Let's Get The Ball Rolling

I met with the surgeon this morning, and it mostly went like this....wait 15 minutes, talk to doctor 5 minutes, wait another 15 minutes, talk to doctor 5 minutes, wait 15 minutes, talk to doctor 5 minutes, then all done.

Basically, he and the plastic surgeon were discussing the best way to do my incisions to conserve as much skin as possible without killing it (making sure it gets adequate amount of blood supply). So, I will go in 2 weeks from today to begin series of surgeries. The first surgery will be an outpatient procedure, in which the surgeons will do a sentinal node biopsy to see if the cancer has reached my lymph nodes and the tissue under my nipple. In order to conserve the remaining skin and nipple, they need to remove "some" breast tissue in order for it to form its own blood supply before the actual surgery (to prevent it from dying). Once I have adequately healed, I will go in for the masectomy, where they will then remove the tumors and remaining tissue and insert the expanders.

So we are looking at mid May for the entire process to begin. THANK GOODNESS! I am one day closer to being cured and back on a consistent schedule! =)

I think out of this entire experience, I am most nervous about the pain to follow surgery. Although, according to some survivors in my support group, the pain was minimal and they were back on their feet within a couple days. Thank God for modern medicine! I'm sure I will be getting anxiety as the day nears, but I know I will feel better and be healthy in the end. I have worked so hard over the past year, and I am probably in the best shape I have ever been. The thought of possibly losing some strength frustrates me, yet makes me that much more determined to defy the odds.

"Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goals" 

~ E Joseph Cossman

 XO,
Ally

Today Is A Good Day: Genomic Profile Results

After 3 weeks of waiting to hear from the oncologist in regards to my Genomic Profile of my tumors, I finally was able to meet with him today. The Genomic Profile consists of 3 tests: mammaprint, targetprint, and blue print.

My mammaprint (gene profile) results: Low Risk. 10 year Distant Metastasis-Free Survival prior to treatment ~90%. What this basically says is that I can expect my risk to be reduced  up to 50% with adjuvant hormonal therapy.

My targetprint (gene expression) analysis: ER (estrogen) Positive, PR (progesterone) Positive, HER2 Negative. ER/PR expression predicts potential hormonal therapy benefit. The targetprint quantitative gene results enable clarification of uncertain or borderline immunohistochemistry results.

My blueprint (molecular subtyping) results: My cancer is what they call "Luminal-type" and are typically hormone receptor positive tumors predictive for hormonal therapy sensitivity. Mammaprint "Low Risk" and "Luminal-type" combination cancer is predicted to have a clinical course similar to Luminal A, usually treated with hormonal therapy.

In other words, NO CHEMOTHERAPY for this girl....just straight to surgery! *Doing the Happy Dance*

It is not yet know if I will need radiation or chemotherapy after surgery. Once the surgery happens, they will know more on how invasive the one tumor is, in addition to, if the cancer has reached my lymph nodes. But for now, I am basking in the news of not having chemotherapy before surgery! I meet with the surgeon Monday morning to go over the specifics of surgery and schedule the date (make sure to check back here next week for more details).

I will be going through fertility treatment the next 2 weeks to freeze some eggs. Day 1 of that begins bright and early tomorrow morning. Joy. By the way, Fertile Hope through the Lance Armstrong Foundation is a blessing! We would not be able to go through this process without the help of their services. I am forever grateful! Here is the link:

http://www.fertilehope.org/

On a different note, I finally did a rope climb today at crossfit (a few times actually!), AND I FINALLY strung 2 pull-ups together yesterday (YAY!)! I have set small goals for myself and and am checking them off one by one. It feels so great to be surrounded by such supportive and encouraging people (near and far). The thing that has kept me positive through this entire journey thus far is the continued words of encouragement, support, prayers and good vibes from each of you. Family, good company, laughter, and exercise are good for the soul. I genuinely appreciate each and every one of you. A special shout-out to those who have consistently kept in contact with me; no names needed, you know who you are.  =)

"Filthy Fifty" = 26min 58 seconds.

XO,

Allyson 

Live. Laugh. Love.

My apologies for not updating my blog for 3 weeks. No need to worry either. It has been so nice not having to schedule doctor's appointments or even THINK about health related "stuff", so I have been enjoying each day as it comes. For the first time since I as diagnosed March 7, my health has not crossed my mine for a good 10 days. It's been GREAT!

Not much to update about the tumors and doctors since my last blog. The oncologist wanted to do additional testing on my biopsies to see how my cancer would react with chemotherapy. We are still waiting on the results. If the results come back positive, then I will have to go through chemo. If negative, then obviously I won't have any chemo. So no clear treatment plan has been drawn.

