I saw Dr. David Euhus last week and got my dingaling drain removed! That thing didn't hurt - but it sure was pain in the you-know-what! It was a necessary evil as I was healing but I will never say I miss my "Dingaling"!
Dr. Euhus explained my pathology report. I am Grade 3 (because of the mammoth 8 cm size of my mass) and Stage 2b. He has set me up with radiologist, Dr. Ann Spangler on September 8. I have an appointment with oncologist, Dr. Barbara Haley, on September 13. Dr. Haley also set me up with an appointment on September 13 with Dr. Siobhan Kehoe, gynocologist, since I haven't had a pap smear since I got on Medicaid and my family doctor refused to accept Medicare. He wrote me a "Dear John" letter! No family doctor in Arlington, Texas, would accept Medicare. Yes - I called them all! I felt fortunate to get in with an internist who would accept Medicaire and my secondary insurance, Aetna TRS-Care. But.....internists don't do pap smears, breast exams, or windows! Luckily, Dr. Sharon (that's me) was persistent and aggressive to discover and convice the internist and Healthstone Imaging (who said my mammogram was "normal") to realize I, in fact, had a massive breast tumor that needed immediate medical attention.
So, I'm free for about a week to not have to go to Dallas to see a doctor on my UTSW team. Anyone want to do lunch? Movies? Just call! Girls just wanna' have fun!!!
LIFE LESSON VIA ROBIN ROBERTS:
Robin Roberts, Good Morning America anchor was upfront with her cancer diagnosis and treatment. She wanted to share what she had learned with other BC patients, using a saying her mother had always told her - "Make your mess your message." That's one purpose of my blog - to share the message of the BC journey to instill awareness and understanding to those who might be affected by it in one way or another - whether themselves, their friends, their wives, their mothers, their sisters, their daughters, their aunts, their neices, their grandmothers, etc. Robin goes on to say, "I will not play the 'cancer card.' I will not use cancer as an excuse for not achieving the goals I have set for myself. Cancer forced me out of my comfort zone. But as I stated previously, there is no comfort zone. Life comes at us in ways we can't predict or control. I know that now more than ever. I am focusing on the solution, not the problem. I don't dwell on the fact that I have cancer. I spend my energy and resources on conquering this disease." Me, too, Robin, me, too!!!!!!!!!
