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Andrea Barnett Budin · 10-21-2015, 11:40 AM

Becky, At least that kind tech gave you a good inkling. Though I am sorry you didn't have a doc/radiologist to talk to right then and there.

That I did. She was breathing heavy. Her chest heaving. She walked her chair from the screen holding my xrays and at her desk she locked eyes with me. With her hands clasped she absentmindedly moved the papers in front of her to the side. "You need a breast surgeon". I assumed the thing I thought was a cyst and suspected would require surgery was the reason. Still, the looks of all those nurses in the hallway and her behavior was telling me otherwise.

I said, Is it a cyst? She said, NO! Pause. She took a deep breath
and said, What you have is -- a solid mass! I couldn't think what that meant. She didn't say it was a tumor. Was a solid mass a tumor? I couldn't speak.

Turns out she offered to call a breast surgeon for me. Same name as the one I'd gathered in advance from friends. It was 5 o'clock on the Friday of 4th of July weekend. I nodded yes to her question. She dialed the number. She turned to me and said, The office is closed. It won't be opened till Tuesday...

I could not think. She said, I have his home phone number. Pause. I can call it for you. I nodded. Still unable to speak. I heard her describe the situation and my heart was pounding. It sounded dire. She turned to me and said, He said he can meet you at his office tomorrow, Saturday, at 10 o'clock. Is that good? I nodded.

I went home not KNOWING but....

10-21-2015, 11:40 AM	#45
Andrea Barnett Budin Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: LAND OF YES! w/home in Boca Raton, Florida Orig from L.I., N.Y. Ever hovering IN THE NOW... Posts: 1,904	Re: Invited to a talk by Dr Slamon. Becky, At least that kind tech gave you a good inkling. Though I am sorry you didn't have a doc/radiologist to talk to right then and there. That I did. She was breathing heavy. Her chest heaving. She walked her chair from the screen holding my xrays and at her desk she locked eyes with me. With her hands clasped she absentmindedly moved the papers in front of her to the side. "You need a breast surgeon". I assumed the thing I thought was a cyst and suspected would require surgery was the reason. Still, the looks of all those nurses in the hallway and her behavior was telling me otherwise. I said, Is it a cyst? She said, NO! Pause. She took a deep breath and said, What you have is -- a solid mass! I couldn't think what that meant. She didn't say it was a tumor. Was a solid mass a tumor? I couldn't speak. Turns out she offered to call a breast surgeon for me. Same name as the one I'd gathered in advance from friends. It was 5 o'clock on the Friday of 4th of July weekend. I nodded yes to her question. She dialed the number. She turned to me and said, The office is closed. It won't be opened till Tuesday... I could not think. She said, I have his home phone number. Pause. I can call it for you. I nodded. Still unable to speak. I heard her describe the situation and my heart was pounding. It sounded dire. She turned to me and said, He said he can meet you at his office tomorrow, Saturday, at 10 o'clock. Is that good? I nodded. I went home not KNOWING but.... __________________ Andi BB '95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive... '98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!) + good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either... Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...