Great News!

My doctor delivered the wonderful news today when I went for my post surgical follow up: The pathology from surgery came back negative for cancer, and my pathologic complete response is confirmed! Thank God! My fantastic surgeon did the happy dance on my behalf. Believe me when I say that I would have joined her had I not been half dressed on the exam table! I have hoped, prayed, and believed that this would be the outcome of the long journey, but it feels so good to have that confirmed.

I had chemotherapy before I had the mastectomy in order to watch the effectiveness of the treatment.  This is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The significance of a pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy is that patients who achieve a pathologic complete response are at much lower risk for subsequent distant recurrence of cancer. And the benefit for the aggressive cancer that I had (triple negative) means that I have up to a 75% lesser chance of a cancer down the road. This is the absolute best outcome possible.

I could hardly wait to share this news with you all.  Thank you again for your prayers and support (and fantastic food). I know this is a short post but, to be honest, typing isn’t the most comfortable position these days. I’m still a little swollen from the surgery, but my body is healing really well. It just feels like I’m carrying a clutch bag under my arms all the time. This too shall pass. Stuart made my life with the surgical drains much easier by purchasing a canvas tool belt from the hardware store. The drain bulbs fit in the pockets, and every time I look down I’m reminded that I’m an ACE. Hahaha! Gotta love my practical man.

I’ll let you know how things go when I see the plastic surgeon next week. There is an end in sight. Almost there….