11/10/08

Just the facts!

I’m one of those (annoying?) people who like to read the end of a story before I have even reached the middle of the book. This doesn’t annoy me, of course, but it does bother others. Personally, I like to know the facts before I proceed; I find it easier to enjoy the ride if I know I have a map. I don’t think it spoils the journey to know the destination – on road trips, when reading a book, when going through life.

I could talk all day and all night about my breast cancer story, but if I was the person reading it, I would be scanning to get the information first, and then going back to read the story! Who needs suspense when you are already dealing with cancer?

So, to start things out, here are my facts!

  • Name: Pam
  • Husband: (quite a guy) Bill
  • Children: 3…2 daughters, 9 and 6.5 years old, and a son, 3 years old.
  • Age: 35
  • Breast Cancer diagnosis: 2/18/08, Stage I, triple negative, grade 3 tumor, 1.7cm, right breast, 3 lymph nodes removed were negative for cancer
  • Age at Diagnosis: 34
  • Surgical choices: Bilateral Mastectomy with Immediate Reconstruction – 3/17/08 (with a couple of surgeries thrown in, as I had an infection on my right side…Tissue Expander removed before chemo 4/6/08, just recently have had surgery to reinsert that expander 11/7/08, plan for implants) Lap BSO – Laparoscopic Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy (removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes) – 10/13/08
  • BRCA 1: Positive for Deleterious Mutation (I just like saying the whole thing, don’t ask me why)
  • Chemotherapy: 6 rounds of TAC (Taxotere, Adriamycin, Cytoxan), every 21 days – 1st round: 4/18/08, last round: 7/31/08

See, isn’t it nice to get that information up front? :)



1 comment:

Tim said...

Pam,
One thing that I have learned when dealing with Cancer,is that the waiting can seem to forever, plus it slows your life down a bit. OK!, so I learned 2 things for sure, LOL.
Getting the facts and keeping them straight is good, even if they are confusing to others. I have found out that their those in society who really don't want to talk about Cancer, but would rather talk about the local weather or sporting teams they like.
Tim