that's a soft and clean looking tumor!

May 16 2011.

So I had a wonderful weekend at my cousins wedding.  Issa and Layla, you threw a fantastic party!  Certainly a nice distraction for me before surgery!  I love you both!  I had my PET scan but still did not know the results.  I am getting ready for surgery at my apartment and my bestie Rachel surprises me and at 5:15 am!  She wishes me luck and we chat for a bit then hug!  Rachel, that meant so much to me!  Thank you and I love you long time;)

We get to the hospital and I am actually calm.  I am with my sister Helen and my mom.  I am more nervous about my mom because she is so worried.  I get called back and all the prep work begins.  Dr. D, my surgeon, checks in with me.  He is the sweetest man ever! He tells me that my PET scan show activity in only the left side of my chest above my diaphragm.  This is good news everyone!  It hasn't spread.  He also asks if my back hurts.  "Dr, my back always hurts". " The PET showed you have arthritis in your back"  Great!!!

I go into the operating room and honestly it's a blur.  I get my sleepy drugs and then next thing you know I am awake in the recovery room.   My throat and chest feel uncomfortable.  My first words to the nurse was, "Do I have cancer?".  She said I have to wait to talk to Dr. D.

I see my sister and mom in my room.  They have a very concerned and worried look on their faces.  I asked them if Dr. D talked to them.  Helen starts explaining that Dr. D made an incision by my collar bone and couldn't get a good sample and biopsy of the tissue from the mass.  He then had to make another incision a few inches down between my ribs.  He was able to get good samples to send to pathology.  She continued to explain that Dr. D felt that this was lymphoma and that I will need chemotherapy.  Again, I start crying.

Dr. D comes in and explains everything to me and said my tumor looked really clean and soft.  He said they are usually dark and hard.  Ha, what does that even mean?! He said he hopes to have an answer by Wednesday as to what we are dealing with.   So we wait....