Given that I don't sit and do nothing very well, and since time is of dire importance, I decided to be proactive in scheduling my treatment. Assuming that UCD agrees with Dr. Goldberg and surgery is necessary, I want to be treated in Stockton. Since Goldberg's office is scheduling surgery a month out, I decided I needed to cover my bases and get on the surgery schedule ASAP. I don't want to wait three weeks for UCD and then another month for surgery scheduling.
Had to keep in mind that the WORLD CHAMPION SF GIANTS have their home opener on April 8th and I am NOT going to let cancer make me miss this!! Cancer can kiss my butt! I am going to opening day, and opening night for that matter! Gonna spend the whole weekend in San Francisco with good friends :-) YAY!
Based on needing a pre-op appt two weeks before surgery and given the UCD timelines, I booked my surgery in Stockton on April 1st! I am no fool though, just wanna get it done! Radiation can not start until I am healed, that will be a couple of weeks, and until the biopsy results come in, they won't even know what course of treatment I will need.
I would say it is pretty good timing.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
2. Quest for treatment and second opinion
There is so much information out there, it was important to stick to reliable sources. I looked at the American Cancer Sociey website cancer.org which has a lot of information about my specific cancer. Seems that the medically accepted procedure is to have a mastectomy or a lumpectomy followed by radiation and possibly chemotherapy. Some of the treatment process is not known until surgery is performed.
After checking with friends and family and my doctor, I decided to go see Dr. Steven Goldberg for a surgery consult in Stockton. Another friend suggested UC Davis Cancer Center (thanks Kathy) since they are on the cutting edge of cancer treatment and also do clinical trials to test new procedures that are not part of main-stream medical treatment YET. Decided to see Dr. Goldberg first and get a second opinion at UCD.
Mom met me at doctor's office on 2/22/11 to consult with Dr. Goldberg. She had the tape recorder and note pad so I was sure to get everything the doctor said. Hard to remember everything they tell you. He did confirm what I already suspected....he recommends a lumpectomy and a sentinel node biopsy with radiation. The node biopsy will tell them if the cancer has spread to other parts of my body. Radiation will take about 6 weeks. If the cancer has spread, then I would need chemotherapy. The lab work takes a week or so to come back, so I won't know right away if it has spread.
Spoke with Dr. Goldberg about getting a second opinion at UCD. He completely agreed that I should do whatever I need to do to be sure I have all the information I need to make a decision on treatment, but I should have it taken care of within 6 weeks of diagnosis. He suggested my regular doctor handle the referral, so I called them later that same day, the 22nd, to request my records be sent to UCD.
Called UC Davis to go over the new patient procedures. Once they receive all my records, they will have them reviewed. That takes about two weeks!! Then they will call me to schedule an appointment, which is another week out. Time being of the essence, I really want to be sure this process goes as quick as possible!
Called my doctor's office to follow up because I don't want to be waiting too long for UCD. They had already sent my records over the afternoon of the 23rd!
On my way back to my office, I stopped by the women's imaging center where I had the mammogram and biopsy done to request copies of my records at my mom's suggestion. To my surprise, they put all my info on a CD so I have copies that I can take with me to UCD. They don't need the images until I go for an appointment.
So now I sit and wait for UC Davis to call me.
After checking with friends and family and my doctor, I decided to go see Dr. Steven Goldberg for a surgery consult in Stockton. Another friend suggested UC Davis Cancer Center (thanks Kathy) since they are on the cutting edge of cancer treatment and also do clinical trials to test new procedures that are not part of main-stream medical treatment YET. Decided to see Dr. Goldberg first and get a second opinion at UCD.
Mom met me at doctor's office on 2/22/11 to consult with Dr. Goldberg. She had the tape recorder and note pad so I was sure to get everything the doctor said. Hard to remember everything they tell you. He did confirm what I already suspected....he recommends a lumpectomy and a sentinel node biopsy with radiation. The node biopsy will tell them if the cancer has spread to other parts of my body. Radiation will take about 6 weeks. If the cancer has spread, then I would need chemotherapy. The lab work takes a week or so to come back, so I won't know right away if it has spread.
Spoke with Dr. Goldberg about getting a second opinion at UCD. He completely agreed that I should do whatever I need to do to be sure I have all the information I need to make a decision on treatment, but I should have it taken care of within 6 weeks of diagnosis. He suggested my regular doctor handle the referral, so I called them later that same day, the 22nd, to request my records be sent to UCD.
Called UC Davis to go over the new patient procedures. Once they receive all my records, they will have them reviewed. That takes about two weeks!! Then they will call me to schedule an appointment, which is another week out. Time being of the essence, I really want to be sure this process goes as quick as possible!
Called my doctor's office to follow up because I don't want to be waiting too long for UCD. They had already sent my records over the afternoon of the 23rd!
On my way back to my office, I stopped by the women's imaging center where I had the mammogram and biopsy done to request copies of my records at my mom's suggestion. To my surprise, they put all my info on a CD so I have copies that I can take with me to UCD. They don't need the images until I go for an appointment.
