I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer on 9/25/09. Here are links to the updates if you are interested in following my progress. Below the links is the original email I posted on Facebook and sent out to friends and family.
Even with insurance it’s amazing how much everything is costing from doctor’s visits to medicine.
If you are shopping online anyway, please use my affiliate links and support my sponsors. Any little bit helps.
Feeling extremely generous? Check out my Amazon wishlist below. If you have suggestions on items that would help me and my family please let me know.
Cha Ching Queen’s Amazon Wishlist
- 4/26/10 – Breast Cancer Reconstruction after Double Mastectomy (video)
- 4/7/10 - Breast Cancer Update April 2010 w/ pics
- 2/26/10 – Light at the End of the Tunnel w/ pics
- 2/15/10 – Breast Cancer Update (video) – Done with Chemo, Now What?
- 1/23/10 – Dallas Doctors
- 1/7/10 – Appointment with the Oncologist
- 12/31/09 Last Chemo and Video
- 12/30/09 – Getting Ready for Chemo #4
- 12/27/09 – Still Recovering from Chemo and Video
- 12/10/09 Chemo #3 and Video
- 12/1/09 -Sleep… Finally and Video
- 11/19/09 – Chemo #2 and Video
· 11/17/09 – Wigs and Makeup
· 11/10/09 – Video Update – My Breast Cancer Story – Diagnosis to Chemo
· 10/30/09 – The Beginning of Chemo
· 10/15/09 – Good News After Surgery
· 10/10/09 – Post Surgery
************
For those of you that don’t know what’s going on read here… otherwise skip to the next section.
A few weeks ago I noticed a lump. A few different doctors all thought it was just a cyst. My ob/gyn said to wait a few weeks and see if it went away. Since breast cancer runs in the family, my parents insisted I get it checked out sooner. I went to have the cyst aspirated (drained), but when it wouldn’t drain a biopsy was done. Even then, the surgeon said not to worry, it was probably just tissue that needed to be removed. To everyone’s surprise, I got the dreaded news on Friday, September 25. All they knew at that point was that the lump was cancerous. Other test results were still pending.
We were able to get an appointment with a top breast surgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas on Thursday 10/1. So, we all made the trip to Dallas for what we thought would just be a consultation. We had a very long day that Thursday. We met with various doctors. I had a lot of tests done. We were very impressed with everything and decided to go ahead and have surgery in Dallas.
The cancer was only on one side, but we (and the doctors) decided the best thing in my case was to have a double mastectomy. I most likely have the BRCA1 gene mutation which gives me a 50% chance of getting cancer again on the other side. Since I’m young (31) they said just going ahead with that surgery (rather than just a lumpectomy) would give me peace of mind for the future.
They were able to quickly fit me in for surgery on Monday (10/5). So, 10 days after getting the bad news I was at the hospital having the surgery. I ‘m glad we got things moving so quickly.
***********
If you have any questions, want to talk, or know someone in my similar situation please leave a comment or email me.
Rachel
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I just had my thyroid removed. Positive for cancer. The cancer was completely encapsulated. No radiation as of yet. I am 31, my baby is 10 months old.