Been meaning to getting around to doing this for awhile. Trouble is, when I felt like expressing my thoughts (yes I have them on occasion) I wasn't near my laptop, and when I could have done it, I really didn't feel like sitting down and making my brain work. (Yes I have a brain, they did a couple of CT scans to prove it!) I so wish I could be one of those witty, inspired, dedicated to weekly posts, but I am not. I suffer from "Shiny Metal Object Syndrome", other wise known as ADHD, oh sorry, got side tracked again. :D
This surgery was the easiest of all of them. Tuesday I went in to have the mass removed from under the right clavicle, in between the pectoral muscle, and the port I had for chemo was removed, it wasn't working anyway and they wouldn't be able to use it. Wednesday my doctor let me go home. I even asked him if I could go back to work part time on Thursday, but he said no I had to wait till after my follow up appointment, which was the following Monday, so I was back to work on Tuesday. A bit achy, but otherwise functioning fairly well.
When I went in for my follow up, I got my hug from Dr. Flynn, love him and his staff. Such wonderful, personable people.
Any way, first thing I asked was, did you get good margins? Let me explain. Most tumors are in cased in a very thin membrane, and the surgeon tries to remove a margin of healthy tissue around the tumor to make sure the membrane isn't damaged. If it is damaged there is a possibility of microscopic cancer cells that are still there and the cancer will come back. (No that isn't what happened in my case, in 2003 they got good margins by removing my left hamstring, hell the damn tumor was attached to it!) I just happen to be one of those lucky folks that have it reoccur, and this year I was even luckier to have it decide to pop up in four different spots in my body, which does happen.
He did get good margins. BUT and here is the but, the pathology report says that in the 12:00 position of the mass the membrane was damaged. Now remember we are talking about something that is extremely thin, and for the human eye to see it near impossible I would think.
Dr. Flynn explained to me that when he took out the mass, he removed a small portion of the pectoral muscle, along with a few branches of the nerve that it was attached to. The nerve just so happens to be the nerve that controls my right arm. He felt certain he got good margins, he even took a few branches of the nerve to be sure, and yes I can tell they are gone, luckily the motor skill they control does not bother me, and the other muscles are learning to help compensate.
The membrane could have been damaged at the lab, or the margin was there in the first place. It isn't Dr. Flynn's fault, come on, this man is an amazing surgeon! He removed part of my intestine and I don't use a bag to crap in!
So to err on the side of caution, I need to under go intensive radiation on the area the mass was in as well as more chemo therapy, which means I will have another port put in. (When they take it out it will be the third port in my collection!)
The eighth I see the Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Chinalt, and on the 13th I see my Chemo Therapy Oncologist Dr. Vaughn, they'll give me my schedule, and what drugs will be used. Dr. Flynn will put in another port and I'll start.
That in a nut shell is what is going on. Think I'll go read a book, hmm, maybe go to Starbucks and sit around. It is really going to suck having the colder weather here, I've come to enjoy sitting out on the deck or at Starbucks to relax and read. Oh well, that is a topic for another time. Talk to you all later!!
