breastcancer – Bump In The Boob

January 21, 2020January 23, 2020

Another bump in the boob

I had just visited my oncologist for my three-monthly check-up when I found a small lump in my right breast. It was in the exact same spot I had found my original lump that led to the initial diagnosis of breast cancer.

November 18, 2019January 23, 2020

Hysterectomy and Anastrozole

One of the reasons my reconstructive surgery took a long time, was because we actually did two surgeries in one.

The plastic surgeon would manage the reconstruction using the DIEP flap process and my gynecologist oncologist would perform a total hysterectomy.

July 9, 2019January 23, 2020

I am not your guinea pig

After completing four rounds of AC treatments and 11 rounds for Taxol, radiation was next on my treatment plan.

During my mastectomy, the plastic surgeon had implanted the latest version of breast tissue expanders: AirXpanders. The technology was still very new at that time.

June 30, 2019January 23, 2020

Boldly Bald

After meeting with my medical oncologist, it was clear that I was going to get chemotherapy. One of the side effects of the AC chemo is that you will lose your hair.

I had long, thick, curly hair and I have had a life-long love-hate relationship with my hair. I tried short hair, straighten it, leave it curly. Most of the time I had my hair in a messy bun. At the time of my diagnosis my hair was pretty long, probably hitting the middle of my back.

June 5, 2019January 23, 2020

Taxol takes a toll

After four rounds of AC chemotherapy and a break for the holidays, it was time to resume my treatment.

Next on the schedule was 12 rounds of Taxol.

May 29, 2019January 23, 2020

The importance of Self-Care

Fighting cancer and undergoing chemotherapy can take a toll on not only your body, but also your wellbeing in general. It can often feel like you are stuck on the hamster wheel of endless doctor’s appointments, infusions, tests and treatments. On top of that, you need to manage your side effects, fatigue and everything else.

You can’t just take a day off from cancer. Impossible.

May 9, 2019January 23, 2020

I feel like alien with my chemo port

Only two weeks after my mastectomy I was back in the operating room. This time a small, relatively easy, procedure after which I was able to go home the same day.

My surgical oncologist installed a chemo port. A chemo port is a small device that is implanted right underneath the skin. The silicone tube is then attached to the jugular vein. Having a port allows the administration of the chemo drugs directly into the vein.

March 20, 2019January 23, 2020

Assembling your care team

Immediately following your diagnosis, you need to start thinking about your care team. After my first appointment with my Surgical Oncologist, I learned a lot and had a better understanding what doctors I needed in my care team.

The surgical oncologist is the person who will remove the cancer from your body. In my case, he did the mastectomy and lymph node dissection. In preparation for the surgery, I had to do a battery of test. More about this in the next post.

March 1, 2019March 1, 2019

Step away from Google

If you type “breast cancer” in the Google search bar within seconds it will give you 526,000,000 (yes, that’s 526 million) results.

Google is a beautiful tool and it can make you absolutely crazy if you allow yourself. There are so many different stories of survivors, each with their own approach on how they faced the disease, there is a lot to learn and…