Get a Second Opinion!

Posted Aug 2, 2008 4:48pm

Hi everyone...I’m spending another recovery weekend after Thursday's surgery to remove a microscopic spot, muddling through the ever unfolding mysteries of my health. My surgeon-I-swear-was-sent-by-god had the original biopsy tissue re-analyzed by someone who knows what the heck they are doing, and found that the original pathology report done at the first surgery (by the other lab) may have been way off base. How do these people stay in business, let alone not get arrested...

She is going to do more advanced tests to confirm this, but we had another one of her good news/other news conversations. The good news is that the new test showed it is positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors, which means I would respond to the hormone-blocking meds (such as Tamoxifen or more advanced formulas). Much as I hate drugs, they can save lives that are threatened, and I certainly will not argue with much in that department.

The other news is that although the original report said the gene indicating high risk of recurrence was negative (HER2), the new tests showed it was positive. She's going to have it further analyzed, but if it is positive, I'll do 4 months of regular chemo, radiation, and a year of chemo that is directed at the gene. Fortunately, the "gene-chemo" does not have the side effects of the nasty stuff, and one hardly knows one is being medicated.

I was searching all this information today, and came across a blog on google written by a woman who has just completed this whole process with the same doctors at Sutter. This lady had the same oddball sense of humor as mine; it was a little eerie. I felt like I was looking in a crystal ball, watching the year that lies ahead of me. My body took on some strange sensations as I was reading – I didn’t know if I was going to get sick, faint or levitate. It was at once a feeling of terror, hope and comfort, if that makes any sense.

I am so grateful to have read one more account, especially one so recent, that better illuminates the path ahead. Everything is going to be fine.

Love, Laurie.