My Friends

[Aragorn243]

So far so good. She only has a couple more tests to go and they aren't finding any spread. They are finding other minor issues. She has arthritis and she has a benign growth in her liver which is harmless and pretty common. What's amazing is how fast we are getting results. Next day or even same day in some instances. She got her port in yesterday and is more or less recovered from that. She's not allowed to shower for two weeks so it might get pretty ripe here but we'll manage. (just kidding, she can bathe) They are doing a final test on her breasts tomorrow and then are going to double check the liver next week I think but they are doing that just as a precaution. They don't think it is anything other than what they told us. It's a mass of blood vessels, hemo something or other. I looked it up, a lot of people have them that are never diagnosed.

[Bob Womack]

I'm glad to hear of the good report so far and we'll keep up the prayer.

Lots of love,

Bob

[mnmkeller]

Cavernous hemangioma...very common benign mass that is technically something else but the name has stuck.

Depending on which test they found it with they usually use ultrasound, CT with contrast or MRI to test further.

And if you are at a large hospital same day results should be the norm. Most oversight groups require 24 turnaround time on imaging.

[Aragorn243]

Most of my wife's test results are complete. They are not showing the cancer has spread which is great news. They have found a few unrelated issues that require some follow ups. She has a benign tumor in her liver which is common and requires no treatment with most people. She also has a small benign tumor on the outer surface of her brain which will require monitoring. It may or may not require treatment in the future but is unrelated to the breast cancer. This still is upsetting to her which is understandable. She has a final breast exam today to finalize the plan for treatment and a follow up on the liver in the near future.

The plan is approximately 20 weeks of chemo which we expect to start next week. Then surgery, then hormonal treatments and/or radiation treatments. Prognosis is excellent.

Please keep the prayers coming, they give her confidence, peace and security.

[Ovidio]

Glad to oblige

[CINDERS]

Keeping the line open.

[Jonzie]

will keep praying

[dman69]

Thinking of you both - sounds like the news so far is good. It sounds like she's in good hands, both medically and with a loving husband.

Take one day at a time, you'll get there.

[mrclark303]

You certainly have my prayers, sending positive thoughts, I know a good few who've been through breast cancer, including my mother and two friends wives, all out the other side and fully recovered.

One step at a time and push through the process.

[Aragorn243]

Our "big" meeting with the oncologist was today to discuss all the results and moving forward.

It has not spread anywhere else, it is confined to the one breast. It is a little more advanced than they thought initially, early stage 3 but they caught it early enough for excellent treatment outcomes. She will undergo the same schedule I listed in the most recent post.

Chemo starts next week.

The brain tumor turned out to be nothing. Wish they had told us that Friday. They actually found it in 1997 and it hasn't changed since then.

Thanks for all the support. Our stress levels dropped considerably today which is good because I'm a stress buyer and I've bought more bayonets, canteens, machetes, entrenching tools, hats, helmets, etc over the last two weeks than I did the past two years. Posted some of the bayonets already. I still have a crap load of them coming in the mail.