Tuesday, March 25, 2008

I'm one tough chicken

I would like to direct the greater IBC support group to Punk Rock Mommy's site for some moral support. Her cancer has spread again to the lymph nodes under her collar bone and some lesions on her liver.

This woman has been through more than I ever hope to imagine. Yet her faith never waivers. She's a rock. She has more scans this week to check for mets progression in her brain. Keep her in your prayers.

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I saw my own lovely oncologist today. It was just a routine 3 month follow up that is 2 months late. But I did have a couple of concerns. I've had a very bruised feeling area just above my flap scar. But it is just Hyper-Sensitive Skin. Basically, my numbness has receded enough to let me feel my pissed off nerve endings. Joy.

But the really disturbing/worrisome/questionable issue was a bulge I discovered just below my right collar bone on Sunday night. It's about 4cm x 5cm and firm. It looks very much like a nicely formed pectoral muscle... only a bit on the high side (rather like a botched boob job). It doesn't hurt and I have no earthly idea how long it's been there.

Dr. V isn't too worried about it but in light of my history she's going to send me for scans. She seems to think it's probably just a hypertrophic pectoral muscle. Which I've tried to look up & only seem to find that chicken breasts are tougher when cooked if they were hypertrophic. Good to know.

I did feel relieved to see that she didn't immediately look at my new bulge, stretch her arm out, point and say those dreaded words in the Grim Reaper's voice while the room mysteriously shrunk off to a small point in the distance, "That is cancer. You are going to die."

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On the GOOD Cancer News front... They are opening a cancer center here!!! Yeah. And all services will be free. I'm going to start yoga. An a young survivors group. I'm pretty psyched about the whole thing. The ribbon cutting is April 5th.

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Sigh. The boys come home tomorrow. I love them. It will be nice to have them home. But I can't really say that I missed them. Does that make me a horrible mom? All I know is that I very, very badly needed that break. I didn't do a damn thing while they were gone. I barely cooked or cleaned. It was lovely! And it all ends tomorrow.

Sniff.

Does anyone have a tissue?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's good she's taking the cautious route, but that she also thinks it's probably nothing to worry about.

Thanks for leading me to Punk Rock Mommy. How difficult for her. :(

Stimey said...

I'll be sending good thoughts about your tests. And I'm glad you got a break. I need me one of those too.

kristen said...

What a lovely blog to read. You write beautifully about these important issuses.
Thinking of you, take care.
Kristen