Oncology

Getting a yearly mammogram doesn't mean you won't get breast cancer. It just means it could be detected early and treated successfully. My wife had her IV portal installed today. She will undergo 18 weeks of chemotherapy and then a decision will be made on the degree of surgery, followup radiology, and hormone therapy. It is a complex treatment regimen with a lot of detail which came from years of experience in treatment. The goal is a cure. Wish us luck!

Of course we wish your wife and you, your companion, luck reaching the ultimate goal - a cure, and of course we know that getting a yearly mammogram does not mean we won't get breast cancer. In fact, for women whose estimated odds of getting breast cancer is 20% and above, the current recommendation, besides a yearly mammogram, is a yearly breast MRI.

Say, mammogram in January, breast MRI in July, then mammogram against next January, then MRI again next July, etc. But if the odds are lower, the insurance may not pay for the breast MRI.

My wife survived her first week of chemo. For a couple of days after her first infusion, she was very fatigued. By weeks end she was feeling fine. Starting to lose hair, but in good spirits. She will have 5 more infusions
3 weeks apart for a total of 18 weeks of chemo. Hopefully the remaining 5 infusions will be similar to the 1st and give the expected results. This is starting to look doable.