My Cancer in Bullet Points #2

Life is a series of waiting.

So many of you have reached out and I appreciate each card, email, text message, phone call, and get-together. Thank you! For those who are faithfully praying for me, thank you!

I'm going to update my breast cancer diagnosis and treatment at my blog which is where you are now. For those kind souls who want to know about the latest events on my journey, this is where you'll find them --- in bullet points. No paragraphs of details, just the facts (and perhaps a few tidbits of reflection).

* Yesterday, Carl and I got to spend all day from 9:30 AM till 5:00 PM at the Duke Cancer Clinic.

* Waiting, waiting. While Carl and I sat in the lobby of the clinic, I opened my newest journal --- my Cancer Journal --- and wrote about how life is a series of waiting.

* After 40 minutes of waiting, we met with the nurse and then the surgeon --- part of my Cancer Team.

* I thought we might sit around a table and drink Earl Grey and eat shortbread, so I dressed for the ocassion in my skirt, sweater, and boots. I'd even sprayed on some perfume.

* Alas! No one warned me that this meet-and-greet would have me in a hosptital gown seated on the plastic exam chair; there had been no need to dress to impress!

* As I sat in one of those flimsy how-are-you-supposed-to-tie-this? gowns, the surgeon discussed surgery and explained the procedure.

* She even drew a diagram of where the two masses/tumors are in my left breast (one is 2.7cm and the other is 2.8 cm).

* The next appointment, which took place in the afternoon, was with the radiation oncologist group. The doctor explained radiation, the side effects, and how often it would be done.

* The medical oncologist was the last appointment. She said surgery, radiation, and possible chemo were not on the table until . . .

* What?!

* Due to the pathology report, and what it shows, there's a large and not very elegant lymph node under my armpit.

* As we know, our lymph nodes can carry disease to the rest of our body.

* She said it's pointless to construct a treatment plan with surgery, possible chemo, and radiation before having both a bone and CT body scan to see whether or not the cancer has spread.

* She drew a diagram with the three possible routes my treatment will take depending on the results of the staging scans.

* Mentally exhausted, Carl and I had more questions than answers after our clinic day.

* We went home to our two pups, Harley and Bella, who were wondering why we had been gone so long. Yet they were happy we had made it home in time to feed them dinner.

* Today, my Duke chart let me know that an appointment for the Body Scan (CT) has been scheduled. It will be on November 26th.

* The Bone Scan has yet to be scheduled.

Nuggets of Blessings

* Each member of the team was caring, and extending empathy to Daniel's short life and death from cancer treatments. The medical oncologist cried and then passed around tissues. As y'all know, my journey is entwined with what I have already been through with my son Daniel who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when he was three-years-old.

* The setting sun over the Duke Medical Center's parking deck (we had to park on the very top floor where the sun does shine) was warm and calming. The sky glowed with the serenity of peach and orange.

* For the last ten days, the daily Bible verses (from Bible Study Tools) that have entered my in-box have all been about God's peace. So I took the hint and have focused on the peace he provides, a wonderful gift.

Thanks for reading! If you have read this whole post, you deserve a mug of Earl Grey and a buttery piece of shortbread. (No need to wear a hospital gown.)