Last week I had an MRI to assess the tumor and lymph nodes post-chemo/pre-surgery. I spoke with my surgeon this morning, and the results are GOOD!

​She said comparing my initial MRI with this one is "actually quite shocking" and that "the tumor shrunk up beautifully." On the initial MRI, the mass measured 3.2 x 2.6 x 2.6cm and now it is described as a "non mass enhancement" that measures 1.9 x 0.9 x 2.0cm. I like those numbers! 

The best part is that the initial MRI also showed a swollen lymph node 2.7 x 2.0 x 1.7cm which was biopsied and found cancerous, plus two other small lymph nodes that appeared abnormal. These lymph nodes are no longer visible on the MRI, which means the chemo did exactly what we hoped it would!

​We'll move ahead with a lumpectomy and sentinel node dissection on May 10th, and the hope based on this MRI is that the lymph nodes they remove will not have any microscopic cancer cells left. If they do, more lymph nodes will be removed, but the MRI gives me hope that I won't need any further surgery. Celebrating small victories!

Once cancer treatment gets going, it's really pretty uneventful. Routine kicks in. A "new normal" in some ways. You adjust your mind and your body to what it needs, and you just keep moving forward. My fifth and sixth chemo infusions were just that: uneventful. I switched to a new drug (Taxol) which has less side effects, mostly notably no nausea or digestive discomfort. (Hooray!)

The only real side effect I experienced after these infusions was some muscle and bone pain for about 36 hours. It's uncomfortable, to be sure. The pain in my shins and my lower back felt like they're radiating from the inside out, and it comes in waves. One minute I could be sitting comfortably on the couch, and the next I'm wincing in pain. By the time anyone would notice the look on my face, the pain passes. Overall, this side effect = much more manageable than the previous AC chemo. Beggars can't be choosers.

My last chemo was scheduled for April 5, followed by a meeting with the surgeon to schedule my lumpectomy for sometime in early to mid-May. The hope was this: that the tumor is shrinking; that I'll only need the sentinel lymph nodes removed from under my left arm; that minimal radiation will follow in June and July; that by my birthday, this will all be behind me.