So, it looks like we have a plan...

As of yesterday, I've completed eight of my 12 rounds of the Taxol/Carbo combo - the end is in sight! My DH and I have also now met with both the breast surgeon and the plastic surgeon, and have formed a (tentative) surgical/treatment plan.

Because of the physiologically/psychologically traumatic nature of mastectomy surgery and its aftermath, my breast surgeon is opting to pursue a conservative route, if at all possible. What this means is that, around 3-4 weeks after my final chemo, I'm going to have a lumpectomy ("partial mastectomy") of the malignancy(ies) in my left breast; numerous precancerous lesions in my right breast will be excised at the same time. I'll also have to have axillary dissection of my lymph nodes on the cancer side, which will put me at risk of developing lymphedema down the road, but it can't be helped. Meh. I'll be left with one drain after the procedure (*shudder*), but it's better than having to deal with four! After the drain's out, I'll need to start 3-4 weeks of daily radiation therapy. Fun stuff!

The breast surgeon's goal during lumpectomy is to obtain clear (i.e., non-cancerous) tumor margins on the first go-round. What sucks is that she won't have the pathology results for a few days. If it's discovered that the tumor margins still contain cancerous cells, I'll have to back under the knife for a second round. Theoretically, neo-adjuvant chemo should have killed everything by the time the surgeon goes in, but that's never guaranteed, unfortunately. Owing to the very aggressive nature of triple-negative breast cancer, I've been warned, in no uncertain terms, that if the cancer recurs, I'm looking at mastectomy (probably bilateral).

Both surgeons advised DH and me to really work on taking "baby steps" with all of this, and to hope/believe that the breast surgeon will be able to obtain clear tumor margins. We'd love to be able to welcome 2016 cancer-free!

6 down,

6 to go. I'm at the halfway mark of my Taxol/Carboplatin chemo series, which is slated for completion next month. Thus far, the T/C combo hasn't caused too many side effects, in comparison to the Adriamycin/Cytoxan dose-dense chemo. Unless, that is, you count relentless anemia-exacerbated fatigue, nail changes (I'm hoping they don't get worse), and the onset of peripheral neuropathy (I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes transient neuropathy as it is; the T/C's making it worse)...

I meet with my breast surgeon next week and my plastic surgeon the following week. My onco team's protocol insists that surgery take place no more than 3-4 weeks after my last chemo–which means that I may be spending the holidays in the hospital. *Sigh* Fun stuff.

It's the moooost wonderful tiiiime of the yeeeeeeeeear!

I'm trying to make the most of my fave time of the year, despite feeling like crap. Happy Halloween month, kiddies! Gorgeous weather today–I need to get outside! :D