More surgery for me

I just got back from my appointment with my surgeon. There is evidence of lymphovascular involvement, which means while there is no more evidence of cancer cells in my breast flesh there is evidence of cells in the lymph system (or how it got from the tumor to the nodes). The involvement is in both the area above and below the part that was removed and my surgeon (and basically I think the oncologist and radiation oncologist) feels the next step is a mastectomy. I kind of thought this might be the outcome after yesterday's appointments with the oncologist who had seen the pathology report and didn't want to be too positive and after receiving a message from the radiation oncologist (the person who would do radiation) saying she thought we may have to change the scheduling of my measurement appointment. I'm coming to terms with it and, after reading about the lymphvascular involvement, I guess I would be nervous to leave things intact even if they had said the next step was radiation.

My surgeon recommended some plastic surgeons and there is one she really likes. Her assistant tried getting me an appointment and they had one for Monday, which I can't make, so I'm scheduled for June 12 but they are going to try and get me in sooner.

I'm going to Cambridge tomorrow and will be gone through Tuesday. Hopefully it will be good to see people, though I might be a total bummer or be trying to do reckless things. I will try really hard not to pick up any Harvard undergrads or returning grads (reunion weekend this weekend) but can't actually make any promises. I'm guessing given the lack of drinking right now this will actually translate into large quantities of ice cream and chocolate.

A plus side of the weight gain might be the possibility of them using some of my excess flesh to rebuild. I think the plan is to do immediate reconstruction if that makes sense. This does mean I have another drain in my future.

I'm somewhat bummed and processing tonight but in the end willing to do what needs to be done. It is however, a waste of some lovely prior surgery as people do keep commenting on the good job my surgeon had done.

Kim