Mammosite or not . . . that is the question

I had my pathology reports sent to Swedish Hospital the day following my oncologist visit so that I could find out whether I might be a candidate for the Mammosite procedure (see preceding blog entry for more info). I received a call at work on my cell phone from "Bob-The-Scheduler" at the Swedish Hospital Radiology Department. He said that the doctor had looked over my report and thought that I could be a candidate. He set up an appointment for me to come to Seattle next Thursday morning to meet with her (the doctor). In the meantime, he told me to round up my mammogram, ultrasound, and MRI films and to bring them with me to the appointment.

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Meeting the oncologist

I finally had my first appointment with the oncologist on August 27th (three weeks following my lumpectomy). Three weeks without a doctor's appointment almost made me feel like I was a "normal" person again. :~) Waiting around to find out what the recommended treatment will be has been difficult. In the meantime, I went back to work in preparation for the first week of school and I have kept MORE than busy. One of my biggest projects of the year (the district photo calendar) was printed and distributed to all of our schools this week. I have to say that I'm pretty pleased with my first effort, especially considering that I received my cancer diagnosis right in the middle of working on it!

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Humbled by prayers and support

This seems like a good spot to mention one aspect of cancer that has been a huge blessing to me: the overwhelming encouragement and support I've received from those around me. From the moment I started to tell people about my diagnosis, I received emails, phone calls, cards, and gifts. People who had been on the periphery of my life contacted me to ask if there was anything they could do to help. I had offers from cleaning my house to bringing meals to my family and going with me to doctor's appointments. So far, I haven't had to take anyone up on those offers, but I'm keeping them in mind in case I need them during my treatment phase. Telling my co-workers about having cancer seemed to knock down all of the social barriers and bring about an emotional intimacy that couldn't have happened any other way. I've had women tell me that they, too, had cancer years ago and they are doing fine now. I would have never known this about them if I hadn't told them about my situation first.

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Good news from the surgeon

The days following my lumpectomy were more "normal" than I expected. I was able to deal with any discomfort by taking extra-strength Tylenol, and even then, it was only needed for a few days. I was amazed at how my body was able to go through surgery and recover so quickly. The only discomfort I really had was underneath my right armpit, due to the removal of the lymph node just below. I had taken two weeks off from work, so was able to relax and recuperate a bit. I had originally scheduled those two weeks to be in Mexico on a mission trip with my family, but oh well . . . there's the famous John Lennon saying: 'Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.' On August 13th, I visited the surgeon who did my lumpectomy for a follow-up consultation. My husband was with me for the visit.

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The surgery

My lumpectomy was scheduled for Tuesday, August 5th. I'd been counting down the days as if I were preparing for my execution. I spent a lot of time reading the Psalms, which gave me much consolation. King David's supplications for deliverance from his afflictions and praise for God's mercies and compassions were the same prayers coming from my own heart. Our daughter had gone on the Mexico mission trip without us and she returned a week before my surgery. I was so happy to have her home and to hear about what a wonderful experience it had been for her. In the meantime, I had planned a three-day excursion for the weekend prior to my surgery, to Port Townsend, a picturesque town on the Washington peninsula. I didn't want to be tempted to sit around the house fretting about the surgery.

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