Post-mastectomy recovery has been a series of victories and set backs. I am my own worst enemy when it comes to the rest portion of recovery. I started this journey with a high level of fitness and mobility, so once I could move, I wanted to. The day after surgery Rory and I went for a 2.7 mile walk in the Seattle Arboretum. A couple weeks later, I was managing home improvement projects around the house to fulfill a sense of accomplishment. I thought, if moving my body felt good, why shouldn’t I? I’m also terrible at sitting around. But, after major surgery, it turns out there are lots of reasons to rest, even if your body says otherwise. Fluid build up is a real concern, in addition to a whole slew of things like infection, rejection of tissue expanders, etc. So, while most people get their JP drains out in a week or so, I had mine in for 4 weeks because I had excess fluid due to my overactivity. Now that my drains are out, I’ve been cleared to do PT, which has been a welcomed hospital-approved physical outlet.

I also think I felt compelled to move my body as a distraction. I had to wait a full 4 weeks post-op to get my prognosis and treatment plan. It was an excruciating wait.

That said, here’s where I am: the tumor on the left, the lump I’d felt during my self exam nearly 5 months earlier, was more than twice the size they’d originally thought, the margins were not clear and there were micro cancers in my lymph nodes. This bumped my staging from 1A to 2A, which is still plenty early, but definitely a step in the wrong direction. Because of this, I will have a full court press of chemo and radiation over 29 weeks.

The first course of chemo is a doozie – two different chemo drugs given at once every two weeks for 8 weeks. This type of chemo is so intense I’m told they only do it once in your lifetime. Then I’ll do a second type of chemo once a week for 12 weeks to get any lingering cancer that wasn’t crushed by the first round of scorched earth. We call this one “the clean up crew”. Then I’ll wait 4 weeks to allow my body to recover before doing 5 weeks of radiation.

Six months later, I can have my reconstruction.

I get my port placed on July 5th, get a Muga (like an Echocardiogram) on the 6th and then chemo starts on the 13th.

I have a long road ahead of me, but I’m incredibly lucky. My livelihood isn’t in jeopardy and I have an incredible support system. I’m doing well mentally, despite everything that has and will happen.

Thank you for all of your well wishes – I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of your love and support. – M