Updates

For those for drop by to check on my blog, sorry for the lack of updates.... cos there is not much things to update...

My mum is recovering well from the last op... will be seeing the medical oncology at Gleneagles on monday... I believe my mum will start her chemo session pretty soon... hopefully this chemo side effects are light and manageable for her... I will also need to check with dr whether this new tumour is a new primary cancer or is it a spread from the original site...

I saw my own dr for my routine ultrasound 2 weeks ago... its been almost a year since my last checkup (should have been every 6 mths). I have a lump under observation since my last 2 checkups... dr says the size remain unchanged... the image looks benign.... so do not need to remove it.... (I have removed a few benign lumps before)

Dr asked abt my mum.... I told him she underwent a chestwall resection and a mastectomy.... he was quite upset that my mum needs to go thru mastectomy on the other side of the breast after the chestwall resection.... he is surprised why wasnt the tumour discovered before the major op...

I asked him abt my risk factor.... he says im in high risk group considering my mum has cancer on both sides... (I knew it even before he answer).... the answer affected me quite a bit even thou I already knew it beforehand... he says my risk will be lower if my mum new tumour is a spread rather than a primary site... (I do not know which one to wish for)... my mum survival rate will be much higher if the new tumour is a primay site... if its a spread...the chestwall resection op will be pointless... my mum would have suffered for nothing....

Dr says currently im still safe becos of my age.... my mum was first diagnosed at age 48... so dr says he will start to screen me at age 38....10 years before my mum first diagnosis... he says I shouldnt worry too much... the fear shouldnt occupy my life... I agree....but can I really dun worry abit it??

I know by worrying it will not change anything.... if it is meant to happen...it will happen.... but becos I see how my mum went thru during her cancer battle... I will be daunt by it... my life will never be like those woman without this fear.... this thing will always at the back of my mind... I know I will not help myself in any way by worrying... but just cant help it... can I ?

Post Op

Its been a week since my mum op... she is recovering well...

There is bad news and good news....

Bad news first.... During the operation when Dr perform sentinel nodes... there is node positive... meaning the cancer cells has move to the lymph nodes... it is not contain to the breast only... therefore all the nodes are removed together with the mastectomy...

Good news now... just got a call from my mum (cos Im not in singapore now...)... she went to see Dr for her pathology report... Dr says only one node is positive... as for the tumour size and the margins I have no idea yet as my mum dont understand english well so have to wait till Im back in singapore to read the report...

Most likely I believe mum will need to go thru chemo... something she hates most.... all these have to be confirm when we go see the medical oncology...

So for now... my mum both arms have no lymph nodes... she wont have her mobility in both arms... its quite sad... but what choice do we have....