Boob Details

How did we get back here?

About a year ago I noticed a bump on my implant and that my scar tissue was feeling different. My oncologist retired after a heart attack and my care was transferred to a Physician Assistant. At my last two wellness checkups I brought up my concerns which were dismissed.

"Are you losing weight?" No. "Do you have joint pain or bone pain?" No. "Then it's probably just scar tissue or fat deposits". So as long as I'm not losing weight or having pain it's not cancer? "Yes".
All 3 areas grew and 2 were painful, so I found a new doctor and insisted on testing.

My cancer was hormone positive, so I'm on tamoxifen to suppress hormones which is supposed to prevent a recurrence. Fat necrosis was a more logical assessment but ultra sounds and MRIs can't tell the difference between fat necrosis and cancer, so the ever fun biopsies were needed.

It took an hour for the doctor to take 9 samples of the 2 tumors in my armpit as one was really deep and right on a muscle she didn't want to hit. She injected a ton of local anesthetic (which has made my thumb feel like it has carpel tunnel) and used an ultra sound to guide the needle to the right location. It sounded like a gun when she shot and pulled out samples to biopsy. Really weird feeling and experience. My arm kept going numb having to hold it over my head.
Needle biopsies were last Monday, on Wednesday they called me at work to let me know both tumors are cancer. It's been a mental rollercoaster to say the least. I went into today's appointment with surgeon prepared to say good bye to my new boob (look how pretty it is!) but now I may be able to keep it.

For now I'm just trying to get through surgery and the waiting game until we know more. I'm really hoping we can find some answers as to why my cancer came back, but more importantly figure out how we can completely eliminate it this time.

4/23/19