Medical Team, What Say You?

After a week of medical appointments, I am pleased to introduce my medical team and share what we have learned about Gwen, patient #123 (they told me I have a number assigned, I want to know what it is to see if it contains any of my lucky numbers):

1. Genetic counselor, Julie, to receive results from the blood test submitted last week to determine if I am a carrier of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations (pronounced brack-a), which are human genes known to be linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. I tested negative for these two genes. What Julie shared was that any family has a 10% chance of having this gene. If it is in the family, children have a 50% of getting the gene passed to them from either parent. If passed, that person has an 85% chance of getting breast cancer, and anywhere from 25-40% chance of getting ovarian cancer because of this gene. The average person has an 8-10% chance of getting cancer. There was a ton more information Julie shared, but in the interest of keeping 1.5 hours of conversation to a shorter story, I'll leave it to you to search the web.
2. Navigator Nurse, Mona, at St. Luke's, who gave me a great educational book on breast cancer and how to deal with every aspect of my life that it will affect, with areas specifically highlighted for my case. Oncology Associates has a Navigator Nurse also, so I will see what she has to offer at my next visit there.
3. Nutrionist, I don't remember her name, provided by the Cook Cancer Wellness Program, who will help me with suggestions and plans for meals and food that will help me while I am going through treatment and after. I will begin meeting with her next week. Oncology Associates also offers this service.
4. Personal trainer, Matt, also provided by the Cook Cancer Wellness Program. Rumor has it everybody adores him. I'll get to be like a Kardashian! Matt will work with me at whatever level I can manage before, during, and after treatment. I need this accountability to make sure I get healthier and stay that way. They also offer weekly workouts such as Zumba and Pilates. What is great about this program is I will be in it with other people who are in different stages of their cancer treatment. If Gwennie gets hots during a workout, I can throw off my wiggers and no one will think anything of it! Yay, me!! 
5. Social worker, Nancy, who will help get me and the kids set up with counselors who specialize in individual, child, and family counseling for people/families with cancer.
6. General surgeon, Dr. Renz, and nurse Brenda, who are leading the surgical efforts in my treatment to remove the tumor. The three options I have are lumpectomy with radiation, mastectomy, or bilateral (double) mastectomy, one being prophylactic. It sounds like radiation is a standard follow up to a lumpectomy. Did I  mention Dr. Renz is hot, hot, hot?! I want him to play 'Take Me Away' from The Ugly Truth while he is removing my breastuses.  Love, love the Kathryn Heigl girly dance.
7. Plastic surgeon, Dr. Emery, and nurse Bethany who advised me of the procedures and process for the reconstruction options I have. John and Mom said it was interesting to watch Dr. Emery and me interact, as we fed off of each other in conversation and changed topics about every two sentences! I was extremely impressed with the work he has done and so I am able to put that fear to rest.
8. Oncologist, Dr. Wilbur, and nurse Paula, who pretty much told me how it is - lol! She is my age and we bantered back and forth very well. She is the one to determine if my hormone receptors are going to be called triple negative or not (see blog that talks about this more). She is calling this triple negative, but will treat the 1% positive estrogen because, um, I can't remember why. I am sure John does. She calls my clinical diagnosis - Stage 2, ER weakly negative, PR negative, HER-2neu negative, grade III, invasive ductal carcinoma. The treatment she recommends is 1) local - surgery, with 2) system-wide - chemotherapy. Why chemotherapy? That is what I asked, over, and over, and over again. She explained by putting a number of my stats into a database, including my (young) age, and it showed that if I do not have chemotherapy, I have a 45% chance of this cancer reocurring somewhere else. This typically occurs by some cancer cell(s) getting into the bloodstream. Even though the genetic test result was negative, she is still concerned with the prominence breast cancer has in my family, and admits that we (science) only know about these two mutations now. There may be more. I will meet with her again for chemotherapy "training". As of right now, she is suggesting eight weeks of one chemo cocktail with a shot of another cocktail after each treatment. Then 12 weeks of another chemo cocktail, and followed up with five years of Tamoxifen, which she is recommending because of my 1% positive ER result.

Whew!

Quote for Today:
"Okay, so the shit hit the fan. Take a deep breath, get grounded, and center yourself. Like Alice in Cancerland, you're falling down a dark and creepy rabbit hole. Doctors are spewing lots of information, most of which probably goes in one ear and out the other. Why? Because when you are newly diagnosed with cancer, this is what you hear: "Blah, blah, CANCER, blah blah, ... CANCER, blah blah blah." ~ Kris Carr, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips 

I am overwhelmed with information right now. While I have lots of things ahead, I find I am only able to focus on the next step in front of me. ~ Gwen

This is a song that has helped me through the last three years of my life, when I was hoping I could save my marriage, when I was starting my life over at age 37, and now when I am facing a monster I have no control over:
While I'm Waiting ~ John Waller

I have no idea where this journey of cancer will take me. But... I am strong, I am faithful, and I am at peace. Because of this, albeit emotionally exhausted, I am able to make it through every day. ~ Gwen