Retro Post: Mom's timeline

It has been a wild time, so today (8/26), I'm finally going back to explain what has been going on with my mom. Please note, the links in this post take you to various health sites, most of which have illustrations or photos of the female breast.

Mom has known for a long time, years, that she has fibrocystic breasts. Although there is some controversey over the role of caffeine with this disease, mom found that limiting her intake helped.
She also was very good about doing breast self-exams, and it was during one of these that she found a lump that seemed a little larger than the rest.
Lesson #1: Do a monthly breast self-exam!!
It was time for her yearly physical exam and mammogram anyway, so she scheduled an appointment. I think the first available appointment was at least six weeks out.
Lesson #2: Remember to schedule your annual exam 6-10 weeks out!!

Mom's appointment was the week of 6/20 and they scheduled her mammogram for the next Monday. During the mammogram, they decided to do an ultrasound and by the end of the ultrasound, she was scheduled for a biopsy. The news wasn't good.
On July 5th, mom visited the surgeon to discuss her options, and her lumpectomy was scheduled for the next Monday, 7/11. A lumpectomy can also be known as a "partial mastectomy".
Lesson #3: Doctors only work on Mondays. Kidding!!!

During the lumpectomy, the surgeon inserted a catheter in preparation for her future chemotherapy. He also found that the cancer had gone through the tissue, nearly to the inside of the skin. He removed some lymph nodes from under her arm to be tested. It turns out that two of them were cancerous. Mom didn't care. "Take it!" she insisted. The doctor was taken aback by her positive attitude and no-nonsense take on her diagnosis. Throughout her ordeal, the physician and the office staff recommendend that Mom attend local support groups, not only to receive support, but to give it!!
Lesson #4: Stay positive!!

Mom's radical mastectomy was done on July 19th. They also removed an additional 14 lymph nodes. I took the rest of the week off from work and spent it with her in Boonville. Mrs. Stubborn refused to take pain medication any stronger than Tylenol for most pain. Not Tylenol 3, just plain old Tylenol. She did take a few long naps, but for the most part, she felt pretty good. Only a total of three lymph nodes were cancerous, which, according to the surgeon, was "under the magic number of four".

We celebrated Aly's 7th birthday that Saturday, 7/23.

Chemotherapy was scheduled to begin the week of 8/8, but a CT and full body scan (not pleasant for a claustrophobe) turned up a spot on Mom's liver, so chemo was delayed. We were thankful that her lungs and other organs were clear, and the doctor was doubtful that such a spot would be cancer. Mom and Dad had a trip to Las Vegas planned, so the PET scan was scheduled for the Monday (mmm-hmmmm) after that. Their week at the Tropicana was very cool, despite a flight delay.
Lesson #5: Cancer doesn't control your life. You do.

The PET scan on Monday 8/22 was much easier for Mrs. Claustrophobic to handle. But, she couldn't wait until Wednesday for her appointment to find out if her liver was okay. A call to the doctor was returned pretty quickly ... the spot on her liver was benign.

Mom's first chemo appointment was Wednesday 8/24. Despite feeling a little tired, she's doing well and looking forward to a visit from her darling grandkids, and her favorite daughter. Chemo is scheduled for every other Wednesday for the next eight weeks, and then she'll have a couple of weeks of radiation therapy.

I hope you learned something from the links on this page, if not from her experience. From the first twinge to treatment can take months, and sometimes you may not have months to spare. Check yourself, see your doctor, stay positive, live your life, and clear your Mondays.
:)

I love you Mom!!