And the surgeon says (and Simone news too!))

Today I had a follow-up appointment with the surgeon. He basically said the same thing as the oncologist meaning that he went over the same reports. But at least I was able to ask him questions since the last time my body was with him, I was a little unconscious! So this is what Dr Cutemup had to say:

It seems up cancer, as many other things, it's not over until the fat lady sings. In this case the fat lady is the pathologist.

The tumor was larger than showed on mammogram/ultrasound. The surgeon thought he had it all with clean margins, and took some surounding tissue. The lymph nodes, even now, appear clean. The particular "sentinel node" showed to be very active in taking up the radioactive substance, and seems clean. The pathologist is subjecting it to multiple staining techniques to look for the proverbial "needle in the haystack."

The problem is that there were other tumors, one 2 cm from the massive one, found in the "healthy tissue." In this case this means that I am going to have a mastectomy next week. The date is still not set, although I am hoping for Wednesday. At that time the port for chemo will be inserted and the mastectomy done. Radiation will soon follow, as I understand it. Then shortly after, chemo will begin.

In other happenings around here, Simone is in on the medical front. She has a low functioning thyroid. Gee, what else??

We noticed she was losing hair. I took her to the vet last week, and he did blood work to determine the level of fuctioning of the thyroid. OK, I can give her pills every twelve hours if it means not having a hairless boxer!

I gave her the first pill on Saturday night at 8 pm thinking this would be a good time regardless of whatever else was happening. Sunday morning she got her Prilosec along with the new thyroid tablet.

We had Sunday night family dinner, which B and C prepared and brought. I gave her the next thyroid pill at 8 pm. By 9 pm, Simone was beginning her "licking" which heralds her vomiting. I thought S had dropped food because she was very interested in something in the area where he ate. Eating dropped food will usually bring on her nausea.

By 10pm she was vomiting - a lot. She and I stayed up until 3 am. She still was not "all there."

I got up and gave her another pill at 8 am on Monday. She was not interested in her food - all day. We have come to the conclusion that it was not S's fault. She must not be able to tolerate the tablet. We have kept her from them since yesterday morning, and I have my normal boxer back. My next move is to call the vet.

It never ends!