What I want for Christmas

Peace, happiness and good health in 2011.  Honestly, I am ready for this year to be done and I am looking forward to an uneventful new year, healthwise.  As my breast cancer sisters like to say, I am currently dancing with "NED" (no evidence of disease) and I am hoping NED is my partner for life :>)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends, family and followers of this journey!

Elizabeth Edwards - Gone from this world

I think many of us were taken by surprise to learn that Elizabeth died the day after the announcement that she was gravely ill.  A whole community of breast cancer survivors were hoping for some kind of miracle.  Perhaps from her death the miracle of a cure will soon come.

And now comes the news that Fred Phelps and his so called "Christian" Westboro Baptist Church followers will picket her funeral because she was a supporter of gay rights.  What a disgraceful act of hatred!   If you believe in God, who is supposedly all loving and all merciful, how can you even think like this? 

Perhaps this is the final unforgiveable act that will drive a stake into the heart of this hateful group.  I can only wish.

Please keep Elizabeth Edwards in your thoughts and prayers

Elizabeth has shown us all how to deal with the pressures of life and death during the past few years.  And her prognosis is a kick in the gut for breast cancer survivors who are reminded that there is no cure.  We must never give up the fight to end this disease that will have taken 40,000 women just in the United States in 2010.

She issued a very moving statement yesterday:

"You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces -- my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel towards everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know"

Words to live by.

The biopsy from hell just keeps on giving...

Today I had my first post-lumpectomy mammogram and ultrasound, which took a really long time. As usual, waiting for results are stressful. And the last thing I wanted to hear was "the radiologist would like to review the results with you." The ultrasound showed 3 or 4 small "nodules" close to the skin surface, at least one of them with vascular involvement. And she recommended doing a biopsy. We then discussed my previous biopsy and the huge hematomas that resulted. And I told her that the surgeon had intended to remove them during my lumpectomy but decided against it because she saw they were being fed by arteries. According to the surgeon, it will take a year for them to be reabsorbed. So, with that knowledge, I said no to a biopsy and agreed that we will do another ultrasound in March just before my next followup with my breast surgeon.


I was mentally prepared for those hematomas to show up and cause concern. I'm glad I was aware of what was going on so that I could actually reassure the radiologist that we could take a "wait and see" approach. As long as they don't get bigger, there's no reason to think there's any trouble brewing. Everything else looked good.

Glad that's out of the way for three months!