Cancer? As for an answer… Still, I’m swimming in unfamiliar waters. 😕 The picture above is a great representation of how distorted my life feels. I did test positive for “early” cancer markers. There have been so many advances in early detection and treatment that doctors have “volumes” of options to sift through. Right now, I feel like I’m standing in the middle of a suspension bridge.  One side is post surgery and cancer free. The other side could be ANOTHER difficult life journey, post surgery, and the start of breast cancer treatment.

If it’s the “Dark Side,” I will be traversing yet another spiritual beating and another journey that may be defeating. By the way, I’ve already been drug through over two dozen of these “journeys.” I have walked through so many sludgy trials in my life that I feel the need to just jump off the bridge. At least the wait will be over, and I won’t have to trudge through Hades… AGAIN!

I did get one question answered… I’m being put into a Breast Cancer Care Group at Highlands Oncology in NW Arkansas. This is a TEAM of doctors working together to look at all aspects of my pathology, smears, and blood work before and after surgery. They will look at video, cultures, notes, tissue samples, etc. from my surgery.

I do not remember if I mentioned that I had a 3in. blood mass with debris and particles removed from my right breast by a general surgeon (a really fantastic doctor!) I’ve had incision complications and lots of swelling, but that is my body’s fault, NOT the surgeon’s fault. I’m severely immune compromised and have electrocardio and pulmonary issues.

~~Educational Information Time~~I may need more surgery to remove any abnormal “margins.” The edges of a breast mass are called margins. The margins of a breast mass can help differentiate between benign and malignant masses. Benign masses usually have smooth, round, and well-circumscribed margins, while malignant masses usually have rough, blurry, or spiculated margins. This is where the team will be looking with breast cancer specific precision.~Educational information complete~

I would just like a definitive answer either way so a specific treatment can begin. Waiting is so difficult 😫 I’m an author 📚, so writing about my journey should help to “clarify the clutter.” We’ll see…

I’m going to blog my journey in the hope that someone may be helped by it. My 1st surgery was May 20th, 2024, and I’m still recovering with constant pain, meds, and bed rest. My surgeon says I have done everything right according to the after care instructions. My body is just slow to heal. He’s thinking mid-August before I have substantial healing and can be BANDAGE FREE!!!

Until then, my heart 🫀 will be working overtime, my body will be a walking zombie 😵‍💫, and I will be putting my 25+ years of mental health therapy to  good use. I’ll be working 💪 on trying to keep my head above the 50-foot ocean ocean tides of my life!🌊

FYI… the pull of the fathoms are feeling so very pleasant this time. I’m… just… so… tired…

Blog~©06/20/024 LadyKatJPhillips