More appts

When I met with Dr. Volz last week he had asked me if my thoughts towards a mastectomy had changed any. I didn't really think about it any further, but after he said that I thought maybe he thought that's what I should do. I told him that if I had the genetic testing and it turned out I had the mutation, I would lean more towards a mastectomy. So he set me up for genetic counseling and testing, with a plastic surgeon.
Today I got the results of the MRI back from Dr. Volz. I stilll have a lot of swelling in the area, which they suspect is what is showing as abnormal in the left breast. There is also a small spot on the right breast, most likely benign but I needed to have a biopsy on it just to be sure. Dr. Volz said he trusts the pathology report over the MRI that they got all the cancer in the surgery. I really don't have high hopes for anything- I guess we'll see after I do more testing.
I had the mugogram the following Tuesday after Memorial Day- I really didn't know much about it before I went, other than it was necessary to make sure my heart was strong enough to take the chemo. The people who gave me the test at the hospital were not very friendly either. Each time I meet someone lately I wait for the "youre too young to have cancer, you poor thing!" and then I start shaking and just look away and nod. Yeah, I'm well aware! thanks!
I had the genetic counseling, where she gave me about a 17% chance that the tests would come back positive, given the family history that we knew. She estimated that I was only at a 2-10% risk to even get it in the first place, given my age. But I'm not counting on anything! That test takes 7-10 days so I at least have that long before making another step. I was planning on this test as being the final answer if I'd have a mastectomy.
I also went to Sioux Falls to see a plastic surgeon. It was the fanciest doctor's office I'd ever been in. I was being squeezed in without a planned appt, but they said they would see me yet that day if I was available. When we got there, the young nurse, who was about 20 took me and mom back to the exam room. As she was going through my medical history, she volunteered that her family has the same clotting factor that I do. Crazy becuase it's the first person I'd ever met who had it, yet alone knew what it was.
The plastic surgeon went through the pathology report and I caught him up to speed on what tests I had already had and that I was still waiting for results on some of them. He explained the three different surgeries they could do- one being a tummy tuck that they use that fat and skin to build a boob- or implants- or a combination of the two. There's also all sorts of nipple reconstruction that can be done- mail order rubber ones and have them sewed on, or tattooed on. The combinations are endless! The funny part was when we were discussing implants, he said there largest size they had was the equivelant of three of the model he had in the office and that's as big as he could get them. I said- holy crap! my boobs are that big? to which he grabbed two handfulls and said, "well, i got two big handfulls and then a little extra." OMG this is hilarious- my mom's just sitting here listening and looking. I was really giving it my all not to start laughing!
He explained how the surgery would happen, if I chose to do so. He would work with my surgeon to do the surgery. I was way concerned about the amount of time required for a hospital stay for all of the surgery options except the implants. Could be up to 7 days in the hospital and extremely painful (from what I've heard). Janna told me that I should ask if they can use my butt and transplant that to make a boob. Very valid suggestion, I thought! And then would you say you could see my butt crack if the girls were coming out?
June 1st I had my PETscan to see if there was any other cancer in my body. The night before I had a strict low carb, high protein, which is the exact opposite of what I like! So I got myself a steak and my brother grilled it up to perfection. I never eat steak but it seemed like a good reason to! The day of the scan I had to drink a bunch of water before I got to the appt. Once I got there, they started another IV where they gave me more fluids. They then put me in another room where I had to sit and just "relax". The room was at the far end of the hallway, with two spot lights on the ceiling. There was a man sitting in the other chair in the room who was probably mid 30's-40, he was bald so I immediately tensed up not wanting to talk to him while we both sat in silence. He didn't say a word and was taken out of the room shortly after I entered.
When it was time for my test, I laid perfectly still in the tube for 45 minutes. Then the nurse told me the test results should be out tomorrow and they would call me.
Two days later I had my second biopsy on the right breast where the MRI showed yet another spot of concern. The little tiny lady doctor was using all her might to dig the needle into the right spot, it was deep against my chest wall so it was hard to get to. Once she'd get close, it would move and bounced around a lot- which she said was a good sign! Turned out it was a fibroadenoma, which is completely ok- not cancerous at all! They also showed me several large cysts in the right side on the ultrasound, wierd because I don't have any on the left!