Cancer Sucks.

Part One..

It has to be hard enough to hear once that you have cancer..but to hear it for a second time and that it's in a second form..I don't know how she didn't break instantly. 

My mom was diagnosed with DCIS on March 3rd, one day after her 58th birthday. Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. I guess you could say it's the good cancer? Non-invasive, highly treatable. They said they were being pro-active..they said it was good they caught it when they did. 

Biopsy, wait a week and a day.

Spent the entire day at the hospital on Tuesday with my mom. The finance office and then the Radiation Oncologist. 
Dr. Patel is his name, I no longer trust him. He used a term you should never use with someone who is sitting in front of you scared out of her mind.."I miss spoke." 

I thought to myself..what did he say that was wrong? He talked about all the steps and he answered all the questions..what the hell did he mis-speak? He wanted us to go meet with Dr.Lau, he would explain everything.

Dr.Lau..genuinely nice guy and clearly concerned for my mom. He did the best he could to comfort her and soften the blow. Yes, she does have DCIS however she also has Stage 1( at minimum, he said, they would be more sure after surgery) invasive breast cancer. That wasn't all..he is afraid that the cancer has gotten to the Lymphnods..they will need to do surgery and have a pathologist present during the procedure to run tests and decide if they have to remove all of them or not.

She broke down. 
Dr.Lau just kept saying he was so sorry and that he was going to do everything he could. 

That wasn't it.

There were other areas in the breast that they wanted to biopsy..if there were masses there it would lead to a full mastectomy of her breast..a third surgery. 

She got angry.
" I can't have three surgeries. I just can't. If you see a mass when you biopsy it..just take it, take the breast."

What was she saying? Was this a moment I needed to step in or not? Dr.Lau told her it would be very psychologically damaging for him to remove it without her knowledge. She told him..it wouldn't damage her, she would go in with the mindset of coming out without her breast..and if it was there, great. She just didn't want to keep having surgery after surgery, that would be psychologically damaging to her.