The Week Ends

Appointments yesterday (Thursday) with Dr. Cutter and Dr. Boob. No decision making or news so Venita went alone. Dr. Cutter asked about our decision on a second opinion on Lefty. Venita told her we are going to have her do a mastectomy. Dr. Cutter pulled the remaining drain, and cautioned Venita that because of the continuing large volume of liquid coming from the wound, which may now collect inside the wound, she should be vigilant for signs of infection. Swelling, severe redness, tenderness. What do you know; by mid afternoon Venita had a marble-sized lump in her armpit that Dr. Boob later declared to be an inflamed lymph node, having nothing to do with her cancer. He said it should not change Venita starting chemo on Tuesday. He said the size of the node should reduce as the effects of removing the drain progress.

Both DRs. Want Venita to wait a bit more—2 weeks perhaps—before starting physical therapy. This promises to be very helpful, although very time consuming. Venita will work with one of 2 breast surgery specialists in the area on (1) scar flexibility, (2) range of motion, (3) posture, meaning the humpy shoulders that women get when their chest incision is tight and they are unconsciously “protecting” the area from injury, (4) strength, and (5) cardio-vascular. On the cardio thing, apparently the stronger one’s heart the better they tolerate chemo and sometimes the lower a dose of chemo they require. PT will be one hour 3x/week for 2 months.

Dr Cutter said she may be able to talk Dr. Chemo into allow the left breast mast during the second stage treatment with Taxol. Dr. Cutter said surgery is not necessarily contraindicated with that Taxol. Venita said sure: she’s rather serve all these “sentences” concurrently rather than sequentially. So that might place the other surgery at the end of June, not out at the end of September.

Happy Easter Sunday to those that walk that path. Happy spring Sunday to those who don't. In either case, a psring day often is a reason for something special.