgery. Along with a script for kytnil, pnenergan and darvon. Whatever all this means. I was so distrought that I could barely talk.

I had mentioned some things I saw online and she said that a lot of it hasn't been used long term and there is no stats on any of it that it actually works.

She is willing to work with me with whatever I want, i.e., I'd like to get this under control here and go to be with our friends in AZ for a month or so, then come back here for follow-up, then go back to MI, have treatments there but have her and the other DR.s here in TX my primary doctors even it means flying here once a month. She didn't say that was impossible. I just feel I need to be around my friends, we are all so close and even if I were home, they'd all be right there by my side. They'd also make life easier for my husband.

Does anyone have suggestions for during chemo and radiation. Creams, salves, soap, clothing, etc.?

Fondly,

Cookie

Twink - I am not computer literate - I don't know how to get to one of the chemo groups. I only know how to go into my site and put info there so I don't know if anyone else even sees what I post.

I have always picked up my granddaughter (7) from school, as long as we've been here. I realize that I won't be able to get her every day and may not feel like it but I got a devistating e-mail yesterday from my daughter and son-in-law; it was in response to me telling them to tell Sarah I won't be picking her up on Wed because of my oncologist appt. There response was "we'll be picking Sarah up from school from now on." Could be me and my hormones, probably is, but this is the first time that I am crying and devistated, I feel that I will still be able to do still do this, if not every day, some times and maybe on Fridays so she can take the bus home so she can play. Her parents won't pick her up until 5:30 - maybe even 6:30, whereas I get her at 4:30. I just feel this is more stress for me, of course they haven't told her anything about this yet, my son-in-law, God love him, he is a dear, doesn't think she needs to know anything. Guess I'm just venting. I see no reason that telling her that there are these two "guys" in my body fighting and we need to get them out and clean up the mess they left, so I'll be tired, lose my hair because of the medicine to get rid of these bastards and then we'll move on.

Thanks for listening. I go for my PET Scan today, why do they do a PET Scan and a Bone Scan both? I see the oncologist on Wed. Looking for a wig today.

God Bless you y friend

Cookie