SURGEON TIME

December 8, 2017, next step in the journey.  Still on my high after the oncologist visit.  Time to meet my surgeon.  Get this thing out of me ASAP so I can get back to living my life.

First... Pay my $20 copay (this will become a theme.. ugh!)  Her office is a normal doctor office.  No medals or vacation videos....  Good... she's serious...  let's talk, let's get this scheduled.

In she comes.  Very sweet but direct.  Answers my questions in more of a language I can understand. Here is what I get from this conversation:  still very small, caught very early, I now know "what" my cancer is ... ER/PR+ and HER2-; home to google this... don't understand it in her words, but she says, "if you're going to have cancer, this is the best kind", and she does not forsee any problems with the route my oncologist has placed me on.  Let's get you on the calendar for surgery in two weeks, tentatively......

Tentatively... why tentatively??  I want it done.  What would stop this from not taking place??  Well there could be some bumps in the road.  She does not forsee any, but wants me to be prepared just in case.  Bumps would include my genetic test coming back positive, which she doesn't think it will because of my family history, but this would be a bump.  Why is this I ask....  Because if it happens to come back positive it is recommended that you have a double mastectomy and at least ovaries and fallopian tubes out.  Being positive would raise your chance of this cancer or other cancers returning by 80%.  But it won't be positive, so it's all good....  Right?  Right!!  Out I go.. still feeling confident in the "slam dunk" theory.  Onward and upward!

Later that day, glitch #1 ...  call from oncologist office...  some of the blood work is back.  I am severely anemic.  I am a 5; normal is 35 to 110; WTF, how is this possible?  I just had my annual blood work and it was "perfect".  Apparently annual blood work ups do not include a CBC panel.  Why??  This should be added to our wellness requirements I think to myself.  I would have already known this.  Now will have to have iron infusions.  (yep more freakin needles).  Scheduling them for each of the next two Tuesdays before surgery.  Doc says must be bleeding from somewhere.  CAT scan scheduled for week after lumpectomy surgery to check out the anemia situation.  Okay fine... let's get rid of the cancer then we can talk anemia.

Time for more waiting.... on the genetic test, the iron infusions and surgery.... tick tock tick tock.....