Cancer Update – Good News
Today we had a meeting with the surgeon and the oncologist. The final results of the biopsy/surgery were complete. It appears they removed all of the cancer. The margins were clear and the lymph nodes were clear. The second suspicious spot turned out not to be cancer. According to the report, there was just the one tumor that measured 1.3cm. I am at stage 1, which means we caught it early.
My Next Cancer Update with Good News
Chemotherapy Recommended After Bilateral Mastectomy for Breast Cancer
The oncologist does recommend I have chemotherapy. Even though it seems the cancer has been removed, there could still be a cancer cell somewhere that they want to make sure to get rid of. The oncologist we met with today recommends a combination of 2 drugs (docetaxel/ Taxotere and cyclophosphamide/ Cytoxan). I would get it 4 times total – once every 3 weeks = 12 weeks total. Most likely that will begin around the middle of November.
We plan to get a second opinion in Austin and hopefully be able to do the chemotherapy there.
BRCA1 Gene Mutation Results
Oh, and we got the results back from the gene test a few days ago. I do have the BRCA1 gene mutation, which was not a surprise.
Overall, I feel really good about the news we got today. It was the best possible outcome.
Pain after Cancer Surgery
My pain is a lot better now. It’s more of a discomfort than pain. I’m just alternating Tylenol and Advil and that seems to be enough to keep things under control. I’m still very tired, but I can tell that’s getting better too.
Thanks again for all of your emails, thoughts, prayers, etc.
Rachel
Read more about my breast cancer journey from 2009 to the present here.
If you know anyone having a mastectomy or other breast surgery, these breast cancer recovery shirts are a must-have.
Rachel Belkin is an Austin, Texas blogger, entrepreneur, speaker, freelance writer, and educator. After selling her lifestyle blog for six figures in 2021, she teaches business, blogging, and influencer marketing strategies that helped her build her business on part-time hours. Bylines include MSN, HuffPost, Medium, NewsBreak, and Hometalk. She has been featured on KXAN, Studio 512, Fox 7 Austin, CBS Austin, and other news and media outlets.
