Sunday, July 12, 2015

Positive Breast Cancer Diagnosis

I was diagnosed with breast cancer July 1, 2015. Here is what I posted on my Facebook today. I will create another blog for this process. I hope I can keep it somewhat updated. Thank you for reading.

Facebook post:

For anyone wondering, my pathology was read to me July 1st. Unfortunately, it is positive. This whole process is just taking a really long time, MD's are always full and appts not given quickly, regardless of my diagnosis. I am doing ok though. I am trying to keep positive. I have my moments, but that is normal, and I welcome the moments. The only thing is I have pain in the affected breast; it comes and goes.

My children, family, and neighbors know. The support is already pouring in. My insurance covers everything, I have low deductibles, and it has authorized a Special Coverage (le dicen "la catastrofica" en espaƱol) for the whole process. Breast reconstruction is covered. So I am ok.

All that I need, is for everyone to either send positive thoughts and prayers, or visualize me healthy and send me love and light. I appreciate it
wholeheartedly!

The rundown of my appointments has looked like this ...

June 2, 2015 - Category 5 mammogram

Was referred to a surgeon. Radiologist advised an excisional biopsy. I started calling various surgeons to see who accepted my insurance.

June 10 - 1st appt w/surgeon

(The earliest appt I could get with a surgeon who accepted my insurance. It was also the surgeon the mammogram tech told me was her #1 choice)

The surgeon is wants to do a biopsy.
He is really full. The earliest he can accomodate me is June 25.

June 25 - Core-Needle Ultrasound Guided Biopsy.

Results in 1 week.

July 1 - 2nd appt w/surgeon (for pathology reading)

Positive. Pathology states:

- Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
- Ductal carcinoma in situ
- Perineural invasion identified

Wants me to get an MRI for surgery planning. He told me "this is going to be a marathon", and that there were two options, removal of mass or mastectomy, but that regardless of which was done, he thinks the nipple will go. I knew this might be the case because I have a slightly retracted areola, and I am ok with that! I am ok with losing anything! All I want is to live :-) He briefly explained my insurance covers breast reconstruction, which I knew, but told me that after he has the MRI results, we will discuss how to proceed in detail.

Told me that when I had the MRI results I could go see him with no appt. Amen to that! Had me request a Special Coverage approval from my insurance so I won't need to get any more referrals or authorizations for anything that needs to be done from now on. (En espanol le dicen "la catastrofica".)

July 1 (Same day) - Called Hima Hospital in Caguas to make an appt for the MRI, because my surgeon told me that was his top choice for getting it done. Unfortunately, they need to evaluate people first, before giving out an appt, and it was late already.

July 2 - Went to Hima Hospital in Caguas to get the evaluation.

Appt for July 9 @ 2 pm. An employee told me to call back as soon as I had the MRI authorization from my insurance (it was being processed), to see if they had any cancellations, and could see me sooner.

July 3 - MRI authorization came through, so I called the MRI place to ask, but they were still full.

July 9 - Breast MRI

Appt was @ 2 pm. I arrived at 1:30 pm with my husband, who decided to go with me. Poor dear, he didn't know (and neither did I), what he was in for! Thing is, they failed to inform me, that here, like in most of the MD's I go to, even if you have an appt, you still have to take a turn. I always ask, but I guess I thought, for this, 2 PM meant 2 PM. I made turn # 7. When they attended me, they informed me they were with a patient who had 5 studies in one, and that after that one, the tech had to go and eat at 6 PM, so I could then be attended at 7 PM. So I said fine, I couldn't afford re-scheduling this. Hubby had just gone to visit some family he has nearby, so I called him to come get me. It was 5 PM. We went to the shopping mall. We got back at 6:55 PM, and I was called at 7:30PM! I swear :0

The MRI lady was a trip. I think she was either a surfer, or a hippie in her younger years. I think she still might be :D She's a freckled redhead older woman. She was funny.

She told me that the results usually take 5 days to be out, but that she thinks they will be out by Tuesday. I have to pick them up, and since my surgeon also attends in that hospital (I have been seeing him in Humacao, PR), I think I will just keeping seeing him there so I don't have to wait until Wednesday to see him.

Will keep you posted.

Love,
V.

4 comments:

  1. Dear Vickie,
    I first want to say I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis and hope you are on the road to healing. I came across your blog when doing research on surrogacy in PR, a topic that is very hard to understand when you live on the mainland. Anyhow your blogs have been very insightful. Perhaps when you are feeling better in the future we can discuss surrogacy in PR. Best of luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello there,

      Thank you. I am currently going through chemo until March, then radiation therapy will be started.

      You can email me at vickymontes34@gmail.com

      You could also just contact any reproductive endocrinologist in the island, but you would mostly likely need to find a surrogate yourself.

      My reproductive endocrinologist didn't find me, I found a couple to work with online (Risky, I know. But thankfully never had a problem), and THEY found their doctor, psychologist, and lawyer.

      Nonetheless, feel free to email me.

      - Vicky


      Delete
    2. Hello there again! I wanted to remind you that you can email me anytime you wish at vickymontes34@gmail.com

      I am over the tougher quemo drugs, and am now on Taxol, which is easier in comparison.

      So if you have any questions, contact me :-)

      - Vicky

      Delete
  2. Hello there,

    Thank you. I am currently going through chemo until March, then radiation therapy will be started.

    You can email me at vickymontes34@gmail.com

    You could also just contact any reproductive endocrinologist in the island, but you would mostly likely need to find a surrogate yourself.

    My reproductive endocrinologist didn't find me, I found a couple to work with online (Risky, I know. But thankfully never had a problem), and THEY found their doctor, psychologist, and lawyer.

    Nonetheless, feel free to email me.

    - Vicky


    ReplyDelete