Q: What type of cancer do you have? What stage is it? I have metastatic breast cancer in my right breast. I was diagnosed on November 9, 2017. It is invasive ductal carcinoma, the most common type of breast cancer. It is estrogen-receptor positive (ER+), which means that my cancer feeds on estrogen in my body. … Continue reading Frequently Asked Questions
Tag: diagnosis
A New Beginning
At long last, we have a treatment plan. On Monday, Christian and I met with my Oncologist, Dr. G, at the Cancer Center. It was such an incredibly nerve-wracking few days leading up to the appointment. I was terrified of more bad news, more uncertainty, more tests. I didn't know what to expect, but I … Continue reading A New Beginning
Waiting
It's been a challenging week. Last Saturday, we got our first snow of the season. It was beautiful to watch the ground become blanketed with white. Christian and I took Felix outside for a snowball fight, and his laughs and rosy cheeks were positively life-affirming. But, like so many activities, these days, I was also … Continue reading Waiting
A New Stage
The PET scan results showed lesions on my hip, spine, and rib in addition to my sternum. In other words, there was not much doubt that the cancer had metastasized into my bones. It's now considered metastatic breast cancer. But let's back up. I had the PET scan on Tuesday morning, November 28th. After dropping … Continue reading A New Stage
The Value of a Second Opinion
On Monday I had my second opinion at the large, nationally-ranked cancer center in New York. We had pulled a lot of strings to get this appointment, and both Christian and I were looking forward to meeting with the doctors and getting a plan put into action. Arriving was surreal, which seems like the new … Continue reading The Value of a Second Opinion
2 Weeks
Yesterday was two weeks since I first got the news that I likely had breast cancer. It's been a whirlwind two weeks, and we are starting to recognize this as our new normal: appointments, phone calls, coordinating child care, insurance authorizations, diagnostic testing, and long, intense meetings with doctors that have left us emotionally drained. … Continue reading 2 Weeks
It’s Official
We received the official diagnosis on Tuesday afternoon, November 14th. Breast Cancer. It's official. We are still waiting on the pathology results with hormone markers that will dictate the treatment plan, but as of this point, I am looking at chemotherapy and a mastectomy. How am I feeling? Tired. Frustrated. A little overwhelmed. I think … Continue reading It’s Official
96 Hours Later
It's been 96 hours since I was first told that I have a strong likelihood of breast cancer. 96 hours. Four days. It feels like a lifetime ago that things felt normal. And yet, I feel like I'm still in this bubble of uncertainty, because I don't have an official diagnosis. I'm speaking with people … Continue reading 96 Hours Later
How it all Began, Part III
Managing the information being thrown at you with this sort of diagnosis is such an overwhelming task. Managing information of this caliber, in real time, is almost impossible. During the biopsy, Dr. C, the radiologist, made a comment, to which I responded "so even if it's breast cancer, it could be isolated in my ducts, right?" … Continue reading How it all Began, Part III
How it all Began, Part II
Christian and I were still reeling as we loaded Felix into the car to go...somewhere. As we talked, we realized that we probably should find someone to watch Felix for the afternoon, since we were going to start meeting with the care team after my biopsy. We called a close friend who agreed to take … Continue reading How it all Began, Part II
