update again

I feel so good and so "over" with this cancer stuff that I forget there are people waiting for more news. The cancer is gone. In fact, it was gone after the February surgery - nothing new was found in April. None of it ever broke out of the milk ducts, so it's still the slow-growing non-invasive diagnosis I had to begin with. There's only one hormonal (estrogen blocking) drug that pre-menopausal women can take, and it isn't a good option for me. My tumors were not high on estrogen response, and the drug would increase bone loss and increase risk of endometrial problems. The benefits don't outweigh the risks in my case (my case being DCIS and low estrogen response). Radiation was not recommended either, as it targets fast-growing (invasive) cells, which apparently I don't have. If I had radiation it would be "extra" and more for peace of mind, but it also limits my reconstruction options and brings its own set of risks and unpleasantries. But I'm getting a second opinion on that at the end of this week, just for the heck of it.

So let's all relax for a while! (another new post below)