PHASE TWO OF TREATMENT: SURGERY

Good Morning Dear Friends and Family,

Now that chemotherapy is done, it is time to plan for the next phase of treatment: surgery.

I had my breast MRI and chest CT scans last Friday. They showed that my tumor had shrunk from its original length of 4cm (which is quite large) to 1.7 cm. This is significant change. The chemo worked! The scans also continue to show that all of the cancer is contained in the one tumor. No other activity is showing up on the scans. 

Then we saw my surgeon on Tuesday. He was also impressed with the response of the tumor. I will be having a lumpectomy, which is the smallest surgery one could expect from breast cancer. I am grateful. The surgeon was very encouraging about the surgery, that it would much easier to handle than my chemotherapy.  He also was encouraging about the radiation that would follow,  saying that the risk of radiation is so small, it is worth doing.

HERE'S THE PLAN:

• November 18--I will begin my quarantine to prepare for surgery. this means no in-person company for Thanksgiving. Sorry guys!
• Surgery--December 2nd, 11:00 am--I am scheduled for my lumpectomy. He will remove what's left of my tumor and also take a lymph node out just to be sure there is no activity in the lymph system. This is an outpatient surgery.. I will NOT be staying at the hospital.
• Radiation--3 to 4 weeks after surgery, I will begin radation treatments. The treatments will last 4 to 6 weeks. I'll get more details on this later.

HOW I AM:

I am feeling pretty confident about this next phase. I am excited that surgery means the cancer will finally be gone and I can leave it behind in 2020, literally. I grateful that I will have less side effects to deal with. I look forward to continued healing and gaining of strength in the new year. 

I am noticing my energy returning in tiny increments but each little thing matters. Yesterday, I did some closet cleaning, even worked up a sweat. How cool is that!

Meantime, I have a long, long way to go on healing from the neuropathy. That may take six months or longer? 

Other days, I am sad, that this coming holiday season will not be people coming together. I am sad for myself and for all of us. I pray we find fun,  creative ways to deal this challenge. 

Some of the things that are helping me are regular Zoom meetings with friends. Each Thursday, I meet with my book group from church. Wonderful conversations! Each Tuesday, I meet with two of my writing friends. We give ourselves an assignment and then read to each other what we wrote for that assignment, as well as check in. Each month, I meet with my peer group and my Morningstar Singers choir as well. And I have a goal of reaching out to one person beyond these walls each day.  This may seem like a lot to some of you but when you compare it to how many people we used to see daily as we worked and played and lived, it is not a lot. But it is enough to keep me going.

I am blessed to be so rich in people resources! Thanks again to each of you for your love and care and encouragement and of course, your prayers and songs.

May you each have a blessed Thanksgiving!

with all my heart, Jules

and greetings from Pete as well