No chemo!

My oncoscore is an 8, very low. I was told this morning by the nurse who called me that it means no chemo! The oncoscore is what you get when they take some of the tumor tissue and run the genes through a database that correlates with survival rates after ten years. If you score low it means that no additional benefit would result from chemotherapy. Amazing. I will meet with an oncologist tomorrow to talk about the treatment plan so I'm glad that result is available to her. The next question is whether or not she'll recommend radiation. I had one lymph node with micro bits of cancer out of the three that were taken out. I don't know what kind of cutoff there would be: any cancer, radiation? If it's radiation, there could be one month of five days a week sessions. Even though each session is only about fifteen minutes, the commute will be at least 45 minutes each way plus the fifteen minutes to check in. But if they recommend it I will try to have a good attitude about it because I don't want to have lost a breast for nothing. There's an appointment with a radiologist for next week. I have a follow-up mammogram/ultrasound on the left side for six month from now.

I got a letter from my insurance company saying they denied the claim for hospitalization. I called them and was told I didn't need to do anything because they would resubmit the claim with the the proper procedure code. I'm not feeling very trusting so  I could call the Mount Sinai team to find out if that will happen. The guy on the phone said they'll do it because they want to get paid. Hmmm.

Breast cancer

It's been a long time since I wrote in this blog. I've settled into living in Brooklyn. It was interesting to reread my entries about the move here, my explorations and adjusting to my new place. 

A lot has happened. In September I was diagnosed with breast cancer from a routine mammogram. It is early stage, so I was reassured by everyone that it is very treatable. It took a long time to get a referral to a breast surgeon but I finally was seen by a doctor at Mount Sinai. The breast clinic is at the end of the L line in Chelsea, so it's easy to get there. I like my doctor very much. At first it seemed as if I would be able to get a lumpectomy followed by radiation.  I had two biopsies and one site was negative while the other was a tumor. But then I had an MRI which showed that the left breast was clear but there was a second site on the right side, too far away from the first to do breast conserving surgery so the recommendation was now a mastectomy. There was a lot of hurry up and wait with all the appointments and procedures. A complicating factor was that we had planned a trip to Tokyo and Seoul at the end of November, originally to coincide with Rosemary's artistic residency in Tokyo. But she postponed the residency so she could come to all my appointments with me. Bless her. I am so glad she was able to do that.

Long story short: we got to take the trip and then I had surgery at the end of December, just a few days before Christmas. It went well. I have one surgical drain. The pain was manageable with oxy and tylenol. The oxy gave me horrible constipation. I should not have taken it. The drain is gross but I get to have it removed tomorrow. I have been mildly uncomfortable as I heal--more in the armpit than around the big old incision. I chose not to have reconstructive surgery; I'll get fitted for a prosthesis. I have gone amazonian.

I have an appointment with an oncologist next week. Then I'll get to find out (I hope) what follow-up there will be. The surgery was successful in that there are "clear margins"--no cancer left. One lymph node was cancerous so they are going to do more pathology on the tumor tissue to determine my "oncoscore." If it's low, it should just be radiation. If it's high I might need chemo.  I'm going to hold out for no chemo, but we shall see. The whole experience has been more about the anxiety of logistics than life and death fear. I'm so lucky it was caught early and the treatment seems very straightforward. I have a follow up mammogram and ultrasound for next August. I'll have to have scans every six months. And I'll be taking some kind of hormone suppressor for five years. Maria and Drea both told me they had no side effects so I'm going to hope and pray that that is the case for me too.