An Unexpected World-Welcome

Welcome to "Off My Chest". I decided to write a blog about being a breast cancer "co-survivor" as a release for me as the "co-survivor" and as a way to pass along information about my Mom's battle with breast cancer. Breast cancer has touched my life via a good friend, Barra Terrigno. But, I never thought that my direct family would be affected. My mom's family history did not include breast cancer or any cancer for that matter. They all have issues with their heart and diabetes. So, this came as a shock.



You are wondering, who am I talking about? Who has breast cancer? Well, let me give you a little background info. My mom, Pauline Lamb, was diagnosed with breast cancer on December 15, 2009 after she had her yearly mammogram. This was 12 days after her 69th birthday. She had the mammogram and was called back because something was found on the x-ray on her left breast and they wanted to take future tests. She went back for another mammogram as well as an ultrasound and the tumor was found. She did not (and has not)been able to feel the tumor. The next day, she went for a biopsy to see if the tumor was cancerous. She found out 5 days (her biopsy was on a Thursday) later that it was cancerous. She has a 1.5 inch tumor in her left breast. A meeting with the surgeon was made for two days later.



After the initial shock, anger, crying, hugging and worry moments passed, we settled down to fight this. We meaning Mom, Dad (Herb Lamb), my sister (Susan Broadwater), and I. This is a family fight. Before the surgeon's consultation, I started my research. I went to the Susan G. Komen site and poured over all the information that I could find. I printed out questions, information pages, etc to give to mom and for me to take to the consultation. Thank goodness for this site. I felt a bit better (as much as one can be expected after having a loved one be diagnosed with cancer) after reading the information. Or at least I felt informed and not as "lost". Mom, Dad and I went to see the surgeon, Dr. Deborah Pratt, at the Fairview Hospital Moll Cancer Center on Thursday, December 17, 2009. Dr. Pratt comes highly recommended by my mom's primary care doctor and many of the people that we have talked to about the diagnosis. I came to the meeting armed with questions, but Dr. Pratt walked through everything very thoroughly. She didn't tell mom what to do, but gave her the option on her initial treatment. Mom decided on the spot to have a simple mastectomy on her left breast. She felt that just to take the whole breast would be the best option and the best way for the cancer not to come back again. Dr. Pratt informed us about how she would do a biopsy on the lymph nodes to see if the cancer had spread. She told us that there is a 50% chance that the cancer had spread. So, now we keep our fingers crossed and hope that it hasn't. The surgery was scheduled for January 25th, 2010.



Step one was done-being diagnosed and making the decision on the initial treatment. Step two is the surgery itself. We'll get to that Monday. We had a pre-surgery meeting with the head surgical nurse, Paula on Wednesday, January 20, 2010. She walked Mom, Sue and I through everything that will happen before the surgery, during and then after and what Mom will need to do once she got home during her recovery. Today, Mom and I visited a store that caters to breast cancer survivors to get a few post-surgical bras for mom. This will be the first of many visits to this store, I am sure.



The last month has been a whirl, especially for my mom. She has been doing everything, but sit and wallow. I'm so proud of her for that. She has gone to "The Gathering Place" in Westlake for a consultation and Reiki treatments. I have a feeling that she is going to be going her for other treatments and support as well. She has been working with her Chiropractor on immune system boosting exercises and therapies to get her body set for the surgery. This doctor has been a godsend for her. She has been spending time with her girlfriends and with family (especially her grandson, Beckett and granddaughter, Brynn). Plus, she's been reading the information that she has picked up on breast cancer along the way. She is fighting and that is so very important.



I am one of my mom's "co-survivors". Mom has taken to calling me "her foundation". It's a daunting task, which is one of the reasons that started this blog. It will allow me to release my feelings on everything going on with her. I know that there will be good and bad and probably even worse days, but I know that we can make it through it. She WILL make it through this.

I'm new to the blogging world, so bare with me. I could be rambling on and on or I could be short an sweet. Any help along the way, would be greatly appreciated!