On Friday I was back at the hospital to see my Surgeon for my post surgery review and to hopefully get the results from the biopsies for everything they took out. To say I was nervous was a bit of an understatement! If they had the results it would determine what the next course of action was, effectively whether or not more chemotherapy was required.
For my type of breast cancer the type of chemotherapy drugs have an incredibly good success rate, statistically (if I remember what my oncologist told me correctly when I was in a haze shortly after being diagnosed!) patients achieve anywhere between 60 and 100% success of eradicating cancer if they complete the chemotherapy course. But we all know that statistics are tricky things and people are not statistics so how my body was going to react was anyone's guess, I could easily fall outside the statistics and the recent MRI be misleading. These are the thoughts which were spinning through my brain as I sat alone waiting for my appointment. Unfortunately my husband had to wait outside in the car, I am not sure whether it was worse for him or me!?
Anyway thankfully not too late after my allotted time I was called into the room, my surgeon didn't beat about the bush he presented me with the biopsy report and before getting bogged down in science just simply said, 'it's good news, the cancer seems to have gone'. I cannot express how big an exhale I took at that moment. It was as it 5 months worth of tension was released from my body. Of course he carried on to explain it all. The lump and tissue they took from my breast contained zero live cancer cells which is amazing! But did contain what they call fibrosis which is how they can tell there was cancer there. My lymph nodes are a slightly different story. As I only had a couple affected at diagnosis and later scans showed that it had gone the decision was made to only remove half the lymph nodes to reduce the risk of lymphoma in my arm later in life, especially as I am right handed and it is my right arm.
Again the results showed zero cancer, great I thought that's want we want! He explained that as none of them also had any fibrosis it could mean that they have not taken those which had previously had the cancer, though that is not a guarantee. BUT as my body has clearly responded well to the chemo if the affected lymph nodes are still in there the chances of them having any cancer still is very small. He will therefore seek advice from his MDT (Multidisciplinary Team) meeting to confirm that I will probably just need to go for regular scans to check the remaining nodes.
As well as the biopsy results I had my dressing removed and I saw my new boob for the first time. I have a very neat incision where my nipple used to be so hopefully it will be a neat scar. It will take some getting used to for me, but to everyone else the shape has not drastically changed thanks to my surgeon's skill so when I am out and about no one will really know.
So overall fantastic results I can't believe it! Of course it's not all over I will still need radiotherapy (will be hopefully seeing the radiotherapist next week) and will remain on Herceptin until the end of the year but fingers crossed that will be me and I still can't quite believe it. To celebrate yesterday as we couldn't just rock up somewhere and grab a celebratory lunch S and I got some fish and chips and ate them in our local park and it felt glorious! I must say telling family and friends the results of this was a thousand times better than the horrible conversations I had to have back in November. Onwards and upwards now to focus on radiotherapy and getting my fitness back up to full strength, but for this weekend I am simply being thankful.
As always take care everyone x