I have met with the plastic surgeon to go over the reconstructive surgery process. I will, in fact, have to get a masectomy on my left breast. I have 2 cancerous tumors that are in different quadrants of my left breast. So, I will have to decide if I want to have the right side removed to prevent future tumors. As for the genetic testing, it came back negative for the BCRA1 and BCRA2. Because of this, it makes the decision of having a bilateral masectomy a little more difficult. Though I really don't want to go through this again in the future. Anyway, the reconstructive surgery is quite a process. At the time of surgery, the surgeon will place a balloon type device (an expander) under my chest muscle. For about 6 weeks, I will go in every week to have silicone slowly pumped into the expander until it reaches my natural breast size. Then I will go back into surgery to have the implants done. Fortunate enough for me, my nipple will be conserved. =)

The last thing I have to do before any of this process begins in see a fertility doctor. I will be placed on tomaxafin for 5 years after surgery, and unfortunately a side effect is going through early menopause once you are done with it. You are not allowed to conceive while on tomaxafin due to the high risk of birth defects and other complications. So, it was highly advised for me to freeze some eggs (which is a 2 week process in itself). Out of this entire experience, this bit of information has been the toughest for me to bite. The possibility of hair loss and having my breast removed is nothing compared to the possibility of not having a child. Each day has gotten easier though. If it's meant to be it will be. =)

Last but certainly not least, on April 6, 2012, Trevor proposed to me! He proposed at a very special spot dear to he and his family: Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach. He had his sister's help with the planning, in addition to, having one of his great buddies help him capture the moment. We had planned a weekend getaway to Vegas 2 weeks prior, so he planned/timed the proposal on our way to the airport. **No we did not elope!** It was the perfect start to my spring break. I am lucky to have such caring and loving man in my life. I couldn't imagine going through this journey with anyone else.

After our Vegas vacation,  my brother flew out here to visit the entire week. It was so incredibly nice to have an entire week with family. I have missed hanging out with him so much. We did everything from exploring the art galleries in Laguna, to hiking, to spending a day at Disney, eating some delicious food, laughing, being dorks, and more importantly our morning conversations over coffee. He and I always have fun time with each other, and the timing was just right. I can't wait for him to visit again! =)

So, that's a little update on the past 3 weeks. I hadn't forgotten about updating my blog....there just has not been anything to report on my health....plus it has been so nice living the moment. I am crossing my fingers I find out something on my biopsy results this week, so be sure to keeping checking in with the blog.

Going to enjoy the beautiful weather today.

XO,
Ally

Is there really light at the end of the tunnel?

I'm really beginning to grimace when Wednesdays come around. It seems the past 3 Wednesdays I have been dealt a tough hand of cards. I'm definitely growing weary of all the different doctor appointments, going to work, etc. I think I'm definitely due for some good luck any day now.

Monday: I had an appointment with a Surgical Oncologist specializing in breast surgeries. Not much to say about her, except I was not too impressed. She was not very personal or welcoming. Instead of taking time to talk with us, she put is in front of a laptop for 35 minutes to watch a video on either information we already knew or did not pertain to me. Afterward, she spent 15 minutes about her prescribed plan of surgery. Meh. No rapport built. That's that.

Wednesday: I had an appointment with a fertility doctor that has added a bit more stressful decision making in a limited amount of time. More to come on that topic at a later date. On top of all this, my car decides to bite the dust. Yep, Little Red is no longer with me. Her engine went out and the cost to repair it is just not worth it . She lasted a good 12 years though. So now I have to add "Car Shopping" to my list of things "To Do". Is all this really happening?!! I don't think I have ever been this stressed and frustrated. It is to the point where I just start laughing to keep myself from crying. Murphy's Law.

Thursday: I woke up completed exhausted and drained. It was definitely a little difficult to stay 100% focused at work with all this "extra" stuff on my mind. Luckily all the kiddos were angels. =)  I had a 3rd opinion with a Breast Specialist team today (both the surgeon AND oncologist in the same room. HUGE plus). Let's just say within the first 20 minutes of our conversation I point blank said, "I have found my team of doctors! Thank goodness!". There was not a doubt in my mind and I felt the most comfortable and confident with this team. Common thread with the other doctors: masectomy in left breast, chemotherapy, reconstructive surgery, 5 years of Tamoxifen. What impressed me was the fact they want additional testing to analyze the cancer inside the cell. As it stands now, my cancer is what they call Luminal B, intermediate grade ductal, T2 (size), Node 0. Which means, no lymphnodes are involved, the size between 2 and 3 cm (making it between a stage 1 and 2). They want to find out more about the genetic make-up of the cancer cells of each tumor to see how it will react to chemotherapy before my treatment plan begins. This doctor is wanting to do TC instead of AC like the other oncologists suggested. AC has quite a few side effects in the long run, is linked to Leukemia, and my type of cancer (estrogen sensitive) does not respond too well with it. Since my cancer is ER(+), PR(+), HER-2-NEU(-), I am completely "curable" and TC works best with this type. I will know more specifics on the treatment plan once they complete the additional testing.

