Date: 2006-09-07
To: Lefty's Lump in 2003, Part III
Miles today: 0.0

Hi folks,Buoy just reminded me that I do not know how to tell a SHORT story. I just reread Part II of my ¢Lefty Found a Lump¢ entry, and he's right! I was headed down the path of detailing every phone call, appointment, conversation and procedure. That would take a while. So instead, I'll try my hardest to just highlight things.I had a core needle biopsy which wasn¢t as painful as I imagined it would be. I believe the doctor¢s name was Dr. Jacobs. He was so caring and gentle with me during this very stressful time. I got a call from him the next day while at work. He asked me if it was an okay time for me to talk. I knew then, it wasn¢t good news. He said that the tissue sample that he sent to the lab was definitely cancerous. He then said that he thought we should do the procedure again, just to be sure that there was not a mix up at the lab. I either went back that day or the next. The results of the second biopsy confirmed that I did have breast cancer. I got that second call, also while at work. Andre was out of town on business. I called him, cried a lot and then went and cried with a few co-workers. Somehow, I managed to get through the rest of the day at the office. I had just started working at San Francisco Court Appointed Special Advocate (SFCASA) Program only 3 months before my diagnosis. There is so much that I can say about my colleagues at SFCASA, but that would bring more tears than I¢m up for this am. They are truly amazing individuals. I feel so incredible fortunate to work with them. Since my biopsy showed that I did have invasive breast cancer. I made an appointment with a surgeon, Dr. Nima Grissom, who came very highly recommended. I brought Andre, a girlfriend Stephanie, and a tape recorder. At the end of that meeting I knew that I had to have surgery and most likely chemotherapy and radiation therapy. After some tears had been shed and my questions had been answered I felt like celebrating for some reason. I wanted to go out for dinner and order the most expensive steak in the city. That we did. I think just knowing what I was up against made me feel better. It was a battle I felt very prepared to fight. Dr. Grissom gave me A LOT of hope and I will always be grateful for that. She also did a fantastic job with my surgery. At the beginning of July I had a lumpectomy (to remove the tumor) and a sentinel node biopsy (to see if the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes). My girlfriend, Michelle flew in from Alaska. Our goddaughter Shanay also happened to be visiting at the time of my surgery. The surgery results detailed the grade, stage, size and type of cancer. All of which pointed the necessity of my finding a medical oncologist who could coordinate my post surgery care. I met with three highly recommended medical oncologists who explained my diagnosis and prognosis. Not only did I want three independent opinions, and an opportunity to figure out who I wanted to be my doc, but I also felt like I needed to hear the news three times for it to really sink in. From these three consultations I learned that it was very rare for someone my age to get this kind of breast cancer. I learned that I would indeed need chemo and radiation as the tumor was 3 cm, was aggressive and it had spread to my lymph nodes. I learned about different kinds of chemo. I learned that even with chemo and radiation I still had up to a 35% chance of not surviving the disease more than a couple of years. I chose to work with Dr. Garrett Smith, who specializes in breast cancer in young women. I feel so grateful to the people who recommended him and his team to me. I also decided that I wanted to do the most aggressive treatment possible. At that time there was a new chemo regimen called 'dose dense' that had been having some success. It called for higher and more frequent doses of a chemo cocktail over a shorter time period. This newer treatment came with another nasty statistic. There would be a 70% chance that I would remain in the chemo-induced menopause and never regain my period. I remember taking Shanay with me to get my hair chopped off. I guess it was my way of trying to have a little control over the situation. During this first cut, I think I had 12-15 inches cut off. A couple of weeks later I got a buzz cut. Then, at first sign of my hair falling out (about 3 weeks into chemo) I had my head completely shaved. Yes, that was hard. Yes, I cried like a baby. Both my mom and sister came out for my treatments which began in August of 2003. My mom was able to be with me until early December when I finished up my chemo. My sister was able to stay until my radiation was finished in late February, 2004. My dad was able to come spend some time with me in December. I will forever be grateful to them for their love and support.For some strange reason, which I may never understand, my chemo treatments were not as miserable as they were for most people. I only needed to schedule every other Friday off of work, for the four months I was in chemo. And when I did my radiation treatments for 6 weeks, I scheduled my daily appointments for 7am so I could be at work each day by 8am. There were a number of other individuals who have provided me with excellent ongoing care over the past few years. I have been seeing Beverly Burns for acupuncture and herbal medicine. I have been seeing the best therapist in the City, Dr. Andrew Kneier. I was fortunate to find Dr. Mindy Goldman, a top OBGYN. I am involved in a number of support groups for breast cancer survivors. I owe a lot of thanks to Rosalind Bennet, Patient Advocate, for her support and recommendations in the early days of my diagnosis. There were so many friends and extended family that called and sent letters, flowers and well wishes. It was an incredible time. I felt so much love and support from people. I don¢t know how I would have gotten through it without you all. Thank you for being there for us. You truly made the difference. I am now two and a half years out from the end of my treatments¢¦.and so far, so good! All signs point to the hope that we have beat the cancer. Since my cancer was pretty aggressive we most likely would have seen it resurface by now, where as for many folks who get cancer the magic number is 5 years. I still see many of my doctors on a regular basis for routine check ups, and will continue to see them for years to come. After leaving me for almost one year, my period returned. Probably one of THE MOST uncomfortable parts of the whole cancer experience for me were the hot flashes that accompanied the year of chemo-induced menopause. Thank goodness that¢s over!Through it all, my baby Buoy was right there with me. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have him by my side. How did I get so lucky? Really? The last 11 years he has been in my life have been the happiest I have ever known. Dreams do come true. -Lefty