June 2020

I'm writing this on July 1st -- the 42nd anniversary of me becoming a mother to Elizabeth. June was a busy month with continued doctor's appointments. Included were two Covid 19 tests, two cardiac tests, an appointment with the radiologist, a genetic counseling appointment and a "clip" placement to mark the location of the papilloma scheduled to be removed during surgery. All of this culminated with the surgery to remove the "mucinous carcinoma" on June 30th.

I hope by the time my grandchildren read this at a later date that the Covid 19 virus, which is currently decimating our country, will not be a part of their lives. Over 128,000 Americans have died and 2.7 million people have been confirmed to have contracted the virus. We have no idea how this will end and the impact it will have on schools in the fall. There are huge unemployment numbers nationwide. It almost makes my problem seem miniscule by comparison.

So yesterday was surgery. The plan was to remove the lump and one benign papilloma. Dr. Manders removed the carcinoma, and in the process of removing additional tissue, discovered some cancerous areas in the muscle behind the turmor. It was localized and she felt like she "got it all." To prevent blood clots, I had taken a lovenox injection the night before surgery. This resulted in a hematoma near the sight of the surgery where blood pooled. This initially concerned the nurses in recovery as they placed a sand bag on the area in an attempt to reduce swelling. This worked, and by the time I left the hospital it appeared that the swelling could be reduced with some additional pressure and ice.

Amazingly, I've had practically no pain. I haven't had to take any medication post-surgery and honestly feel like I haven't had surgery at this point. I'm grateful. They expect full pathology reports by Friday. I know this will be followed up with some radiation treatments in a few weeks.

I was only allowed to have one person accompany me at the hospital. Bill graciously gave the "privilege" to Liz because of her medical background. The hospitals are taking every precaution to keep patients and visitors safe. At the entrance they take your temperature, check that you have an appointment and make sure you are properly masked.

Today we had a little time to be with Liz on her birthday before she returned to Columbus. Roland called to say that all three of their kids were sent home from their summer program. Ian was running a slight temperature, Andrew was suffering from allergies, and it was decided to send Nathan home as a precaution. Schools have to be very careful during this pandemic.

As a side note, I had genetic testing on 67genes that are known to be associated with breast cancers and other types of cancers. The good news was that they found "no pathogenic variants" or harmful genetic changes in any one of the genes tested. At my age (71), it is not uncommon to get a cancer that does not have a genetic link. That is good news, and my prognosis appears to be good.

So on with the next adventure. Here's hoping that the July report will be equally positive.