So, my week is ending on a positive note. THANK GOD! A huge weight has been lifted and one more thing has been crossed off my list. I have found my team of doctors! A sigh of relief. Ahhhhh....

BTW, I really apologize if I have yet to return any calls or emails in the past few weeks, as you can see, I've been pretty overwhelmed (so don't take it personal). I promise to respond once I get some breathing room. In the meantime, please keep up with my blog. It's the easiest way for me to "respond" and keep everyone updated on things all at once. All the positive feedback and supportive words are genuinely appreciated and very much needed. I cannot express how much each response means to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you! =)

Love,

Allyson

Much Needed

We had a 24 hour "getaway" Morongo Casino and Resort (Indian Casino right outside of Palm Springs). Trevor set up a much needed massage and pedicure for me while he hit the poker tables. In between my services, I was able to listen to DJ Pauly D (from Jersey Shore) spin some tunes at the pool. After my massage, most of the evening was pretty mellow and consisted of wine, cheese and cocktail shrimp while lounging around the hotel room. We topped off the evening watching the Spazmatics perform 80's music (highly recommend this band. Very entertaining!). It was definitely a nice little weekend needed after the past couple weeks of doctor appointments. =)

XO,
Allyson

Mission Aborted

I went in today for an MRI led biopsy on my right side, which by-the way is cool how they do this procedure. It's a little difficult to describe, so I will spare the details and cut to the point. After taking the initial images for the graph, the radiologist looks over the images to decide on a point of entry. She comes back in the MRI room to tell me the "area of concern" is basically not big enough for a biopsy AND she did not feel it was of major "concern" due to its size. She also suggested whenever I do begin chemo that it will go away if in fact it is cancerous. She even suggested it could be part of a nerve or a random speck of tissue. Otherwise, there is no need to do anything about it. I was VERY happy to hear this.

As for the tumor board, there was a little mix up, so my case will not be presented until the next time. Apparently they needed my tissue slides, and well, I have them. Oops! I needed them for my next couple appointments I have scheduled for a 2nd and 3rd opinion. Things happen for a reason, right?! =)

Hope every one has a great weekend. I think we are going to plan a little "getaway" tomorrow to relax. This week has been a roller coaster, and I am emotionally exhausted.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying this little bug of mine. Love her to death! =)

XO,
Ally

Daffodil Days

So, I had my my first appointment with Oncologist #1 yesterday. I have to say, despite having to wait an hour to see him, it was well worth the wait. He is a very welcoming and personal man, and we felt very comfortable speaking with him. He is very thorough with his information and even wrote down notes for us, which was very helpful since we get too wrapped up in listening and forget to write things down. I don't have the energy to go in depth about the information we received, but I will say I agree with his prescribed treatment plan (so far). Of course it is a little nerve wracking. He would start chemotherapy asap and it would take 5 months to complete. The goal is to shrink the tumor enough to get it away from my chest wall (pectoralis muscle) before surgery. Then I would be on hormone therapy after surgery for 5 years to make sure the cancer does not come back. That's basically it in a nutshell.

Oh yeah, I was given these beautiful daffodils on my way out the office. Daffodil Days is American Cancer Society's fundraiser and awareness program that offers daffodils to donors every spring in appreciation of their contribution. Anyway, their brightness brings optimism every time I look at them. =)

Next up on the schedule: I have an appointment tomorrow for a MRI led biopsy on my right side to see if the area of concern has cancer cells. My case will also be brought up in a Tumor Board meeting. I have 4 more appointments scheduled over the next 2 weeks to meet with other oncologist and surgeons to get their view points on my situation.

I have a long "to do" list that is slowly dwindling down, but it feels empowering when I am able to cross off one of those things. Baby steps. One thing at a time, one day at a time, and one day closer to kicking this "C" to the curb. I've been on a emotional roller coaster this week dealing with reality. There is times when I get frustrated....then get insecure....then upset...stressed...then back to feeling empowered (especially after a kick-a$$ work out). I really am grateful for Trevor, my family, and the support network I have around me.

Until next time....

XO,
Allyson