Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay. Work kept me pretty busy after I got the all clear to go back after my implant surgery. Well in June my shoulder was bothering me and it got to the point it was bothering me at work. I work in retail I use my arms a lot. I went to see my Plastic Surgeon and he recommended Physical Therapy thinking it was my muscles were weak from the implants since I can't do any lifting or pulling in that area. Well I went and on my 3rd week I was in a lot of pain. I still went and the next day I couldn't move much less breathe. I e-mailed my PS (Plastic surgeon) and he thought I had costochondritis which is an inflammation of your ribs. I called out 4 days from work. I let my oncologist know since I had an appointment with her in the next few days and she ordered a ct scan. I also put in for medical leave of absence from work. Well I went to that appointment and I did my ct. Well she calls me about 2 hours after my appointment and tells me it's bad. Basically I have a tumor on my spine. The next week was crazy cause I met with a radiology oncologist and they ordered an MRI, ct, and a X-ray. She said it looks like the lesion was eating away my T-4 and they were concerned about it pressing or doing anything to my spinal cord cause it could cause me to become paralyzed. So I went and did all these tests. We get to my fiance's place and find out we need to come back and get checked into the ER. So we drove back. I was in the hospital for a week. They did see on the MRI that it was pressing on my spinal cord. While in the hospital I found out I had more lesions all in my thoracic and lower back area. On Monday aug 14th (the day before my birthday) I had spine surgery. They put titanium rods and screws in my back from t-2 all the way to t-8. So yes I have another scar. They rebuilt my t-4 with cadaver bone and also got some of the tumor out. If you are wondering why that far down it is because I have a lesion in t-7 and he didn't want to risk it. Like I said I had lesions everywhere (t-3,t-4, t-7, t-5, l-1,-l-3,l-4). Well this week I saw my oncologist and I found out my tumor is from my breast cancer and sadly it is metastatic breast cancer which is Stage IV cancer which means I am terminal. When it moves to another part of your body like it did mine they classify as metastatic. I am not doing chemo (last option) I will be on a new pill that will help stop the cells from dividing. I have to see her every month and have scans done every three months to make sure my cancer is behaving if not, we move on to the next treatment. Until I can't do anymore. I hopefully will get my stitches out on Tuesday from my back surgery. I did get to see my surgeon for my spine and he says I am healing very well. I am sorry this took so long but its been hectic. Well gotta go Laters!
Much love,
Chani