Third Time’s a Charm

July 30, 2021

Third Time’s a Charm

(3 strikes you’re out?) 

Until very recently most of you have not known about another struggle I’ve been dealing with. I thought I could sneak this one by you without you even knowing!!  (no such luck) 

More than a year ago I had to have a biopsy of a mysterious finding in my right breast. No one was overly worried because of how this presented and the biopsy was benign (that’s good!). A year later mysterious things started showing up again (holding some details back for your own sake!! ?). My breast surgeon decided it was now time to remove what she believed to be a papilloma in my duct. Still not worried. 

Just prior to surgery I had to have an ultrasound-guided wire inserted into my nipple – what??? (I’ve had more pleasant experiences!). So here I am with this wire sticking out and they say “now you’re going to have a mammogram to confirm placement“.  “Seriously?”, I said. I’ve had a LOT of mammograms over the past 18 months but holy cow – this one was by far the most awkward!! (any of you ladies who complain about mammograms remember this scenario the next time you’re up!). 

Surgery on June 7. It went great. My surgeon is from Credit Valley Hospital and is quite masterful – I truly like and trust her and the other hospital staff kept telling me that “I got a good one!”.  My IV site ended up hurting more than my 2 inch incision (no joke). I  hadn’t had general anesthetic since I was 5 and came through that like a champ – Kevin said I talked more on the drive home from the hospital that I ever had. Strange to be the “patient” in this scenario as a big part of my job used to be working in the Operating Room helping people get off to sleep. 

3-4 weeks wait for biopsy results. 97% chance it would be benign. Guess what? It wasn’t. Oh man. I was diagnosed with grade 3 ductal carcinoma. Of all breast cancers, this is the good one to have. As my friend Dean says “once again JoJo has the best case, of a worst case scenario”.  Thanks go out to Jess L who was working a night shift with me when my surgeon called at 8pm with the results. Jess’s knowledge and kindness was very much appreciated and she kept me from spinning-out after receiving this, rather startling, news.

So now I’ve added a radiation oncologist to my list of physicians. She reviewed my case and has recommended radiation. She and my breast surgeon conferred and decided that although my margins were only 1mm, further surgery was not necessary. The margins were against skin and this type of cancer does not spread to the skin. I had a good/bad response to this. I do trust my surgeon but I can’t help but think …are you SURE? Sometimes you just have to put your faith in your doctors’ knowledge and experience.

The radiation will wait until I am back from my month long vacation in NB/NS when I drop Ella at StFx and have a long-awaited reunion with my fam in NS. I’ll be tattooed the day before I leave and radiation will start the day after I come back. 16 sessions over 16 days. I was very impressed with the doctor’s insistence on working around my vacation plans. ❤️

The side effects of radiation are skin irritation and fatigue. I may react more than most due to the oral chemo meds I’m on for CML but … time will tell. 

I’ve had a few wobbly moments absorbing all this new-news. Some periods of anxiety and even a few tears especially when I told my mom’s group friends  -who hold my heart in their hands – and I think, as-such, allowed me to release some pent up fears (and tears). 

I’ve settled down now and I’m ready to do battle with this latest hurdle and put this one to bed for good. Going forward, I AM at an increased  risk for this developing again but, yearly mammograms should keep an eye on things. ??

Something that’s taken my mind off this new challenge is that my big sister Angela is coming August 1 for a lonnnnnnng visit! How lucky am I (seriously)??? 

And, this week, I am enjoying the company of very good friends at a very relaxing cottage in Ontario. God. Bless. Good. Friends. (Erika, Aubrey, Dean, Cheryl, Alyssa, Josh, April (briefly), Evan, Jess, Ella, Terry, Ethan, Kevin❤️❤️❤️). You have all been my ports in a storm, my safe harbour, my refuge.

 

So. You know how my go-to is ‘hope’ with all my medical challenges? Here’s a tip – you can’t  force (and you shouldn’t even suggest) hope upon a person – they must get there themselves. When someone tells you their not-so-good news about … anything really …. support them, love them and care for them while they will find their way to hope on their own. 

I thank all of my you – my support system from the bottom of my heart ♥️ 

I’m not looking for sympathy, I’m looking for understanding of my up-and-down moods and my, sometimes, sadness. And I hope (I truly hope) that I may inspire others to not be afraid to face any challenges which may come their way. In the end “it’s important that everyone knows I’m so much more than the bad things that happen to me”. (Nightbird).