The first battle is done, now to think about when to work, how much to work and when to give yourself time off.

I am continuing to ice the surgical site, only about 2 to 3 times a day. Only still taking Tylenold, and part of that is for that silly arthritis type back pain. My breast does not hurt! One week post op and back for first surgeons visit. He said things went well, ultimately (with the aforementioned adventures). Incisions looks great. He is happy. He then tells me I am very lucky as not only were my lymph nodes clear, but I am estrogen, progesterone positive, which just means that daily pill for 5 years. I will learn more when I visit the oncologist. I will also have a visit with the radiation oncologist, as with lumpectomies, if you do not do radiation to the area, you have a 70% chance of getting a tumor back in the same area. Okay, add more doctors to my treatment plan. When am I going to work? Oh, and those daily naps mean a lot to my health and well being...make plans to do them!!

My time I get most tired is about 3 PM, so I give myself permission to snooze about 20 minutes, as that is all it seems to take. I take out my contacts and just getting between the sheets, makes me feel as if I am having a spa moment! There are a couple days that I found I was in need ot more time, and you know what? It was okay. Mornings are my best time to review emails, make a decision on what to do with them (respond later, discard, plan an action for later). I find I am resolving all three of my addresses in an hour. I may have come up with sometime to carry forward when all of the treatments are over! Gee my business coach was right, as she always has been! Next, I am not going to my office on weekends. I still need quiet time, to give myself that joy of not having to be somewhere, and responsible for email, text, linkedin communications. I found by not pushing I could get more accomplished in the morning which has been my best work time anyway!

Next, the visit with the radiation oncologist, before the medical oncologist as we KNOW we will have radiation. Wow, and that will have to be everyday. What a challenge in a work schedule.

Next time, more than I bargained for!

If you read the first blog and thought it might be interesting to follow us, here we go!

So it started over a year before I did something about ‘it’. I was getting ready in the morning, and looked at my boob in the mirror and wondered how I got a bruise on my right breast. I felt it, and it was sore. It also felt like it was a small piece of rope in there, not a lump. I have had dense breasts all my life and even had to have an ultrasound one year, as they were not sure what they ‘saw’ in the mammogram. Well, there is no cancer in my family, just heart disease, so what was there to worry about? A couple weeks go by, the bruise and the rope-like lumpy thing went away.

I was due for my annual mammogram, didn’t say anything looked or felt amiss. I figured lets just see what the mammogram shows! Smart, huh? Well, in the end, not really. I didn’t do anything about checking it out further, but keep my eye on when it would show up and when it would disappear.

In the meantime, my friend, and dentist whose breast cancer was in remission, sadly  moved to her bones. Thus began her long battle to rid the bone/breast cancer. I became involved in her last 4 months of life, going to every doctors appointment; asking those nurse type questions; being that other set of ears. After her death in May, I finally decided to see my NP (nurse practitioner) and check out my ‘funny boob bruise’. Now we are really taking  the time for diagnosis!

She said there appeared to be something in there. She order the mammogram. I went next to a breast cancer surgeon, who determined in addition to the mammogram, to do the ultrasound. More reasons now to be scared? Still, no cancer in my family. Again, it didn’t ‘act’ like a lump…

Next installment: The office visit with the Surgical oncologist

Got questions? Want to connect with Linda? Call her at 310-831-4400 or email her at linda@theidentityadvocate.com

The Beginning

You know how it starts..you ignored that funny lump because 1. theres no cancer in the family 2. it hurt and cancer doesn’t hurt and 3. well, the mammogram was negative..Well, of course you didn’t tell them the whole truth either, you didn’t tell them you had a small worry on that funny spot when asked if you had any concerns.

Over the next few months, I am going to share the experiences, the worries, the results, the side effects of chemo, the drugs, the radiation and the things they seem to never tell you…or they things like, wow, that hasn’t happened this soon. So I will tell you.

Therefore,  feel free to follow me on this journey of breast cancers and recovery..The joys, the prayers, the friends, what you need to ask for, how to make it through and not think you are going to die! I  will be blogging once or twice a week. Connect with me at linda@theidentityadvocate.com or call me at 310-831-4400

The journey begins…..Linda