Realities of breast cancer

http://video.self.com/watch/realities-of-breast-cancer-treatment-nobody-talks-about

Surgery class

Yesterday I went to the hospital for surgery class. My surgery is now on November 8th at princess Margaret. 

The class was very informative but also a bit overwhelming! 

As far as I know I am having a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. The sentinal node is looked at during surgery and if necessary I will have an axillary dissection. Given chemo has gone so well I am thinking the dissection won't happen, I really hope so anyways.

I was told they will be putting a thin flexible wire in the lump area and also in the sentinel node before surgery, so the surgeon can find it quickly. They will use an ultrasound to guide this procedure and will do a mammogram after to check placement. I also need to have dye injected for the sentinal node biopsy.

The surgery itself will be an hour and a half and then I will go to a recovery room for probably another hour or so. Then I go to an inpatient unit and then home.

I will have two incisions, one for the lump and one for the armpit, and there will be dissolvable stitches covered by steri strips and gauze. I will have to monitor for infection and I have a bunch of arm exercises to do to ensure I keep mobility in my arm and shoulder. 

I have to wear a bra with no underwire for 1-2 weeks. The incision should be healed within 2 weeks.

I am hoping as I am still young I will bounce back quickly from this. I am not looking forward to losing my mobility again, as I am just getting into exercising. But it must be done!

 

Chemo is done celebration dinner

We had a nice dinner celebration with jeffs family this past weekend :).  So glad chemo is over!!

 

 

 

 

Guess where I don't have to be today?

At chemo!!  Thank god the biweekly battering of my body is over. Thankful that I will just get stronger from here. 

Moving my body again

I've done the elliptical three times this week so far!  As someone who felt robbed of their mobility for 3-4 months it feels so good to be more active again, to work up a sweat and get my blood moving.  Each time I am feeling more confident in my body. :)

 

Don't let cancer steal one more moment

This was shared in one of my online groups and the advice is so good I wanted to share  

One year ago

One year ago on this weekend I ran a 5km race. 

 

Crazy how much has happpened since that time. I am lucky that before being diagnosed in June I had 3 amazing vacations, an awesome job and a general contentment with life.

I saw the memory come up on Facebook this morning and I decided to push myself just a little. I walked mimi which I do every day but then I did 45 minutes of yoga.  It was hard at times and I am definitely out of shape compared to before my diagnosis. But I did it! 

FU cancer!!!