Monday night (6/16) I am surprised to hear a message from Dr. Vargas to call him back. It's probably some detail about the surgery so I'll call him in the morning.
Tuesday (6/17) I returned Dr. Vargas' call; of course he's not available. An hour later he calls me. "Mrs. Colleran," he says with his kind Spanish accent, "we have received the results for the Her2 test." He reminds me that he mentioned it when we met and believed that it would be negative. To his surprise it has come back positive. "What does that mean?" I ask. He tells me that it means that there is a protein in the cancer that makes it more aggressive; yet he believes because the cancer is so small that the cure rate still holds at 90-95%.
He asks me if I have any questions --- my head starts to swim and I can't think of anything. Then I turn and tell Chris.
Once again the thoughts of what ifs and concerns for the girls begin over the next few days. I start to feel like I have so much to do in order to find any peace. Chris and I need to complete our estate planning, I must call Steve's family and get the girls to Oklahoma for a visit, I must, I must ... the list goes on and on.
I call Dr. Vargas' office because I have so many questions. The book they gave me has helped to clear my mind to focus on what is at hand. Good --- I get to see him in two days (Friday, 6/20).
In the meantime I've done lots of research and found facts that are important to know:
Prevention
Tamoxifen is approved for breast cancer prevention in women aged 35 and older who are at high risk. Discuss this with your doctor.
Women at very high risk of breast cancer may consider preventive (prophylactic) mastectomy. This is surgery to remove the breasts before breast cancer is ever diagnosed. Possible candidates include:
- Women who have already had one breast removed due to cancer
- Women with a strong family history of breast cancer
- Women with genes or genetic mutations that raise their risk of breast cancer (such as BRCA1 or BRCA2)
In 2014, it is estimated that among U.S. women there will be [37]:
- 232,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer (This includes new cases of primary breast cancer among survivors, but not recurrence of original breast cancer among survivors.)
- 62,570 new cases of in situ breast cancer (This includes ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). Of those, about 83 percent will be DCIS. DCIS is a non-invasive breast cancer and LCIS is a condition that increases the risk of invasive breast cancer. Learn more about DCIS and LCIS.)
- 40,000 breast cancer deaths
Take a look at this website for lots more credible information: http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Statistics.html#USwomen
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