Fact of Fiction?

Thought I'd just go straight for the facts, but I'll start tonights post with a hubby update.

He is doing very well, and was back in the office on Monday, his only concession was leaving for work at 8:15am instead of 7:30am. The four 'wounds' are healing well and other than being a bit tired by the evening (as normal then) he is making good progress.

I fear that he thinks he is now in competition with me as regards stomach scarring, but of course, I am the outright winner in that department.

Now, down to business and some 'facts'.

I saw KG at the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, she told me that they had all talked about at the morning's MDT meeting.( A Multidisciplinary Team Meeting is a meeting of the group of professionals from one or more clinical disciplines who together make decisions regarding recommended treatment of individual PATIENTS. Multidisciplinary Teams may specialise in certain conditions, such as Cancer.)

It seems I have a 2 cm tumour at the original site of my last operation. (Not entirely sure why it wasn't picked up eight weeks ago as that's when I had my CT scan, but hey). Further discussion led to my surgeon at the Marsden stating that she did not advise another operation as it was difficult enough first time around and obviously only got partially removed. It is near the aortic vein and wrapped around the renal vein, and she didn't want to risk me losing a kidney.

It was suggested that I have a PET scan mid August at the Marsden, and if that shows there is only the one area of cancer there is a possibility that I could have radiotherapy. 

If there are various 'hot spots' of cancer then I guess chemo is the answer. 

It feels like I've been diagnosed all over again.

I was going to write a lengthy blog post with quite a lot of ranting and raving about the unfairness of it all, the anger, the resignation and the general sadness, but other than the red ink writing I'm not. 

I'm going to say a big thank you to my lovely husband, daughter and particularly my sons who have mopped up a few tears, given me hugs and told me I was doing "Fantastically well", and I had to live one day at a time. 

I can't change the past, you know if I had known about this wretched carbuncle of a tumour before I went to Oz that would have marred my whole holiday, so it's just as well I didnt. 

So to recap, the facts.

I will have a blood test in August, plus get a date for a PET scan. I will have an interview for a BRCA test.

WHAT ARE BRCA1 AND BRCA2?

The names BRCA1 and BRCA2 stand for BReast CAncer susceptibility gene 1 and BReast CAncer susceptibility gene 2. BRCA1 andBRCA2 belong to a class of genes known as tumor suppressors. When functioning normally, these genes help keep breast, ovarian, and other types of cells from growing and dividing too rapidly or in an uncontrolled way.

When certain changes or "mutations" in the BRCA genes occur, cells are more likely to divide and change rapidly which can lead to developing cancer.

I have been trying to get tested for this since I was first diagnosed , simply because If I find I do have one of these, then it's possible I have passed it onto my children. Forewarned is forearmed. I also need to do some research into my family history to see if there is a link. So Donna  ( my cousin in America) if you are reading this, I will be in touch. 

Finally, I am also going to have another mammogram as it's been four years since the last one, now, that does make me smile, I am sorry for all you well endowed ladies out there, it is painful, but it's also very uncomfortable trying to squeeze a small pancake chest into that machine. Last time they bruised my ribs!

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each one of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us"

Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) 

Nobel Peace Prize-winning medical missionary and philosopher.