The day before 9/29/10--pumped up

I am so pumped up full of steroids and other supplements the day before this treatment it's astounding.  I am extremely energetic and my personality is a little aggressive to say the least.  On the inside, I'm scared about tomorrow, but the supplements and steroids are making me feel tough too.

Ok so backtracking a lot..Here is how the whole breast cancer diagnosis went down...Since I've been 40 years old (I'm 41, 42 in November) I have been feeling bad.  Nothing I can really put my finger on..A few things were just getting tough to deal with.  My level of fatigue was getting worse and worse, my headaches were horrible, and my menstrual cycle and associated breast pain became horrible.  My mother and I would go on walks and I remember (and so does she) telling her "Mom, I just don't feel right.  I can't figure it out."  I had blood tests done to determine if I had a thyroid disorder, the docs did blood work and nothing ever came back.

One day in June after my period, I had horrible breast pain and a lump that would not subside.  So, my doctor sent me to get a mammogram and they found two suspicious spots that were small but troublesome looking.  Usually breast cancer doesn't present with pain, so I was encouraged with that.  The biopsy came back positive for breast cancer.  One was cancer inside a water cyst (the water was negative).  This was the site that was hurting so badly.  The other cancer was an incitu cancer on the completely other side of the breast...I didn't feel that one at all. Honestly, if I hadn't had pain, I would have delayed the mammogram..

From there, I went to see a surgeon who diagnosed the one I didn't feel as a stage 0 or incitu cancer and the other one near my armpit as a stage 1 invasive.  From there I went to see a plastic surgeon ( a genius and a nice guy by the way) who told me about a procedure called the DIEP flap.  Essentially, both breasts are removed by a general surgeon.  The skin of the breast is kept, the nipples are removed and replaced with abdominal skin, and then fat from the abdomen is placed under the breast. (And I got a tummy tuck) Since my right breast couldn't be saved because of two sites in opposite sides, I had to have a mastectomy.  The biopsy also showed that I had a type of cancer that was fairly aggressive and had a good chance of coming back.  I opted for the double mastectomy and I totally don't regret it.  Before the surgery, I had a final MRI that showed that I had a 3 tumor in that same breast, a stage 1.  It was amazing to me that 3rd lesion wasn't conclusive on a regular mammogram.

Ok there is more to this story..I'm just getting started back-tracking here..

As of today, I'm back at work, and in a lot of ways I feel better than I have felt in years..  I have been riding my bike or walking on the treadmill every day..Ok, today I didn't because I went out for dinner and dessert since I have chemo starting tomorrow.  But for the most part....

Have a great night friends...Enjoy every moment that you have on this wonderous and crazy planet!