MRI Results

Good morning!

Happy news yesterday from the doctor. My MRI results showed my right breast to be clear (of anything suspicious) and only the tumor we already knew about in the left. Thank God!

Although it isn't a definitive study of the lymph nodes (only the pathology report will tell us for certain whether cancer cells are present), they appear to have "benign properties". I'll take that, thank you very much! And, I intend that the "sampling" during surgery as well as the full pathology report afterwards will tell us the same thing - benign nodes.

For those who may be wondering what "sampling" is, during my surgery, a second incision will be made in the crease under my arm. Through that incision the sentinel lymph nodes will be removed. The sentinel nodes are the "gatekeepers" for all the lymph nodes. Lymphatic fluid drains out of the breast directly into the sentinel nodes first. They find the sentinel nodes by injecting blue dye into my breast during surgery. The first node (or nodes) it travels to is removed for immediate biopsy. Frozen sections are checked while I'm still under anesthesia for a preliminary report. If no cancer cells are found in that node (or nodes), chances are the rest are clear as well and I can avoid what's called a lymph node dissection (removal). If cancer is found, there are 10-20 nodes that must be removed from under my arm...something I would obviously like to avoid!

So, where do I go from here?

Results of the genetic testing should be back late next week or early the following. Then we'll have the information we need to decide on a surgical approach...and set the date. Right now I'm guessing the first or second week of August.

As always - I'll keep you posted! Oh, and for those following the "Luna" story...the half-starved little stray kitten is still here with us, eating up a storm, and tormenting Bella. She is a meowy little thing! I'll keep you posted on that too ;). Maybe even a picture.

Hope you're having a good weekend!

Love,
Lisa