MORE GOOD NEWS AND CHEMO!

I had my first surgery yesterday and this was BEFORE surgery!
I'm documenting everything, complete with photos and my surgeon was so gracious to take her pic with me.

Sorry I haven't updated for a few days...there wasn't much to report until yesterday and then I was tired when I got home.  Anyway, yesterday was my surgery to remove lymph nodes and see if the cancer had spread to them.  They begin with the Sentinal nodes, which can be one or more of the first nodes where the body tissues are drained.  It is very important to check lymph nodes to see if they have been reached by metastasizing cancer cells (in other words cancer in the lymph node) and this is how it would spread elsewhere through the body.  So, the surgery was a very important surgery yesterday!  I went home afterwards a little sore, but pain pills in hand.  I've actually only take a couple of doses.  I tend to have a high tolerence for pain which can be bad sometimes, because I also tend to fluff pain off instead of checking it out.  I also tend to not to like to take pills.  I'm trying to get rid of that mindset and take the darn pills to help myself...LOL!  Anybody that knows me knows I HATE taking pills!  The older I'm getting, the more pills that are coming my way and I'm finding myself getting used to taking more of them.

Breast cancers can be confined within the lining of the endothelial cells along the breast duct (in-situ cancers); or it can start to spread beyond the breast duct (invasive cancers). This is important because the blood vessels and lymph vessels that potentially spread the cancer beyond the breast run along this area (See Figure 1). If the cancer has spread beyond the lining of the breast duct, and is picked up by the blood vessels or lymph vessels, then it can potentially spread elsewhere in the body, or “metastasize.” Lymph vessels are small channels that drain all the tissues of the body. Lymph vessels drain excess fluid back into your circulation. As lymph fluid drains back into your circulation, it goes through lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are collections of lymph tissue that have a high concentration of white blood cells, the cells in your body that fight infection and cancer. The lymph vessels of the breast drain into the lymph nodes in your axilla (underneath your arm), and sometimes into the lymph nodes along your sternum, (or breastbone), and above your clavicle (collarbone)

Anyway, this is where the GOOD NEWS comes in!  They removed 3 of my lymph nodes yesterday and they would have removed them all if they had found cancer in them....which leads to lymphedma* (fat arm).  But, NO CANCER was found in those 3 lymph nodes!  Praise God!  They cut them in half and did not see ANY cancer!!!  They will still continue to slice them like a loaf of bread to check all of the outer edges, since slicing it in half would only show the middle.  But, I'm feeling really good about that and will know next week if they were totally clean!  I truly believe this was found early (get those mammograms girl....mine came on in just six months).  Finding it early gives you your best prognosis.
*Lymphedema is caused by a blockage in your lymphatic system, an important part of your immune and circulatory systems. The blockage prevents lymph fluid from draining well, and as the fluid builds up, the swelling continues. There's no cure for lymphedema, but it can be controlled. Controlling lymphedema involves diligent care of your affected limb.

And here I am all drugged up AFTER surgery!  LOL!

I've got some more pics to show you, but don't have time right now.  But, I have to show you what my "support system" did to me while I was drugged up!  So check back tomorrow.  I'm thinking I might need a new group of supporters after seeing how they took advantage of me while I was so drugged up that I had no idea what they were doing.  Wait 'til you see....you might agree with me!  Let's just say it's good that I have a sense of humor!  :=)

Now I'm ready to head to my first Chemo!  I need chemo because the cancer actually got out of my duct which meant it could have spread to other areas of my body.  I wouldn't have needed it if it hadn't grown big enough to do that.  So, even though I caught it within six months of it beginning, it was fast growing and became invasive.  I can't believe how excited I am to get chemo (LOL), but it's the beginning of killing these cells and any microscopic cells that may have slipped into other areas of my body.  They told me if it was in my big toe, the chemo will kill it!  The chemo will search out any microscopic cancer cells. I also had a port put in yesterday during surgery.  The port is the tubing they put the chemo through and by putting the port under your skin in your chest, you don't have to be poked by an IV every time you get chemo when they can put it in through a port. 

My doctors have been awesome!  All of the hospital staff was awesome yesterday too!  I'm in such good hands! 

Until next time...God is with me every step of the way!  :=)