All is Well...

This Monday I went back to the University of Chicago to have a procedure in which Dr. J. opened up my flap and scraped along my skin to retrieve a tissue sample for the pathologist to determine (clean margin) that the doctors got all the cancer. The operation took only an hour and recovery about another hour or two. I woke up without feeling sick to my stomach and felt really really good with no pain. Those results should be available to me on Monday for my follow-up appointments.

Prior to surgery, I ask Dr. J. if she had anymore bio-marker test results. She stepped out for a few minutes and came back with 2 more results.  My estrogen receptor is positive and my progesterone receptor is also positive. Estrogen receptors are special protein that the hormone estrogen binds to. Breast cancer cells that are estrogen positive depend on the estrogen to grow the tumors. This means that my body uses the estrogen to fuel the tumors growth. (I must have great estrogen cuz those nasty tumors grew really fast and multiplied quickly with over 50% of my breast infected with the cancer.) Now science/research steps in and studies the fact that the cancer cells need some fuel (estrogen) to exist so why not block the fuel. Hormone therapy blocks the receptors or reduces the amount of estrogen that can get into the receptors and, as a result, cancer cells may shrink or die. This fact is important because it affects which kind of treatment would work best for me and that my body should respond well to hormone suppression treatments such as tamoxifen. THIS IS ALL EXCELLENT NEWS. The doctors are not ruling out any other treatments but for now they know that I should have hormone suppression treatments. I have not received the results from the HER2 bio-marker. They send those tests to New York for typing.

After receiving the test results, Ron, my sister Peg, and I started to cry with joy. It is a big relief to know that I may dodge radiation and possibly chemo. We may be jumping the gun a bit, but for now that is the hope I am hanging my hat on. The real picture will be when we get the results of the HER2 receptors. That is when the oncologists will have the complete picture and will recommend treatments. 

I am going up and down stairs like a champ. Still having a difficult time getting out of bed, (no physically getting out of bed), showering and getting dressed. I got to say I am doing very well and I even surprise myself. Yesterday Ron and I took a field trip to Home Depot and Menards. That was great cuz the sun was shining and it felt so good to get out of the house. Now I know about how much walking I can do and will be up for any little jaunts in the future.

Thank you all for your love.

Joanie