Well, I continue to grow & learn.  The HER2 test is a measure of your human epidermal growth factor, not estrogen — measuring estrogen & progesterone receptors are separate. My HER2 test came back negative, so I didn't need Herceptin, considered an immunotherapy drug - a type of chemo.  Right now I’m waiting on the oncogene typing, which tells you one’s genetic disposition towards cancer, so perhaps the need for chemo.  But I’m told most likely I won’t need it.

My surgery had urgently been pushed up, while the breast surgeon was away on vacation — very scary, since no one could tell me why at the time. I knew the final pathology report came back, but I couldn’t find out the results or get my hands on a copy of them until my breast surgeon came back from vacation.  It turned out, they just didn’t want their practice to look bad scheduling so far out from the diagnosis.  The surgeon had forgotten our conversation about scheduling around my work — it would have given me at least 3 weeks of recovery without work, (I had a very slow growing tumor, so it was very doable).  But they went above & beyond fitting me in on a non-surgical day & being the last patient.  Surgery was 9/2/20, so I had 10 days before returning to work.  I did as much as I could before surgery, & once the first week had passed, I had turned the corner, so I could function again — pretty much what the plastic surgeon had described.  But that week was hard, & I don’t recommend anyone scheduling surgery butt up against a holiday weekend.  A colleague BFF of mine happened to have surgery on the same day & one of my follow-up appointments landed on her follow-up day, so we had each other to vent with!

It took me awhile to get caught up organizing this Fall semester for my students in clinical & planning my first lab for my other students, thus this late & extra long entry.  I’m now able to catch up with my life.

I am now outside of the official 3 week post-surgical recovery, but I’m not done yet.  My body likes to swell — always has, so it is taking longer.  Once I am completely healed, I will start the radiation process — a grueling schedule of 5 days a week x 4 weeks, so it looks like I’ll be cutting back on my work schedule again (meaning cutting out side jobs & shutting down side business).

Works keeps me more sane, & the income is needed to pay the high deductibles, John & I both have — thousands of dollars each!

After radiation, I officially start the prevention phase.  I have done additional reading & researching after meeting with the medical oncologist, and mentally, I am standing firm about using supplementation instead of drugs to keep my estrogen levels low (because it also comes from fat & other hormones).  The drug classsification is called an aromatase inhibitor, & it is a systemic toxin.  It has benefits, but in my individual case, a medical app gave me a 1% advantage of additional lifespan, if I take it — not worth it!  In fact, the research states that taking the drug does not extend your life years, according to data taken from the general population, because it is toxic, & the side effects will get you, which begs the question, if these people didn’t die earlier, would the 33% advantage remain so high?  The authoritative body for oncologists came out with statement in 2017 that not all people should take aromatase inhibitors.  Their focus was on people with comorbidities, which I don’t have, but then again, I was also at low risk for cancer.  Worse case scenario would be the breast cancer comes back.  The literature states that my survival chances are no worse than the first time I got it, so I will be monitored closely, & if something were to crop up, I’ll get it cut out, but without the boob job! It reminds me of people, who are plagued by skin cancer — they are monitored closely, & if a spot forms again, it is cut out.  But like I said, it would be the worse case scenario, & I maintain a higher quality of life in the meantime without the bone/joint pain, night seats, losing more bone density, & potential cardiovascular problems.  Nonetheless, it would be at this leg of the journey that I would be bucking the system that I have been conditioned to all my adult life, so emotioning, I’m rather shaken at this point, so if anyone knows a woman with a similar story, please try to hook us up!