Just Keep Swimming

Made it through an entire week of work!

This has become an accomplishment. I am much less sore. Under my arm looks like someone wearing a class ring punched me really hard. It is lots of pretty blues and greens. Feeling has returned to my triceps and most of my arm pit and according to the surgeon all of it will return.

Stage II 
Met with the surgeon today. My official pathology was back. The tumor is officially 2.4 cm in size (the same diameter of a quarter). Officially Stage II cancer. The margins of the tumor were deemed "close". Meaning the surgeon took out all of the cells he could, but because the tumor was so close to the chest wall (he even took out the pectoral fascia) it wasn't as big of a margin that they usually like or enough that they dub them totally clear or negative. However, there were enough negative cells to not be deemed positive. (Image Source). Don't worry about the margins being close, that's why they put me in the microwave for a couple of weeks to make sure they get all the malignant cells.

This combined with the negative genetic test means......NO MORE SURGERY!

The Lymph Nodes
One was completely clear the other had a few cancer cells and was ruled to be microscopic. So, chemo maybe. The cells have to be sent to a lab in California to see how aggressive they are. Which means we continue with waiting. I will follow up with the medical oncologist and radiation oncologist (October 4th) to get the ball rolling on either chemotherapy then radiation or just radiation.

This song has gotten me through many a week lately, but helped me keep plugging away at work (and reading Bossypants kept me from sleeping on the bus)