Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting. Below is what things look like to now.
Retrospective timeline by Max Divine:
- October 1st, 2021 annual mammogram (yeah, lets get squished).
- She usually has abnormal mammograms due to calcifications, but this one was MORE unusual so a biopsy was scheduled
- October 13th, 2021 biopsy time. It was a big needle and she almost passed out. - October 20th, 2021, it was a bad day. We got a diagnosis of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS). - October 27th, 2021 it was time for an MRI to further diagnose this intruder. - October 29th, 2021 we had our first meeting with the Breast Surgeon Specialist, Dr. Elizabeth Butler at Saint Luke's North Hospital. She and her team of nurses (Melissa Myers and Sue McMahon) were wonderful.
- In the surgeon's words, "as it sits today," it appears as a Stage 0, non-invasive DCIS - it was however determined that the best course of action given her family history, and her repeat abnormal mammograms that she undergo a double mastectomy with reconstruction to follow if desired. This options "as it sits" today may also not need follow up chemo or rad.
- November 3rd, 2021 she has another biopsy and MRI to better diagnose the intruder.
- She did better for this biopsy.
- November 4th, 2021 we had a rehab consult with Christine Pirtle to fill us in on the post-operative rehab regimen. She was really nice. - November 11th, 2021 we met with the plastic surgeon/breast specialist, Dr. Garry Martin II at Saint Luke's Downtown. He was pretty cool and explained things well. He broke down the phases, but honestly we were too overwhelmed to take it all in. - November 12th, 2021 we met with the plastics office nurse educator and talk about things at length. Sherry Jetmore is also very caring, knowledgeable and cool. - November 13th, 2021, we got our COVID booster shots to help reduce her risk. - November 28th, 2021. Fast forward to now. We just came back from a great Thanksgiving with family and are trying to get things in order and mentally prep for the mastectomy tomorrow.
After a 9 hour surgery and 2 days (3 nights) in the ICU, Trudy is home! She is doing well and her pain is manageable although sneezing and coughing are excruciating.
Many thanks to Dr. Garry Martin, the peri operative team and the excellent nurses and staff of Saint Luke’s MSICU for taking such great care my beautiful wife.
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