I got the cancer

So, most of you know by now that I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma, to be exact. Two tumors in the right boobie. Grade 3 with a score of 9. Most likely stage I or II cancer.

In an effort to keep friends and family updated, I thought I'd start posting to The Funky Cold Medinas blog again. 

And to keep today's posting time as brief as possible (as I am supposed to be working, not blogging, right now), I thought I would just copy and paste an email that I sent to a group of women I've begun referring to as The Trice Women. These are the women on my mother's side of the family, and we all share the same (or close to the same) boobs, genetically speaking. 

At any rate, I sent them an email explaining what's been going on with this whole cancer thing over the last few months. I've copied and pasted the contents of that email below.  I'll keep everyone posted as I learn more information.

Many thanks to all of you who have prayed for me, sent me good ju-ju, warm thoughts, good vibes, etc. I am grateful. 

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To The Trice Women:

...And just to keep everyone up to date and on the same page, I thought I'd email you guys instead of re-telling the story several times. Again, I'm sorry this is so impersonal.

Anyway, here's what went down the past few months:
1. Friended Margie on Facebook during Granny's last few weeks.
2. Asked Margie a few questions about how we're related, etc.
3. Margie mentioned that Granny had a sister, Anne, who died of breast cancer at age 35.
4. I realized that with our family history, I should be doing breast self exams... something I had never once done.
5. I happened to find a pamphlet in my files that explained how to do the self exams.
6. I started doing the exams. I did one in early December, and didn't notice anything.
7. I did one on Christmas Eve Day, and I noticed a lump in my right breast.
8. Scheduled an appointment with my OB/GYN to have it looked at.
9. He said, "I'm 95% certain this is a fibroid." Even so, he wanted me to get a mammogram, just to be sure.
10. I get the mammogram, and radiologist says, "This looks and smells like a fibroid." But still, he wanted me to get a biopsy just to be sure.
11. On Jan. 31, I had the biopsy.
12. On Feb. 3, my OB/GYN called me on the phone and said, "It's cancer." He said the next step is to see a breast surgeon.

That news came last Thursday. Mario and I just waited and waited until we could get more information.

So, here's what's gone down the last couple of days.

1. On Monday, I had to pick up the pathology report, mammogram films and medical record so that I could take them with me to the breast surgeon.
2. OB/GYN translated the pathology report, which is very scary because, in a nutshell, it says the cancer cells are dividing very rapidly.
3. Mario and I furiously start Googling every term on the pathology report, and it just gets scarier and scarier.
4. FINALLY, today, we met with the breast surgeon, Dr. Alison Laidley, at Medical City.

So, here's what Dr. Laidley said:

1. I have two tumors in the right breast, which are somewhat far apart from each other. This means I am NOT a candidate for a lumpectomy. Instead, I will have a masectomy of my right breast.
2. Very soon (I hope this week), I will have a special type of MRI that focuses on my breasts. I will also have a chest X-ray, abdominal ultrasound and genetic testing. The MRI, X-ray and ultrasound will help determine if the cancer has spread anywhere beyond my right breast. The genetic testing will determine if I have a hereditary gene mutation that leads to breast cancer. This won't change anything as far as my treatment goes, but it will let us know if the Trice Women (including Allie), need to have genetic testing.
3. Because cancer in young women (younger than 40) tends to be aggressive and fast-growing, I will most likely have a double masectomy. This will lower the chances of the cancer recurring in the future.

And here's the bottom line (and the best news):

I will get new boobs, as insurance covers reconstruction. Yay new boobs!