What's Next?

If you're wondering what the next steps are for me, you're not alone. I'm a little unclear, too, but based on the wonderful pathology report from last week, it seems virtually certain that I will not have to do chemo. I do, however, have an appointment with a medical oncologist on November 23rd, presumably to discuss whether or not I should start taking Tamoxifen, a drug that has proven effective in reducing recurrence of breast cancers that are estrogen receptor positive (which mine was). I suppose we'll also talk about chemo, although my surgeon seemed to think that it was not in the cards for me, given the fact that the pathology report showed that the cancer was completely contained in the milk ducts.

This journey and my treatment are not quite over, though. I will have to do radiation, and although I know that this will be a nuisance and tiring, etc., radiation is a completely different beast than chemo, and much more tolerable, from what I've heard and read. I will begin the treatments in December, and the bonus is that my radiation oncologist is Dr. Rosenblatt whom I like very much (I wrote about him a few posts ago). I will receive 33 treatments over the course of about 6 weeks. When combined with a lumpectomy, radiation dramatically reduces the chance of recurrence, so I'm all for this being a part of my treatment plan, even if it is inconvenient and not exactly the way I'd like to spend the holidays.

As I process through things this week, it is hard for me to believe that the really hard part of this journey is behind me. Needless to say, the month of October was difficult. It was scary and stressful and even gut-wrenching at times. I clearly, however, am one of the really fortunate women who had their breast cancer detected at an amazingly early stage (I haven't received my official "stage" of breast cancer, but I'm guessing it will be a Stage 0 based on the pathology report). My hope is that my story might motivate other women to take charge of their health and be vigilant about getting their annual mammograms. Doing so might just save their lives, as it did mine.

As I was checking out at Kroger yesterday, I saw, sitting next to a trash can, some of the cardboard breast cancer awareness advertisements that had been up in the store during October. They were folded up, crinkled, and clearly bound for the dumptster. It made me kind of sad. I had just seen a friend in the store who has been battling breast cancer for more than a year -- chemo, mastectomy and all. The two of us are living proof that this disease doesn't go away at the end of October. If only we could fold up our diseases like those pieces of cardboard and toss them in the trashcan. Wouldn't that be wonderful. But, the fact is that this disease is very real, and affects the lives of millions of women and their families all year long, not just in October (or as one disgruntled breast cancer blogger calls it "Pinktober").

I'll be in touch soon. Thanks again for your love, support and encouragement.

Erin