Just a quick update from Friday's surgery, Tracy's 4th if you're scoring at home... I talked to Dr. Riley after the surgery and he expressed confidence that all of the cancer has finally been taken out. There was not a "margin" on what was taken out after the surgery on April 3rd. The good news is that the cancer tested out to be "noninvasive", meaning that it is not the kind of cancer that spreads, causes lumps, etc. However, if left alone, noninvasive cancer can develop into invasive cancer. That was why Tracy needed an additional portion taken out. We'll find out later in the week if the surgery was successful in taking out the rest of the cancer.
A quick update on our Relay for Life efforts. So far the response to our fund raiser has been tremendous. Thus far, we are 2nd out of 60 teams for the Haymarket Relay. It's still early on in the fund raising process though and that's a good thing. Because we set a goal to raise $10,000 this year and we'll need a lot of help to get there. The higher goal is pretty much just a reflection of the anger and determination that we have to fight back against this horrible disease. I hate what it's done to my wife and our first year together. And I don't want it to cause anymore damage. But with one in three expected to get cancer in their lifetime, I'm sure that Tracy and I haven't heard the last from cancer-- whether it's with us or our friends & loved ones. That's why we chose to fight back. We're determined to join the fight and try to make an impact in this battle.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Another surgery
We're going back to Omaha for another surgery today. We all were disappointed to hear that another surgery would be required. Tracy's attitude has been outstanding through all of this. But she's really handled the entire experience very well, so I guess that shouldn't come as a surprise. One thing we can all control through this process is our attitude. So we can make things better on ourselves, or worse. We'll post an update on how things go today.
On another topic, our Relay for Life "Hair Raiser" team is off to a good start. With 98 days left, we are 2nd out of 58 teams. I'm sure that a lot of teams are just getting started, and we have a long way to go as well. We've raised $3,300 so far, but our goal is to raise $10,000. The goal was set high because that's what a goal should be-- possible to attain, but a challenge to get there. And the reward will be worthwhile. One out of three of all of us will get cancer at some point in our lives. We cannot afford not to contribute to cancer research. And boy does it feel good to be fighting back against cancer after everything that we've been through. If you want to donate to the cause, check out my Relay for Life webpage!
On another topic, our Relay for Life "Hair Raiser" team is off to a good start. With 98 days left, we are 2nd out of 58 teams. I'm sure that a lot of teams are just getting started, and we have a long way to go as well. We've raised $3,300 so far, but our goal is to raise $10,000. The goal was set high because that's what a goal should be-- possible to attain, but a challenge to get there. And the reward will be worthwhile. One out of three of all of us will get cancer at some point in our lives. We cannot afford not to contribute to cancer research. And boy does it feel good to be fighting back against cancer after everything that we've been through. If you want to donate to the cause, check out my Relay for Life webpage!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Turning A Corner
Tracy had the lumpectomy today to remove whatever was left of the cancer. Everything moved more quickly than it had when Tracy had her lymph nodes removed. The surgery lasted less than an hour and Tracy came out of sedation much more quickly. They say that in general the less time that surgery takes, the quicker the anesthetic will wear out. And that was true today.
Her surgeon told me afterward that everything went well. He said that you can't really see the difference between healthy cells and cancerous ones. He's hopeful that he removed mostly scar tissue with a margin around it. He said there's a possibility that it could test for cancer, but that hopefully there would be a margin of healthy tissue around it. But he would not rule out the possibility that Tracy could have to have another surgery. So we really won't know too much until Tuesday when the tests come back. Until then, Tracy's going to rest and recover.
We are both grateful to put chemo behind us. I hate to say that we are looking forward to radiation. But... we're looking forward to radiation! October 28 seems like such a long time ago. We can't wait until Tracy gets her hair back and is able to lead a more active lifestyle. She recently started training at work again. We're going to look into joining a gym together. It really feels like we've turned a corner today.
Her surgeon told me afterward that everything went well. He said that you can't really see the difference between healthy cells and cancerous ones. He's hopeful that he removed mostly scar tissue with a margin around it. He said there's a possibility that it could test for cancer, but that hopefully there would be a margin of healthy tissue around it. But he would not rule out the possibility that Tracy could have to have another surgery. So we really won't know too much until Tuesday when the tests come back. Until then, Tracy's going to rest and recover.
We are both grateful to put chemo behind us. I hate to say that we are looking forward to radiation. But... we're looking forward to radiation! October 28 seems like such a long time ago. We can't wait until Tracy gets her hair back and is able to lead a more active lifestyle. She recently started training at work again. We're going to look into joining a gym together. It really feels like we've turned a corner today.
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