Three years later

Well, hello everyone!  Much has happened in the past few years.  As most of you know, we lost Darryl at the end of January.  It has been the hardest thing that we have ever had to go through. We are just starting to heal, we are trying to take one day, sometimes one hour at a time.  But that is not the reason that I am blogging.    I need to document a new phase in my cancer diagnosis. 

I have been doing yearly mammograms and going in to see the oncologist every 3-4 months.  Each appointment was filled with anxiety and nerves.  Thankfully, everything was clear and I was scheduled for my next visit.  In July I had another mammogram, but this time, they wanted to take more pictures, they left me in that room for 25 minutes, then came back, took more pictures and left again.  (That is not a good sign.)  I went in to talk to the radiologist and he saw some "calcifications" that he wanted me to get biopsied.  I was heading to Oregon in 3 days, so I scheduled it to be done there. 

I got the biopsy done, which was a very weird experience, lying on my stomach on a table with two holes in it.   (Use your imagination....)  Anyway, that Friday I got a call saying that the biopsy was positive for DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ).  This is the same kind of cancer that I had previously. I had the nicest lady that did my biopsy.  She also called me and wanted to make sure that I was ok and she told me about her breast cancer history.  She told me that "your chest isn't worth your life".  Her name is Jan and she was so nice.  I am so thankful for caring, compassionate people in the medical offices. 

I saw my surgeon that next week, who recommended I get a mastectomy.  It was my choice whether to do one or both.  I then saw the plastic surgeon regarding the reconstruction.  I have the date set for August 26, 2015 at 8:00am. 

Again, I want to use this blog to document this process.  I have gone back and read the posts so many times from when I went through chemotherapy.  I am very grateful that we did the blog.  Some things are just hard to remember.  At the time you think you will never forget...... but we do.  I will try  my best to document as much as I can.