Wednesday, June 4, 2008

The Last Bit

My surgeon called yesterday to tell me the pathology results from my surgery. Of the four lymph nodes that were removed, 2 had zero cancer in them and 2 had a "trace". This still classifies me as "no lymph node involvement". This is a huge relief and something that I am very grateful for.

They also tested the mass and the surrounding tissue around it to see if there was any cancer in the "margins". The closest cancer is 6mm away from the edge of the tissue with most of it being at least 1 cm away. What this means is that they got enough. If the margins did not come back clear, they would have had to go in to remove more tissue.

These are the last bits that I have been waiting for. I needed to know that there was truly nothing else in the lymph nodes or in my left breast before I could start to relax a little bit.

I have always felt like I have been blessed with my health, my family's health, great friends etc. but this last bit of news makes that feeling of being blessed almost a physical sensation. I feel it down to my toes. It is the most grateful I have ever felt. I found myself alone in the elevator saying "thankyou". Thank you God, thank you friends, thank you family, thank you universe, thank you Swedish Hospital....just sincere, heartfelt Thank you.

2 comments:

Pamk said...

Sitting here with tears in my eyes-was just going to call you-but thought I would check here first. Yea for you! Yea for God! Yea for Swedish! Yea for family! and Yea for friends! We were all praying for this diagnosis-so glad to see it in black and white!
Love you-Pam

Miss Mary said...

Yeah, baby!! I think this makes you an official survivor! You're going to add radiation and chemo, but more to stop anything from recurring...halleluia for that.
I think about you every day, and I feel so happy to hear the news that I can't imagine how fabulous this must feel to you:)
Love ya,
Mary