Surgery follow up and pathology report in!

Stitches are out.  We redid steristrips on one incision, but it is OK. My range of motion without the stitches in is pretty good. I may actually have slightly better internal rotation at the shoulder, but going directly overhead hurts at about 15 degrees from vertical.  No need to stretch things out or stress my incisions right now. I am still supposed to take it easy till next week when I can go back to CrossFit.  Yeah,  CrossFit! Per the surgeon, if it doesn't bother me, it's fine.

The post surgery telephone game on the day of was not entirely accurate, but I got the details officially today. Only one lymph node was taken, and it was clear. The wide area excision did not initially have a clear medial margin as assessed intraoperatively, so additional tissue was required all around.  Happily they were able to do it while I was still under so only one tumor incision. There is a slight contour due to loss of volume, but all in all, I am pleased.  The cancer is out and you can hardly tell. After the swelling goes down over the next week, and a year after radiation ends, if I want to have some tweaks made, I can. That said, even with the way things are right now, no one would ever know in a strapless dress, a sports bra or all but the skimpiest of bikinis. And, I don't wear super skimpy bikinis anyway. Radiation apparently works wonders on scars, so they should not be an issue at all!

In terms of the tumor removed, it shrank from 2.7 cm to 1.9. I did not get a complete pathological response, but I still have a lot of treatment left with radiation, Herceptin, and anti estrogen and anti progesterone therapy.  We are still in a good place. At least that is what I keep telling myself.  Blood flow to the tumor was good, so the chemo was really getting in there. There was no evidence of invasion into the blood/lymph vessels or nerves, which is good.  I had worried that because I had a great response during chemo rounds 1-3 and no discernible improvement after chemo rounds 4-6, that my tumor had somehow figured out how to deal with TCHP. I asked if I had a recurrence whether I was likely to still respond to chemo.  My surgeon laughed and assured me that yes, I would.  It is kind of funny, but it is MY tumor so I would not be surprised if it figured out how to outsmart chemo. Hopefully, there will never be a recurrence. 

I also asked about lymphadema prevention, and I got a referral for Dec. 1. I hope it's a non issue, and I think my surgeon thinks it's likely to be a non issue.  Still, I am glad to be going. Better safe than sorry. 

I am feeling pretty good, but with as much as I have been through, I am in no rush back to work.  I am taking all my planned leave rather than going back early.  I feel like letting myself focus on healing and trying to build back up my energy reserves before radiation begins is the right choice. I still don't have nearly the get up and go I did before chemo, and with fatigue being the most common side effect of radiation, I think it is wise not to make myself do too much too soon, even if I possibly could.

Otherwise, I am enjoying the brief warm weather and being, as best as we can tell, finally cancer free!