cathy thompson

My Journey with that nasty word Cancer.   Breast cancer to be exact.   My diagnosis was made after having a mammogram scheduled after my annual physical,  MD suggested a mammogram even though one was done six months prior, during that mammogram I was called back which was not new to me as I had been doing this plus ultrasounds every six months over the years 3 to be exact.   This ultrasound they say was different, lets do a biopsy.   Biopsy was done on 12/14/17 with follow up appointment on 12/19/17   told I had DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma in-situ)  Stage 1.    Simple procedure Lumpectomy with Sentinel Lymph node biopsy, 5-6 weeks of radiation would complete the treatment.   Tumor was 1.6cm.  Surgery Lumpectomy and removal of 4 lymph nodes was 1/5/18and I  was home within  a couple of hours.   1/9/18 surgical/pathology follow up,  guess what the tumor was removed with 2.5cm of tissue which they call margin and checked which was all cancer in these margins,  Tumor was measured at 1.9cm with cancer in surrounding tissue 5-6cm invasive now and involving 3 lymph nodes, Cancer now staged at 2 Estrogen and Progesterone positive HER2   having decided to go back into surgery for a 2nd round on 1/17/18 to remove more tissue (margins)  5-6cm more or the size of 1/2 tennis ball.  1/23/18  Surgical/pathology follow up.  Told cancer still in all tissue that was removed during the second surgery, now worried about aggressive invasive nature of this cancer and why it had not shown up on mammograms.  MRI done with the decision made to do a Bilateral Mastectomy (both right and left breast) along with more lymph nodes.    Surgery again scheduled  for 2/7/18  this time no day surgery will stay overnight.  They will also place a Port for chemotherapy (what happened to only radiation),  Worries about Genetic markers for this cancer.