The End of Denial...

Actually, it's two years later and I'm still wondering if I am out of denial. It was difficult to write the previous post. I think that's one reason why I both want to have this blog, to connect with other women who have had breast cancer and/or have had other plastic surgeries whether restorative or elective plastic surgery.

To continue from my previous post, I had the Mammo-test and the biopsy was malignant. Of course, they didn't tell me that then. I had another appointment with my surgeon, Dr. Tanaka at Scripps Clinic in Encinitas. She was the one that told me I had DCIS, the "best breast cancer you can have if you have breast cancer" she told me. Best because it's the non-spreading kind, she said. But, unfortunately, you have it in three sites, she said. Therefore, we advise you to have a "skin sparing" mastecomy.

By this time in the process, I had been researching breast cancer on the internet, on http://www.amazon.com and it turned out that my boss, Marcia Ayers, at work had had breast cancer over 5 years earlier and loaned me an excellent book and was very helpful and compassionate. By the time, I was going around in a stunned fog. I did learn enough to know that I should have a second opinion about whether to have a lumpectomy or a mastectomy.

I was referred by a friend to Mary Wilde, MD, Medical Director, Scripps Polster Breast Care Center. I took her all the images from Scripps Green/Anderson Outpatient Clinic, all MRIs, Mammograms, etc. She looked at them and advised me to have a skin-sparing mastectomy. I burst out crying, like I hadn't heard that before! Fortunately, I had taken a lovely, close friend with me, Vincentia Schroeter, Ph.D., a psychotherapist friend. Both women were kind and compassionate. I went home and told my loving partner about it all. He was great! And he stayed great throughout the ordeal, I'm grateful to say. BTW, we are now married. But more later. I have to take this in small doses.