My boob hurts!

I have decided to post my boob picture here. So, if you don't like it - don't read on to the bottom.....but it is a real thing that I think most people want to know about. I'll post at the bottom so you can just not look.


I am up early this morning looking for the dawn patrol - it is when the hot air balloons, just a couple, go up and "test" the winds. It is done at dawn so the balloons glow as they are going up. May be my favorite part of the fiesta.


Most people are not shocked when I say that I am not really religious in the "God" sort of way but I have my beliefs and feel strongly about other things. Anyhow, yesterday I was out on my patio looking at all of the balloons going by, my sister was taking Lilli to daycare so I was all alone, I said to myself, please, just give me a sign that everything is going to be OK. I just have to know. Then I got on the phone and called both insurance companies. You know, the crappy bills and letters are starting to come in.


Next thing you know, there was a balloon that was right next to my house, low enough for the pilot to wave and say good morning! So, chipper me, I said good morning, how is the flying this morning? Then I got off the phone (explained to the call center gal that there was a balloon overhead if she heard the whooooshing). The pilot asked if he could land in our yard. Heck yes I said, come on in! So he landed, his chase crew came and then they "pulled" him from our back yard to the front street. Guess that was the sign. Don't know - but I'll take it!


Next, we went to the Oncologist. My sister thinks that she is so smart, she brought a recorder to record the "results" of the lab work. So, we spend 5 minutes figuring out how the thing worked. I was talking into the bottom of the recorder, saying it does not work! So we laughed and then finally figured it out. She put it in her purse and recorded the conversation with the Dr. May I say, I felt a little like we were breaking the law or being a spy. Anyhow here is the news. And, I may have to go back to the recorder since I don't recall the details, all laughing aside, it is a great tool especially if you go to the Dr. alone.


This whole adventure started with DCIS - pre-cancer 0 on the scale. Then, we found out how big the DCIS was - 8 cm across, darn those big boobs! Then, when Dr. Smith cut out the boob two weeks ago, she found a "fast growing" mass, is was 1.3 cm. Get your measuring tape out, I have no clue - sounds small to me. But, this mass is "special". It is HER-2 genes. On a scale to 0-3 I was 3+. Whoopie - what the hell does that mean. Here is the scoop.


Chemo - 4 times - I start within 40 days of my surgery on Monday. We are going aggressive - 1 time every two weeks. I'll be done if all goes OK in two months. If you are wondering, I have been warned about all of the things that we have read about Chemo. You know, barfing, fatigue, hair loss etc.


Then, I go for another year of this medicine for the HER 2 genes. Once every three week for a year. Guess that stuff isn't as bad as the chemo. So, what I hear the Dr. saying is that life should be back to "normal" once I get thru the chemo. Oh, side note, I think that most of this is going to happen through the holidays - which for me is good. That way I have about a month off of school.


There you go and there you have it. I am holding on that I'll be able to continue to go to school through this mess and that I will be stronger at the end. Hell, it could get worse but lets hope not.


I have decided to try driving today or tomorrow - see how that works with the stomach muscle. I'll do a loop around the block. I am not going to try to drink coffee and drive for a while - and maybe I need to get one of those advertising magnets on the back of my car "stay back 500 feet driver just had 1/2 of her stomach muscle pulled up to her boob and reaction time maybe slowed".

Now for the boob pic - if you don't want to look - don't. Stop reading right now!
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TA DA - here is the "flap"

Here is the balloon in the back yard - more pics on Lilli's blog.