My Friends

Yesterday was the last of chemo round one. She is still magnesium deficient which is frustrating to me because they keep upping her dosage and it just makes her go to the bathroom more. She has the same level every time she's tested.

Round two of chemo starts next Tuesday and they are telling us this is much worse. She only gets it once every three weeks but it is supposed to be really bad for 10 days of each cycle. They gave her two additional nausea medications.

Today she went for an MRI on her liver. Won't hear results on that till next Friday. Hoping it is nothing. Got mixed signals from the doctor during the initial exam.

She continues to do well, chemo one pretty much dissolved the tumor. The doctor can't feel it anymore with manual exam. I asked if chemo alone will eliminate it and got mixed signals from him also.

Chemo will not kill the cancer but the surgery is to ensure that everything is dead. What the hell does that mean. Either the chemo killed it or it didn't. The surgery if it still shows cancer means the chemo was not successful. I think I understand his point, she gets surgery no matter what.

Is the surgery a total mastectomy or a more regional resection?

With a total mastectomy the goal will be to dissect the tissue to see if any remains so that may be why he is waffling.

Chemo is likely just shrinking the tumor to contain it and increase the chances for success with the surgery. The chemo may also have headed off any developing cancer heading toward the nodes which would prevent the need to possibly remove nodes now or in the future if only surgery was utilized.

It's possible the surgery is not 100pct necessary to treat the cancer but it may be needed to be sure the cancer treatment worked. If surgery isn't done you are limited to imaging which cannot detect or diagnose as well as tissue samples.

I feel for you both…
All this uncertainty must be really grinding on you.
Keep praying for you.

Hang in there with the tumour shrinking that is a good sign so hopefully there is a light at the end of the tunnel for you both.
Keeping and open channel for you both.

Still praying, and I've been thinking of you.

Bob

Thanks for sharing you struggles here as we all have them in one form or another. I hope it helps to know everyone here cares for you both and are with you.

I will keep praying for you both.

We all are praying for the whole family. Its a very frustrating time. Remember the good lord only gives you what you can handle. You may not know why this is going on. But it will all work out in the end.

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Originally Posted by mnmkeller

Is the surgery a total mastectomy or a more regional resection?

With a total mastectomy the goal will be to dissect the tissue to see if any remains so that may be why he is waffling.

Chemo is likely just shrinking the tumor to contain it and increase the chances for success with the surgery. The chemo may also have headed off any developing cancer heading toward the nodes which would prevent the need to possibly remove nodes now or in the future if only surgery was utilized.

It's possible the surgery is not 100pct necessary to treat the cancer but it may be needed to be sure the cancer treatment worked. If surgery isn't done you are limited to imaging which cannot detect or diagnose as well as tissue samples.

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Surgery is up to her at this point. She hasn't said one way or the other but I expect she'll just go with a lumpectomy. Your final assessment is what I am gathering to be the closest explanation. The surgery is just to ensure everything was killed by the chemo.

She is now on her second type of chemo. Still waiting for the shoe to drop. This is supposed to be pretty bad but has three days to develop into bad. She slept most of the day yesterday. Today she's going to the bathroom a lot but not sick yet. She has to get a daily shot with this also which is annoying. It's something to help her white blood cells or her immune system as this is eliminating them also. She has to be careful to not get sick or to watch her temperature this go around.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

Surgery is up to her at this point. She hasn't said one way or the other but I expect she'll just go with a lumpectomy. Your final assessment is what I am gathering to be the closest explanation. The surgery is just to ensure everything was killed by the chemo.

She is now on her second type of chemo. Still waiting for the shoe to drop. This is supposed to be pretty bad but has three days to develop into bad. She slept most of the day yesterday. Today she's going to the bathroom a lot but not sick yet. She has to get a daily shot with this also which is annoying. It's something to help her white blood cells or her immune system as this is eliminating them also. She has to be careful to not get sick or to watch her temperature this go around.

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The thing is, everyone doesn't react the same to chemo and whatever else. Some months after my wife passed away I listened to a chat in the radio with someone specializing in Breast Cancer. What it comes down to is that she basically treats each of her patients on an individual personalized basis. What she used on patient A might not have any effect on patient B.
And then the next thing is surgery is also not a guarantee of no further cancer and survival. My sister in law who had the exact same genetically linked Breast Cancer as my late wife had a full mastectomy and a hysterectomy. She was 'clean' for four years and now after her last hospital visit and tests have been told that she has stage four cancer.
What it comes down to is that you support your wife as best you can and with her choices and everything else. Ultimately it is her life.