Have a heart

03-27-2020 I did a stress test today, (a stress test in life, I’ve passed, but not the same), for the ultimate goal to safely use the target medications for the HER2 positive component which is difficult on the heart, at least during the time of the treatment. For now, however, I needed clearance for the surgery, which I got and was glad to know my heart looks very good according to the doctor. That’s one less issue to worry about, however, when we talked about the Herceptin treatment, he said I need a baseline “strand” test before the treatment. This is to catch anything in the size/shape of the heart before a side effect does damage, requiring an on-going monitoring. The oncologist explained that I would have to have regular echograms on my heart, and I explained to her that I had had one pretty recently, which is really what started this whole path. I was having tachycardia issues before the first of the year, and my GP started ordering tests, including a new mammogram. I’m grateful that this all happened, because catching it early will make a difference in my outcome, and allows for the lumpectomy, rather than mastectomy. Another reason for the cardio clearance is that I will be going under a general anesthesia, rather than a local, which is fine with me, since I was worried about the pain after the biopsy ordeal. I’m also wondering, if I could have a port put in at the same time? That’s a question to ask, for sure. A port is a device implanted in the chest area where the on-going chemo and Herceptin will be injected, rather than having to find a vein every three weeks. It’s also recommended when the chemicals are harsh, such as Chemotherapy to avoid any damage to veins in the arms and hands. It’s rather creepy in some ways, as it’s implanted under the skin and then the skin heals over the port device, which still means poking though the skin, but it can be numbed each time, and the damage is less in the long run. I was looking at photos of these implants and most of the people were smiling and doing selfies of their new port. That seemed odd, but then I was thinking of how often I will have to have chemo and the Herceptin, which is a full year for that, (even though chemo ends before the Herceptin), I can understand being happy not to get stuck so many times! All of the treatments need on-going bloodwork, and a port can be used for that as well. I don’t know if a port is an option, but getting vein punctures every three weeks for blood and treatments makes this an option to talk about with the different doctors. What I do know, is that I will need to have a surgical marker put into my breast which is called a Savi Scout that is a radar-based guide for the surgeon to find the exact area of the tumor and to get the margins of the cancer more accurately. This is a procedure that will likely take place the day before surgery but I have seen it suggested that Is sometimes implanted the same day the tumor is removed. It seems like I’ll have a moon crater look with all the holes in my boob before all this is over! THE BEST NEWS is I have a tentative date for surgery, which will be April 2nd. UPDATE: April 1, 2020, April Fools day, which is just hysterical, and it’s confirmed. I didn’t realize how soon that was, (my and everyone’s timeframes are out of sync with everything going on). But then realized that it’s next week, with one caveat —only if it’s approved by the surgical staff at the hospital that are juggling everything around the overworked, and stressed medical staff trying to give the best and safest treatment they can. The Covid19 situation is making things a lot more difficult for everyone, and our world is changed forever, so trying to be positive and hope that date sticks so I can move forward with my life, is my short term goal. A bug is changing our world, and some cells are changing my life. Change can be good, and that is what I’m hoping for.