So, it’s still Friday, November 4, 2005 and I have to get my friend home and settled and drive myself home and let my husband know what’s going on. We called a friend who is a (breast) surgeon and as luck would have it he had a temp secretary who had no idea who I was. The surgeon was doing a Whipple procedure which is very long and extensive and could last for hours. We decided to drive to his office at the hospital and wait – and wait and wait – for hours until he saw me by the elevators as I was getting ready to leave. We were with him until around 9:00 p.m. He didn’t think it was anything except cysts since I am a “D” cup and have a history of cystic breasts.  However, to be certain I had a biopsy on November 16th and then came the worst part – WAITING and . . .

My surgeon called on November 20th (my birthday is on the 23rd)  8:30 p.m. and told ‘us’ that the tumor was malignant.  This was when I really found out how important it is to have friends with clout – my breast cancer surgeon got me in to see my oncologist on the 21st and we decided at that time that I would have a lumpectomy, sentinel node biopsy and have a port inserted for my chemotherapy.

I had my surgery on November 30th and the results were:  2 cm tumor, Stage 1, Grade 2, clear margins, no lymph node involvement, ER/PR+ and HER2 +3. Due to the HER2 +3 (this is the protein that assures the cancer will spread to other parts of the body), my oncologist suggested that I have a new test called Oncotype DX.  This test assesses the likelihood that breast cancer will return, or recur within 10 years of the initial diagnosis.  This test allows patients and doctors to have a better understanding of the specific characteristics of the individual breast tumor, and critical information for treatment planning discussions.  The Oncotype DX came back showing that I am in the highest percentile for recurrence and that’s why my protocall is so long.

I’m feeling a a little depressed with all of the snow in our area and it looks like spring will never come.  I miss being outside and working in my garden.  I really think it is healing for the breast cancer survivor as well as my mind and body.  I love working with Pink Ribbon Associates and on our website www.pinkribbongift.com and anything that helps women going through chemotherapy, radiation and post recovery is a good thing and working with the website does that for me.    Through Pink Ribbon Associates I meet so many great women at wonderful events and fundraisers.  It is truly amazing the strength that a woman undergoing breast cancer possess and then passes onto others in our own personal “club”.  I am grateful for the chance to meet my new friends.  Bring on spring and give a sister a hug today. xoxo

I am a breast cancer survivor.  In fact, that is only one of the things I have survived.  Instead of starting at the beginning or the end, I am going to start in the middle

I was a Regional Sales Manager for a tax and legal publishing company for 12 years.  The company was bought, sold, merged and acquired so many times that I lost inches–and, ultimately I lost my job.  Now I’m skipping a few years ahead.  My mother was diagnosed with methothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused by asbestos, for which there is no cure.  I basically moved to Long Island and stayed with her until she passed.

After that, My husband and I sold our house, bought a bigger house and moved my father from New York to South Jersey.  We took care of him for 6 years until he passed away and I then decided to take a year off before going back to work.

During my time off I went for my annual mammogram and they found something irregular and called me back for another mammogram and an ultrasound.  As I sat in the hallway waiting and waiting and waiting I got so scared that I started to cry.  Finally, the nurse told me the radiologist wanted to see me.  More tears as I waited in another exam room.  He came in the room and the first words out of his mouth were “It looks like you have an architectural distortion and I think you should see a surgeon as soon as possible”.  By the way, this was on a Friday afternoon and I would NEVER recommend having a mammogram on a Friday.

In the midst of my hysteria, I realized that I was not alone.   One of my best friends had been diagnosed with breast cancer a few months before.   Through my tears, I took my reports back up to the chemo room and was greeted by the nurses and patients I knew from taking my friend there.

In my ongoing blog postings I hope to address the my diagnosis, my treatment and how we found the need to create an online website with gifts for the mind, body, spirit and soul — that we would have loved to have had during our treatment.

Breast cancer grabbed a hold of my life five years ago this upcoming April.  Through a wonderful network of doctors, nurses, family and great friends, I can go foward in my life as a true survivor and co-owner of Pink Ribbon Associates LLC.  A great friend and I started www.pinkribbongift.com while sitting next to each other in treatment. We felt the need to offer upscale breast cancer gifts such as aromatherapy, jewelry, candles and other inspirational gifts to aid women going through this journey.  The greatest gifts in my life are my friends and family as they are my daily support.  I had a mastecomy with reconstruction, went through chemotherapy and radiation and many more years of medication but I’m not looking back, only foward.  Cancer took alot of things in my life but not my future!