Surgery update

We had an excellent meeting with the surgeon today.  She was very thorough.  She showed us the films from my mammogram and explained everything in detail.  She wrote out 5 pages of notes on carbon paper with detail on every step and we were able to keep those notes.  That was a huge blessing.  I had went in with my notepad of paper hoping I would be able to write everything down.  She discussed with us all of our options based upon the cancer in my body.  She made us feel very comfortable and hopeful.  She was patient with my questions and even added some humor along the way.  Some of the goods news is that I tested positive for the two different types of receptors (HR & PR) - which means (if I understood it correctly) that my cells are still acting more like my cells than cancer cells and there are good types of treatment for this.  Also another factor they test for (HER2) came back negative which is also very good news - which means (and again if I understood correctly) that there is not a protein attached to the cancer cells that makes it grow more rapidly.  She explained that the cancer is not growing as fast as I feel that it is and I was not going burst into flames as much as I thought I might :)  She said that this has probably been growing for quite some time.  We talked with her for a little over an hour.  I felt that she covered everything and was there to answer as many questions as we needed.  The last question I had for her was how soon we would be doing the surgery.  Then I followed that with I am happy to stick around and I promise I won't keep you past 5:00 p.m.  After laughing at me :), she sent in her nurse to go over things with us and give us tons of reading materials and resources.  Then the surgery scheduler came to set our date.  She said the first available date was June 9th.  Adam has a big piano concert that night and I didn't want to miss it.  So I asked about the next available date - so my surgery is scheduled for June 13th.  Which seems like so far away, but I am trusting this doctor and the things that she told us today.  She explained that it would not be considered emergency surgery in my case and her explanation made sense to us.  Even though I am ready to have this out of my body right now!  I also met with my nutritional counselor late this afternoon. Her test results showed all good things - showing that my body is doing what it was made to do and has contained these cancer cells all together in this 2 cm tumor.  She is helping me focus on things to continue to build up my body as we have been trying to do over the past 2 1/2  years. 

I will have to say that when we first were told the diagnosis was cancer - I didn't hear too much after that and I truly felt like it was a death sentence.  But I have called and talked with trusted friends, done some research on my own and feel very hopeful that I will fight this.  I still believe with all my heart that God has a very good reason for this through His perfect plan and I am already growing from this experience.  If you have never gone through this experience, you really cannot put into words all of the things that go along with it.  I am so thankful that I will be able to relate to other women going through this circumstance and I hope and pray that I can be an encouragement to them.  I have seen and felt God working all through this situation.  I have embraced this trial and trust 100% in God's plan.  God has given me an overwhelming peace that has carried me through the first part of this journey.

God is at work and I am so very humbled by all of the things that everyone has done for me in just this short 2 1/2 weeks - calling to make sure that I would not be by myself at any of my appointments, sitting with me in the doctor's offices during visits and tests, driving me to lunch between appointments, checking on me at all hours with calls, texts and messages, bringing treats to my desk including chocolate (which could be very beneficial since there are antioxidants in chocolate...right?? :)), all of the many, many hugs, giving me my first pink ribbon shirt, giving me a daily devotional book to keep my focus, giving me a cool button with a cool saying :), helping me by slowing me down and telling me to take a deep breath and discussing what options we have, surprising me with a journal to start writing about this very important journey, researching resources and passing along helpful guidance, friends talking with me about their own personal experience with this and giving me helpful tips and info, helping us interpret my pathology report, sending cards and encouraging plaques with scripture, giving me something to carry in my pocket during a difficult test day to make me remember that I am not alone, helping me keep my focus by sending me Bible verses and telling me that they have prayed for me, having wonderful friends and family that have given me such tremendous love and support AND having a wonderful, caring, compassionate, kind, loving husband by my side every single step of the way!!!

The song that has meant so much to me lately is "Always Enough" by Casting Crowns.  I don't want to take up any more room with the words of this song and I have rambled enough already!  

Thank you all so very much. 
We will keep you updated.
Love,
Tammy