Surgery Day Round 1

Pictures from Surgery 1

 

 

 

One step at a Time!!!!

I come to you guys today with lots of thank yous!!!  The last 10 days have been very trying for me personally, not being able to drive, not being able to care totally for my children, not being able to clean house (NOT REALLY(: ) with not being able to do all the things that I do there have been a lot of people here to help out.   Just when I was feeling down and out, there my friends and family are to pick me up.  The things that each person has done for me lately has really humbled me and made me realize how loved I am.  THANK YOU TO EVERYONE - I can't mention each of you because lord I don't want to leave anyone out, but I so appreciate each of you! 

NOW update from appointment TODAY......the cancer is NOT in my lymph nodes - GREAT NEWS!!!!  THIS IS AN ANSWER TO MANY PRAYERS!!! The surgeon ordered a test today called Oncotype (SP) this will determine whether I have chemo or not and also if I am at a higher risk for cancer to come back somewhere else (if high I will more than likely have chemo) - my medical oncologist (which I haven't met yet) will be the one who tells me these results in 10-14days.  We did find out today my cancer was a STAGE 2 and  one of the margins she tested was negative - BUT CLOSE (which means we take more tissue out to test) for IDC.  So when I have surgery on May the 5th, she (the surgeon) will take more tissue out in the general area and send that off for pathology too.  We want all that tissue to be NEGATIVE without a doubt.   So we have jumped a huge hurdle for me today! 

Again, I can't tell you how very thankful I am for the gracious thoughts and the acts of kindness - it has been so very amazing to know I am loved.  13 days and counting till surgery and learning more things about my treatment steps!!!   GOD IS GOOD!!!

Day after my first surgery!!!

It's the day after my surgery and it's is going ok, I am in lots of pain - which means lots of pain meds which make me goofy!!!!   I didn't sleep great because I couldn't sleep on my side (neither one), so today I am resting.  

The surgeon took 3 lymph nodes and a mass the size of an acorn out during surgery yesterday the lymph nodes will be biopsied  - I will know those results when I go back on the 21st. I am praying that the nodes are clean.   Then I will see a Medical Oncologist to find out my treatment plans. 

I have to say a special thank you to Mark McKinney, he came to the hospital and prayed with me and everyone and I can tell you that made all the difference in the world.  Also thank you for spending the day with me, Britta, Kim, Christina, Karen, my mom and of course my hubby!!!  Thank you for all the prayers, calls, texts and card (I still get cards daily).  Thank you Kim Vaughn for spending the night with me, to make sure everything went smoothly.   My mom and sis are here today and I am relaxing.  I hope I didn't miss anyone - Love to you ALL!!!!!!

Surgery #1 over!!!

Nikki is out of surgery!!!  The doc said everything went well and we can see her soon.  Thanks for all the prayers and support!

Today's the day!!!

Well the day is here, lots of emotions as I dropped the girls off this morning, everyone is dressing in their shirts today to support ME (SO GRATEFUL), it still doesn't seem real, it's almost like I may wake up from a dream.       However it's time to be strong and get ready to start this journey to kicking butt to Cancer!  My surgery starts at 12:15pm, I have to be there at 10:45am to prep - yes alittle bit later to what I thought.  Someone will update the blog later today, thank you again to everyone for your support and prayers!!!  I have an awesome support system and I know I will get through this!!!!   Love ya'll!!!!!  Getting ready to head to CHAPEL HILL!!!!  <3

Genetic testing results are IN!!!

I must say that it's always great to hear good news!!!!  After a few rough and emotional days the last week, I finally get the call today I have been waiting for, from GENETICS.  The results for the genetic testing came back NEGATIVE - which means no mutations in my genes.  In other words this  means that I won't have to have the double mastectomy (the doctors referred to it as the Angelina surgery when we were there the first time).  It also means that Gracee and Madison are not at a high risk to have the same thing I have - and will not have to be tested, more than likely they will still be pre-screened at 40 (which is a LONG time).  What a relief!!!      

So we are on schedule with the plan - Wednesday afternoon they will inject blue dye (carolina blue - I hope) which helps the surgeon on Thursday to biopsy the nodes.  On Thursday morning bright and early (thinking 8am) - I will be the first surgery for Dr. Demore that day, which means I will have to be there prolly by 6:30am (yippeee).  I will have a lumpectomy to get this "unwelcomed thing" out of my right boob - we will have a biopsy of my lymph nodes as well and we will then be off to recover and get the first surgery over with!!!  8 days and counting I will be super excited to have it gone so we can move on to the next steps!!!!    Thank you lord for good news - you knew I needed it!!!  :) 

Let there be light...

Yesterday started out normal - work till 11am, then met Kimmy on the corner and we walked to the surgeon appointment where Christina and Casey (my hubby) joined us soon after.  We met with my Oncology surgeon first Dr. Demore, (by the way - love her) she told me the details of my MRI - which again shows only evidence that the cancer is contained to the mass on my right side, the MRI was only of my boobs, nothing else.  She explained what is next she explained that I will have a Sentinel Lymph node biopsy (which means they will run blue dye into the mass area, it should run towards the lymph nodes)  from what I understand this will show if there is any cancer in my lymph nodes.  This procedure will be done on April 9th late in the day.  I will return to UNC on April the 10th (at 6:30am) yipppeeeee for the lumpectomy, surgery and recovery will take approximately 4 hours all together.  At this time she will cut a incision under my arm and check out those lymph nodes - she will biopsy the nodes and we will wait to see if it has gone to my nodes.  I might have to edit this once my NOTE TAKERS read it :)  She will sew me up and I will head home.  I will be out of work for one week returning back on the 21st.    My next surgery which is reconstruction will be May 5th, by Dr. Dammits from UNC - she is awesome too!!!  Because of the location of the mass and how the surgery will be done, this is where the reconstruction comes into the journey!!   I met with the plastic surgeon yesterday afternoon and she spent a lot of time with me and explained a lot.  That surgery is a bit more intense and will require me being out of work for 2 wks - and get this no housework for 4 weeks.  WOWZEER ---I have to find jokes in all this to keep my spirits up!!!  :)  This is our plan for now and will be the plan unless genetics come back with something different.  So I guess I will be getting lots of rest between now and 2 wks from now.  I didn't realize until the last 2 Wednesdays how tiring staying a doctors visits could be.  Thanks you guys again for all the kind gestures, calls, texts, FB messages and cards.  You have truly made this girl feel loved!!!!