My Journey to Fight and Survive: Prayer and Positive Thoughts Request Well, dear friends and family, I know this is a little late getting out to all of you and the only excuse I have is that I procrastinated and I probably would still be procrastinating except that my darling, wonderful and supportive parents really wanted me to get a prayer request/positive thought request out. I guess my thought process was that if I did not send this, maybe what I have to deal with would just disappear. Well, we know that has not and will not happen. So, here I am, on a Saturday morning, while everyone is still asleep, contemplating all the blessings I have in my life and why I have to fight to survive. I am blessed with the most wonderful family, from my parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, to my awesome husband, and our four wonderful children, an amazing daughter-in-law and our soon to be son-in-law. I am blessed to have such wonderful friends. Yes, I have a lot to fight for! As most of you already know, about 6 wks ago now, after a self exam, rounds of doctors visits and a number of tests, I was diagnosed with Type 1, Stage 2 invasive mammary carcinoma breast cancer. We have since learnt that my type of cancer is also ER/PR positive, HER2 negative. ER/PR is Estrogen Receptor/Progesterone Receptor positive. This means the cancer cell is hormone based and is actually the type of breast cancer one wants to be diagnosed with. We want the HER2 negative because HER2 is a more aggressive type of cancer. Thankfully, mine was negative. I have an oncologist that I really like and have great confidence in. He is the first doctor to actually tell me he thought my prognosis would be good. He is optimistic that they will not find anything in the lymph nodes, which if that is the case, could possibly mean only hormone therapy following the surgery and no radiation or chemo. Robb and I also had a great 2 hour meeting with the radiation/oncology doctor. She was very thorough in what I would go through if radiation is required. At the end of the meeting she did tell us that after reviewing my file and all the tests results and MRI results that she would be surprised if she saw me again, to which I responded: “Well, it has been nice meeting you but I hope never to see you again!” I am told having doctors say things like this should give me some hope!! So that is what we are going with! In the time since I initially sent out a request for prayers, Robb has been my advocate and my rock. He has been with me at every appointment and every test. He has fought with the insurance company because over half of my breast cancer team was not “in network”. We had to get an exception to have the plastic surgeon included, we had to get an exception to have the anesthesiologist included, we had to get an exception to have it more than an outpatient surgery and we had to get an exception to have it at the hospital the breast surgeon works out of. The only two on the entire team that were “in network” were the actual breast surgeon and the oncologist. I have had to go elsewhere for a radiation/oncology doctor. However, as of Thursday, everyone was given exceptions and approved so the bi-lateral mastectomy surgery is a go this coming Monday, October 6th, 1:00 p.m. Denver time and then I will have months of reconstruction surgery for my “foobs” ….that is what I am calling them and, of course treatment. Am I scared? Absolutely, I am actually petrified. Am I going to let those thoughts and feelings overtake me and win? Absolutely not!! I will be positive and I will come out of this stronger! I have had so much love and support from so many people, too many to list, but you all know who you are, including my amazing new “bc sisters”, both the survivors and the newbies, like myself. For now, I would ask that you send prayers or positive thoughts for me and my wonderful family, Robb, Tanner, Cierra, Kim, Jason, Janel and Dave, all of whom have been so supportive and loving. Please pray or keep positive thoughts going for the surgical team, for the surgery itself and for the lymph nodes being clear of cancer and that we have no other diagnosis surprises. I will also leave you with one final thought………..please get your mammograms or ultra sounds done. Please do your self exams………it may have saved my life and it just may save your own! Is finding something what we want………absolutely not, but it is better to find it and deal with it in the early stages! Breast Cancer is not the death sentence it used to be if it is caught early! Thousands of women and men are fighting and winning the battle. I will be one of them!!! I am a Survivor!!! Much love, Tanis
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 18:32:50 +0000
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