This past Friday, I met with a surgeon to discuss "what comes next." She answered all my questions about the various options and gave me a lot of information.
My choices come down to a lumpectomy to remove the remnants of the tumor, some surrounding tissue, and 2-3 lymph nodes-- or a mastectomy to remove the whole breast and 2-3 lymph nodes. We also discussed the possibility of a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. If I have the lumpectomy, I also would get six weeks of daily radiation treatment. With a mastectomy, radiation may or not be on the agenda, depending on what is going on with the lymph nodes.
All the options basically suck.
I asked her which option she would advise and she said the choice has to be mine, because it's really more of a psychological than a medical decision. With the kind of breast cancer I have, statistically the outcomes are about the same in regard to chances of recurrence and survival rates.
So, I jokingly told her I would get back to her after I go to medical school for four years.
Whichever way I go, I will also be taking oral medication for the next five years … the main side effect of which is hot flashes, which I already have had too much experience with. And I will have to go in for check ups every six months. So even after all the chemo and surgery, cancer will continue to be the Sword of Damocles hanging over my head.
I have my final chemo treatment coming up on May 22, and I can't have surgery until my white blood count rebounds from that, so I have some time to mull over the various unsavory options.
On the plus side, I feel pretty good physically, except for some lingering neuropathy and ankle/foot edema. The vegetable-intense diet, glucosamine, vitamin-B supplements, and daily walks all help me feel like I am actually doing something, rather than just having things done to me.
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