So now I sit and wait for UC Davis to call me.
1. History of diagnosis
I am writing this blog for my own reference as well as to update my family and friends on my progress without having to call you all individually. This way I can be sure I tell everyone the same information.
I went to my regular doctor for an unrelated issue and the doctor inquired about my last mammogram. When I told him I had never had one, he ordered one for me so they could establish a base line for future comparisions.
At the first mammogram appointment on 1/20/11, the technician told me to expect a call back for more pictures of the left breast. They said they just want to be sure they have good pictures for a baseline. That it was totally normal and not to worry if I get a call back. At the time, I believed that, now I honestly think they saw a suspicious area and wanted to follow up but didn't want to alarm me.
Went in for 2nd mammogram on 2/3/11 and they took more pictures of left breast. They also did a sonogram. The technician told me there is definately something there and don't be surprised when doctor calls to schedule me for a biopsy. The biopsy would allow them to take some tissue from the breast and test it to see if it is harmless or not. The doctor's office called and scheduled an appointment for me to come in and tell me I needed a biopsy.
The biopsy was done on 2/15/11. It was an ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy. They numbed the area, and took two samples. They inserted a needle of some sort... I wouldn't know cause I couldn't look at it - didn't want to get nauseous! Just couldn't watch !!
As I waited for the results, I talked with friends who said they would probably schedule an appointment to go over the results, positive or negative. I was fully prepared for a call from the doctor's office to schedule a time to review the results, especially since they had me come in to tell me I needed a biopsy. I was NOT prepared for the call I received on 2/17/11 at 1:30pm.
Nurse called me earlier and left a message to call the office. I figured they wanted to schedule an appointment to go over results, so I called back from my client's office in Tracey. Instead of scheduling an appointment, I hear these words, "The results are back and it is positive" !! Imagine the shock as I burst into tears hearing that news!! Don't really recall the rest of the conversation, but she said something about needing a surgeon and did I have one in mind! SURGEON! Seriously, how did it get to that point!
I hung up shocked, crying and feeling very helpless!! Took me an hour or so to get home and wrap my brain around the news. Called all of my moms to share the bad news. I called back to the doctor's office at 2:30pm and told them I needed to get in right away. Explained the way I was given the news and told them I had a million questions and no one to answer them. They got me in at 3pm. My mom, Jane, met me there so she could be my ears.
Doctor reviewed a recap of the results and this is when I first learned that I have an Invasive Ductal Carcinoma about .7-.8 cm at widest point. Talked about the need to remove the tumor and need to consult with a surgeon. Now the research begins!
I went to my regular doctor for an unrelated issue and the doctor inquired about my last mammogram. When I told him I had never had one, he ordered one for me so they could establish a base line for future comparisions.
At the first mammogram appointment on 1/20/11, the technician told me to expect a call back for more pictures of the left breast. They said they just want to be sure they have good pictures for a baseline. That it was totally normal and not to worry if I get a call back. At the time, I believed that, now I honestly think they saw a suspicious area and wanted to follow up but didn't want to alarm me.
Went in for 2nd mammogram on 2/3/11 and they took more pictures of left breast. They also did a sonogram. The technician told me there is definately something there and don't be surprised when doctor calls to schedule me for a biopsy. The biopsy would allow them to take some tissue from the breast and test it to see if it is harmless or not. The doctor's office called and scheduled an appointment for me to come in and tell me I needed a biopsy.
The biopsy was done on 2/15/11. It was an ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy. They numbed the area, and took two samples. They inserted a needle of some sort... I wouldn't know cause I couldn't look at it - didn't want to get nauseous! Just couldn't watch !!
As I waited for the results, I talked with friends who said they would probably schedule an appointment to go over the results, positive or negative. I was fully prepared for a call from the doctor's office to schedule a time to review the results, especially since they had me come in to tell me I needed a biopsy. I was NOT prepared for the call I received on 2/17/11 at 1:30pm.
Nurse called me earlier and left a message to call the office. I figured they wanted to schedule an appointment to go over results, so I called back from my client's office in Tracey. Instead of scheduling an appointment, I hear these words, "The results are back and it is positive" !! Imagine the shock as I burst into tears hearing that news!! Don't really recall the rest of the conversation, but she said something about needing a surgeon and did I have one in mind! SURGEON! Seriously, how did it get to that point!
I hung up shocked, crying and feeling very helpless!! Took me an hour or so to get home and wrap my brain around the news. Called all of my moms to share the bad news. I called back to the doctor's office at 2:30pm and told them I needed to get in right away. Explained the way I was given the news and told them I had a million questions and no one to answer them. They got me in at 3pm. My mom, Jane, met me there so she could be my ears.
Doctor reviewed a recap of the results and this is when I first learned that I have an Invasive Ductal Carcinoma about .7-.8 cm at widest point. Talked about the need to remove the tumor and need to consult with a surgeon. Now the research begins!
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