Exercise.....ugh

So I guess I should get out and exercise. Now that the kids are back in school and I have 2 weeks until my surgery I will need to really motive myself to get out and walk or do what used to be my daily workout routine. I am finding that yea the thought of "Cancer" in my body is taking a toll on me. I need to get out and walk...anyone wanna walk with me???

Surgery Date Scheduled

So I received a call from the scheduler at the Kaiser Surgery Department. She informed me that my date will be Wednesday September 7, 2011 but the time is unknown and I will get a call the day before. Really, OK well I guess the date will do for now.

We ask for prayers that the cancer hasn't spread to my lymph nodes. Thank you for all who have fasted this last Sunday with our family, it really means a lot to us.

May you smile at all strangers, and those who are cantankerous in our lives, today with a love in your heart.

August 21, 2011 Sunday's....I Love Sunday's

One of the most faith building moments we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints do is to fast and pray once a month and in other times of trials. We dedicate our fast to someone who is in need or when we ourselves are in need of answers. Our family is fasting this Sunday and we invite anyone who would like to join us to do the same. I am not one who asks for help and when help is offered I have a hard time accepting it. I am always wanting to be on the giving end of help, not the receiving end. I will need to learn at this time in my life to ask for prayers, to ask for help and to ask for support.

I have received so much support already and I am so grateful for all the text messages, emails, facebook messages and friends who give me hugs and words of encouragement. I am especially grateful for my family who has been so amazing and to my brother who is a Dr and has given me advise, my friends who are nurses and the advise they give me.

I know that through prayer my family and I will be able to gain a stronger testimony of our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Gospel here on earth. I know that my family is forever and I am so very grateful for that. I know I have so much left to do here on earth. I know I have a fight ahead of me and I also know I caught this early and I am very lucky. I have had so many say "But if its not at Stage 1 then how is it cancer"? Well, it is Cancer and I caught it early enough that we can beat this. First Surgery, then......Radiology here I come!!!

August 19, 2011 The Pathology Report

So the Pathology Report reads:

-Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Nuclear Grade 2

-Lobular Carcinoma in SITU

-Vascular Invasion Not Identified ********this is good news this means it's not in my blood stream

-Hormonal Receptor Status To Follow

What this means, I think, is I have two types of cancer on my milk ducts. I have one that is non invasive and one that has penetrated through the milk duct. That is the one we are worried about, you see this could travel to the lymph nodes and that isn't good. So while in surgery they will inject me with a dye and see if it goes to the lymph nodes, if so they will remove those effected and the treatment would then be Chemotherapy...lets hope all goes well and I only have to have radiation.

August 19, 2011 Pre-Op.... I thought this was a Surgeon Consult??

All day I anticipate the Dr telling me that my results are abnormal but its just fatty tissue and we need to keep an eye on this. Once again my wishful thinking was just that. She started off by showing me where the masses are and what types they were. She did use the term Pre-Cancerous so in my mind "Oh good its not cancer" but when she said I would have to start radiation it was as if the record playing in my mind scratched and stopped. "Wait what? This is cancer? So I have cancer?" "Yes you have cancer. But its smaller than a centimeter and it's not at Stage 1. You realize you saved your life". I do have some recollection of that office visit but it's kind of a blur. I almost felt like I was in a Charlie Brown Cartoon listening to the teacher talk "Wah Wah Wah Wah Wah". I am so glad that Kenny and Cassandra were there with me to ask the questions I had forgotten to ask, to ask their own questions and to be such a great support for me. I am now waiting for the surgery department to call me and schedule a date to be within the next two weeks.

August 16, 2011 The Results

While visiting with friends the nurse calls, I was so hopeful that she would say "your results are negative". This would not be she said "your results show that you have abnormal cells and you need to see a Surgeon this Friday at 1pm....Mrs. Sarmiento are you ok?" I then felt as though I had been socked in the stomach and I couldn't catch my breath. I then said "I don't understand, what does this mean?" She couldn't tell me more than that and offered for me to take a few moments and she would call me back with the appointment information. I truly thought again, this isn't happening. Luckily I was with a friend who had been through this before and she sat with me, held my hand and told me that everything was going to be ok. She explained her experience and assured me I would be just fine. Now the wait and guessing game begins until Friday. The prayers continue and reality is starting to sink in.

August 12, 2011 The Biopsy, Oh Joy!

Once again I return to the hospital, get on the elevator and go down to the basement. Now usually my thoughts are, man this facility is old, I live in LA and if there is an earthquake this could not be good for me....Not today. I checked in, went to the waiting room and before I knew it I was in a room where a nurse was explaining to me what was going to happen and had me sign papers. Truly I had no idea what was going on, I was just going through the motions. I then had to change my clothes and wait for another nurse to take me to another room for the biopsy to be done. Gwen, the nurse, came to get me and I go into a room. She had me put my handbag on a table and then I had to lay down on a bed. The doctor seemed to take forever to come in but finally he did. He was so nice and listened to me for about 1 minute while I tried to talk him out of doing the Biopsy. My rational mind was working "But if this is just 'fatty tissue' why bother" "Cant we just watch this for 6 months and then re-evaluate?" Dr Kim was stern in his decision and continued with the procedure. He had to numb me in order to perform the biopsy, I wish they would have knocked me out for that part. The actual Biopsy I didn't feel, lucky me. I was told once the biopsy would start I would hear a click and to expect 5 clicks total and he should be done. I stopped counting after 7, this continued for what seemed forever. Gwen was so incredible holding my hand the entire time. Once I was done with that I then had to go to another room for a mammogram...good thing I was still numb! They put a small chip in the area of the biopsy for future mammograms to be looked at in that area with more scrutiny. I then had steri-strips put on the site of the needle. I was able to then go put my clothes back on and with an ice pack wait a bit longer. By know I am feeling as though, Ok really is this happening??? After all seemed to be good I was able to go home and wait for the 5 days before a nurse would call with the results. The prayers began.

August 8, 2011 Ultrasound

So I went to the hospital to have my ultrasound done. Although the technician couldn't find the lump I felt, I had to guide her to where it was and she then found it. She then explained that there would be a Breast Care Specialist Nurse who would be taking me to see the Radiologist. Once in the Radiologists office she explained that although my Mammogram was negative, she did see something in my ultrasound. All the while I was hoping what I was feeling wasn't real. She said a Biopsy is in order. I would need to return that Friday for the biopsy. I left that appointment really not quite knowing what just happened and what is to come.

July 21, 2011 My Annual Mammogram "Do You Feel That Lump"?

March 2011 I found a lump in my breast, but with Janessa's wedding just weeks away, I put it off and didn't tell anyone. After the wedding in April, I had "so many things I had to take care of"....That was me coping and just not dealing with it. Finally I listened to my Still Small Voice, called to scheduled an appointment to have a Mammogram just 3 days before leaving for our 2 week family vacation. While having the Mammogram done I told the technician that I felt a lump; after she felt it she seemed a bit alarmed. She told me she was going to refer me to Radiology and have an Ultrasound as a follow up.