A long day, and a lot to digest (doing the math)

We met with the oncologist today. It was a long session, and some of it I need my notes for. For example, she obligingly outlined the whole anti-nausea regimen, which I cannot remember off the top of my weary head.

But here's the basics:

• The tumor was 1.1 cm. The margins were clear, though one was kind of close, due to the position of the tumor at the back of the breast.
• The two sentinal lymph nodes were clear.
• HOWEVER, there was some sign of Lymphatic Vessel Carcinoma, meaning that cancer cells had started to leave the tumor and were moving into the lymph system within the breast.

I am kind of freaked out a bit by the last item, but it didn't seem to concern the oncologist at all. So I am tamping down on the freaking, or trying to.

I was then presented with a number of choices, which I am not going to discuss in detail. Instead I will outline what I'm going to do. Which is:

1. Start chemo on September 12th, and have chemo every other week for four weeks.
2. Have a shot of a blood-stimulating drug the day after chemo that will speed up my recovery.

The more usual course would be to have the chemo every three weeks, but the oncologist thinks that 1) I am a fine candidate for this faster method, and 2) based on the usual schedule for radiation following chemo, I could be all done by early January. Whoo-hoo!

Now, the math. I am putting this here because several people have asked me, "Do you HAVE to do chemo/radiation?

The answer is yes, and here's why:

• If I do nothing, the chance that the cancer will metastesize somewhere else in my body, like my brain, is about 15%. Chemo will half that, down to 7.5%. Or, to put it another way, it will increase my chances of NOT having metasteses from 85% to 92.5%.
• If I do nothing, the chance of cancer recurring in the same breast is about 25%. Having radiation drops this to 10%. Or, a 90% chance of not needing a mastectomy in the future.

I hope that's clear to all and sundry, including me.

There's a bunch of logistics I have to clear, including making sure I can get the blood-boosting drug. And this fast chemo regimen is really going to wipe me out, energy-wise. I may just crawl into my hole and not come out for two months.

Oh, and it seems that the loss of hair is VERY predictable. If I start chemo on 9/12, my hair will fall out on 9/30.

More on the drug names and such in our next.

Oh, and there was a definite Boob Wars moment. As we were ushered into the exam room, our usherette handed my a clipboard with a "List of your medications, please confirm them," on it. IT WAS COMPLETELY WRONG. All that was there were the two post-surgery prescriptions (neither of which I need any more) and an asthma inhaler as prescribed by the folks in the ER two weeks ago.

I have given them the extensive list of my medications three times now. And I sat there and watched the pre-op nurse type them in, from a printout given to me directly by my PCP.

I'm feeling pretty mellow towards Dana-Farber at the moment, but if this happens again  there will be hell to pay. Or maybe just heck, if I'm feeling merciful.