Marie’s Story

Site created on February 26, 2021

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I’m a nurse and now the tables have turned. I’m now the patient. Not exactly how I pictured this year starting out. Last June, I saw my family doctor. He mentioned getting my first mammogram. I remember telling him “I breast fed for three years, I’m not at all concerned about cancer “. Boy I’ve never been so wrong.

Fast forward to December living in Baltimore and working in DC as a travel nurse I bent over and my breast felt like a heavy brick. I felt underneath and there it was, larger than a golf ball. Not having a doctor close by I had to wait until February to get in to see one.

I saw the nurse practitioner, Ashly who of course examined me and said it was the largest lump she’d felt. Scheduled a diagnostic mammogram with ultrasound. Had that and the radiologist brought me into the room to show me my results. This huge spiky irregular ugly thing growing inside me. I was alone, thanks to Covid and didn’t really process when she told me it was highly suspicious for malignancy. I was scheduled for a core biopsy via ultrasound for the next week.

I met Dr Baker for the biopsy and she is phenomenal! I had to lay on the table, on my hip for an hr and a half with my arm above my head, while she did her thing. I had three core biopsies done to the breast and two fine needle aspirates to the right armpit. The wait for results was a week. She did tell me that day that she wasn’t going to lie to me and it was for sure malignant. She used a term bi rad 5 which I had to ask her to explain. Basically said you have cancer without the confirmation of a biopsy.

One long but short week later I get the call while I’m driving to the airport coming back from Chicago and visit with my family. She said it is an invasive ductal carcinoma.... but my lymph node was reactive but not showing obvious malignancy. She got me in touch with Megan who is the nurse navigator who scheduled my surgeons appointment.

Met Dr Tsangaris, the surgeon, the next afternoon, along with Megan. “We are still waiting on the molecular testing but if it’s triple negative breast cancer, I won’t do surgery until at least chemo has started”. I was leaning in the direction at this point to do chemo first since all the literature supports it. I then had to miss work to see the oncologist the next day.

Dr Patel, my oncologist is super optimistic and I am very much a realist. Her nurse, Lisa is actually the one to inform me it was in fact, triple negative breast cancer, which means not great things. It’s ugly. It’s an angry cancer that spreads rapidly. I was informed the ER job I currently have isn’t a good idea while chemo is in place. Crushing? I’m under boulders. I can’t work the next two weeks because I have about 13 appointments scheduled plus my head isn’t going to be dedicated to patient care right now. It’s not fair to them either.

So as of now I’m waiting for the labs to be resulted I had drawn yesterday, have the CT, have the MRI, have the genetic testing, see the cardiologist, have the echocardiogram, see the other surgeon for the port, have the port placed and the nurse navigator appointment to line up all my chemotherapy treatments. I’ll be doing every other week for 16 weeks, a four drug regimen, two to start and platinum therapy for the second half. I see the surgeon half way for ultrasound or another MRI.

I’m trying so hard to be positive but this is some ugly spiky rock being thrown at me. My husband was at first in denial, wanted it to be some weird thing that we could just remove and be done. He’s amazing but not able to fully grasp this is happening to both of us. Maybe now he is I suppose.

Thanks for reading and I’ll be updating next week with all the fun appointments I’ve got!

Newest Update

August 26, 2021

Journal entry by Marie Wynn —

You walk into a post op appointment, never really knowing what will happen. I still am uncomfortable in my rib areas mostly because of those lovely Jackson Pratt (JP) drains still sutured laterally where my arms liked to rest. 

So my doctor, sister and I make small talk about the surgery. I learn there may be some weird reason I’m all bruised on the left side, was a difficult block for anesthesia, yada yada yada. I honestly don’t remember what was said at the beginning of the appointment, but I certainly remember the end of it.  “Complete pathologic response”. I seriously cried the happiest tears, next to giving birth to my children that I’ve ever had!  She handed me the five page pathology report that I plan on keeping forever. 

This means that I am CANCER FREE!  I didn’t do it alone. I can thank my AMAZING family and wonderful medical team that spanned from Virginia to Illinois!  None of this happened as planned.  February 10, 2021 I had a horrible oncology team in Maryland that treated me so terribly I quit after one chemo session.  (First was 3/17/21) Moved my care to Virginia in April (4/9/21)  and was never more thankful in my life to have met such an amazing care team . I didn’t have biweekly chemo as recommended because of this set back. I spent eight days in a month (April to May)  in the hospital.  All the research says you can’t or shouldn’t alter this regimen. It should be a strict biweekly start on AC for four treatments then weekly taxol for 12.  Well of course I failed at that too. I couldn’t “handle” more than five treatments of taxol.  I had 19 days of a fever in between my weekly infusions all in the month of June.  I met an oncology surgeon  and plastic surgeon in Virginia and my initial plan was “encouraged “ to do breast conservation surgery  (aka lumpectomy- reduction) because I was a young patient and it appeared my cancer had at least shrunk to a minimum. 

Well just like nothing quite goes as planned after my second four day admission, I talked my husband into moving back home. I needed to be closer to family. This was enough that at this point who knows what would happen and I wanted it to happen with most of them close by.  One issue was he had a contract and in the travel nurse field it’s a bad idea to break that for ANY  reason.  So we decided I’d pack up Sheldon, so I wasn’t completely alone traveling, to head with me while he, Madison and Chapo stayed there to complete the time he needed, to not only finish the contract, but to avoid a now third insurance (maximum) deductible during a cancer diagnosis.  

Sheldon and I made our way around August 1st back to IL. I had made several appointments while still in DC at NorthShore Health System that were all before the end of the contract/ insurance expiration.  I met with an amazing oncology surgeon named  Dr Kopkash. I can’t explain with each appointment I had in this health system, I felt in such great hands. I explained that after one taxol, I ran a fever for four days and acquired pneumonitis that was diagnosed by the fifth treatment and I wasn’t interested in doing radiation which is pretty much “required “ with triple negative breast cancer. Radiation runs a much higher risk of pneumonitis than chemotherapy does.   I knew then I’d be having a mastectomy. I had seen so many hack job photos online I was pretty scared to say the least.  Fast forward to the days before surgery, I dreamt of explosions in the operating room and other completely ridiculous incidents that just don’t happen!  The day of surgery, I was energized to just get the show on the road whatever the risks.  I honestly never asked her how she planned to cut me and was more concerned about having my port removed than anything.  

Dr Kopkash is definitely a miracle worker.  My incisions are not visible in the mirror. They’re so carefully hidden I am so thankful and lucky. I think the JP drains will leave a scar more visible than the actual mastectomy!   I have expanders in and Dr Sisco gets to deal with those for now.  I’m graduating to not seeing the oncology surgeon for six GLORIOUS months!  I just want to celebrate this amazing news with everyone and anyone that will listen right now! 

I am CANCER FREE! From February 10th to August 25th my body was poked, displayed, prodded  and scanned more than I ever thought imaginable.  I know it’s not “over” but it kind of is. I am a new person because of this and cancer didn’t win this time! 

I truly can never thank my family enough! They’ve taken such amazing care of me and I am not sure how I can ever repay them.  I may just be around long enough to torture them for many years to come 💕 

Thanks to  you for all the kind, encouraging, uplifting words over these past six plus months!  I’ve appreciated them more than you realize.  

I’m excited for Michael to make it here today and we can begin our new normal ❤️  cancer free 
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