Category Archives: breast cancer

My breast cancer journey

breast cancer, DCIS, stereotactic

MRI – June 2, 2015

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The day after my meeting with Dr. Keller, I had an MRI. I was told that the MRI is to check that the cancer isn’t anywhere else. As soon as the penny dropped and I realized the MRI is to determine which type of Ductal Carcinoma I have, I started to become a little concerned.  Up until this point I had felt very strong and in control.  I was positive and ready to ride the rollercoaster with strength and dignity.  But this was testing my control button.

coal under pressureThe morning before the MRI appointment I started  thinking about the different types of ductal carcinoma; What if it’s not DCIS?  I started to cry, but caught myself.  If I let myself cry, I’ll lose it and become a wet soggy mess. When I stop crying I’ll be no better off than I was before because I don’t know what I have.  I can cry when I know which ductal carcinoma I have;

  • if its DCIS I can cry with relief and plan the next year
  • if its Invasive DC I am allowed to ball my eyes out, feel sorry for myself before I recompose and plan the next steps

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breast cancer, DCIS

The Process Outline – June 1, 2015

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As soon as I heard the results of my biopsy I was told to call my primary care provider (PCP).  I called on Friday afternoon and got an appointment on Monday morning.  The speed at which I got the appointment shocked me, is this really serious?

Before my appointment with Dr. Keller I had a dental cleaning that I had scheduled 6 months before. It was the first time I had to tell someone I had cancer.  It didn’t feel real, how could this be. I eat so well, I’m not overweight. I could workout more, but I’m not totally sedentary and I hit 10,000 steps most days.

As I was driving home from the dentist the Imaging Center called to check if I had scheduled my MRI. I didn’t know I needed an MRI. I pulled over to the side of the road to take the call. Apparently an MRI is scheduled after a positive biopsy result.  My MRI was scheduled for Tuesday June 2; tomorrow!  I remember thinking “shit just got real” and this must be what people talk about when they are diagnosed and go through a rollercoaster of appointments.

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breast cancer

There is no cure for cancer, just remission, or death – May 31, 2015

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Notes from a very dark place

Think about it, at any time you could have a cancer cell in your body.  There are so many chemical reactions going on, there has to be the odd mistake or slip up. In most cases the immune system mops up the rogues, rejects and mistakes.  When the immune system is weak or taxed a cancer can take over and get out of the body’s control.   Being in remission, to me, means your immune system is working well and gobbling up any rogue cells that reemerge.

For that reason I have always wondered why mainstream cancer treatments didn’t evolve using something that boosts the immune system.

As a student I used methotrexate to inhibit DNA replication.  I always questioned its use in cancer treatment. To me chemotherapy causes so much collateral damage. It is like dropping an atomic bomb on Denver because of an Ebola/Zombie outbreak. We would never do that, health professionals would be brought in to organize and help; medical help would be increased in the area, much like a boost to the immune system.  At no time would health professions fire an AK 47 into a crowd to kill the infected person and everyone else.

My immune system failed me.   I felt invincible because I was Paleo

I’m really disappointed with my immune system.  I’ve been gluten free since 2008, I don’t eat processed food, and I’ve been at least 80% Paleo since 2011. I don’t drink much alcohol.  I take probiotics, I watch my weight, I could exercise more, I buy organic and non-GMO food. My blood tests always come back really healthy I never get colds…okay, I hardly ever get colds.

breast cancer, DCIS, stereotactic

I need a biopsy – May 28, 2015

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Biopsy and Results

Open door into the biopsy room (taken from the internal waiting room)
Open door into the biopsy room (taken from the internal waiting room)

It was Thursday, biopsy day, I had breakfast and got to the imaging center at 7:30am.  By 7:45am I was topless, I texted the Hubs <Topless already!>.  I was amazingly calm.  At 8 am they took me into a different room unlike the mammogram rooms, this room had a weird massage table with a hole in it.  I lay on my stomach and my boobs hung through the hole.  A plexi-glass square with a hole in it was used to clamp my right boob in place. There was no escape!

There were two nurses that took several X-rays and moved the plexi-glass around until they found the area they wanted.  Dr.  McAleese arrived later and walked up to my face and said “Are you a real red head?”  I replied yes.

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