Cautious Optimism

Dr. B received the pathology report today. She thinks we should take it with 'cautious optimism'.

The left breast had no evidence of any cancer.

In the right breast, the pathologists found an area of two centimeters containing microscopic tumor. This means that the chemotherapy transformed the 12 cm solid tumor that we started with in August into a 2 cm lump of tissue with only microscopic pockets of cancer cells. This is incredible, and proves the cancer had a very strong response to the chemotherapy.

Of the lymph nodes on the right side, 10 of the 16 lymph nodes that Dr. S removed had 1-3 mm pockets of cancer. The bad news is that so many were involved, and cancer remains in them (the lymph nodes being breast cancer's gateway to the rest of the body). Dr B assumes, though, that those lymph nodes were chock full of cancer in August, and that we can take it as a very good sign that the remaining cancer is so small.

Dr. B still plans to have me consult with some other area oncologists to see if more chemo would be advisable. At this point, there would have to be some pretty compelling evidence to get me to go another round right now. My hair is beginning to grow - it feels fuzzier - and I can eat unimpeded. I hadn't realized how cruddy I felt until now, when the effects of chemo have partly worn off. Now that I can relax a little on being brave, my defenses seem to be coming down. I know I could do more treatment if I had to - I won't back down from a challenge - but it would take a huge act of will.

Home is Where the Lynn Is.

So I am at work today and I realized that I'd much rather be home. It's not that I dislike work. I just like home. Of course being at the hospital wasn't great, but I was with Lynn so it was better. There is something about really enjoying being home. Nothing replaces it.

Dare I say that there is something to the communal living which allows us someone to be there for us day and night should we need it. John and Sarah have been great and willing to drive the hour plus to reach us, but think of how easy it would be on them being down the street. But I digress.

Lynn gets chinese food in celebration of one week since surgery. Yay Lynn!

Dammit!

Ok, so things were progressing so well, that I think we got cocky. This morning started with productive nausea which lasted the majority of the morning. Our thought is that there was too much pain medication on top of an empty stomach overnight. Now we know that no pain meds overnight is the best idea.

Lynn has had some things to eat that have stayed down, but mostly it's liquid right now. Just a rough day for her considering she couldn't keep down the pain medication until an hour or so ago. Stupid medication---you figure they'd find a way to deliver medications with minimal side-effects by now.