Ok, so I got a pair of shoes and a fun new bag! Oh, but wait, I suppose you're more interested in the other stuff...
The MRI was not bad at all. I had to lie face-down, and there were these cavernous cups that are supposed to be for your breasts to fit in to; let's just say that there was a lot more space in there than was necessary. The test lasted about 20 minutes, and the tech would tell me how long each individual test would last. I got to wear earplugs, but I could still hear her voice, and then the test would begin with a series of clicks, followed by beeps and grunts and noises that sounded like the emergency broadcast system test. And that was it. We got the films right then, and tried to look at them but quickly realized they were totally indecipherable. So I just carried them with me, the answers right there in my hand but useless until I met with Dr. Park.
A few hours later, we (mom and dad and I) went to Dr. Park's office. She had the radiologist give her a verbal report and then met with us. It looks really good, but like I said, there seemed to be something not quite right with the lymph nodes. We asked Dr. Park a bunch of questions, but the important one ('why did you think that this wasn't cancer, when you say that it wasn't as easy to get out as you would have expected?'), she answered very honestly. She said that she's usually really smart about going in and figuring out what's there, but, she said, she's not feeling very smart right now. I have no doubt that she's a fantastic surgeon. But she's human, and everyone makes mistakes. You just don't want your surgeon to make a mistake with YOU! but it happened, and she knows it, and I'm sure she wants to make it better. She scheduled surgery for June 29, but at this point, I think the best course of action is to switch to a different surgeon, someone a little more dispassionate who will not be under pressure to make right what she had done wrong. I meet with the new surgeon (Dr. Julia Tchou) tomorrow. There are still questions about the lymph nodes, and the next surgery will be to get the margins and dissect the sentinel node. In that procedure, there are several decisions that the surgeon needs to make at critical times, so I'm definitely more comfortable with someone else besides Dr. Park making those decisions. And ultimately, because she is a good doctor, she probably knows it's in my best interests too to have someone else do the surgery.
So today was another small victory! I know I still have a tough road ahead, but things like this just renew my strength.
Thanks to all of you who have been sending out all the love and the good, healing thoughts! It's working!
The MRI was not bad at all. I had to lie face-down, and there were these cavernous cups that are supposed to be for your breasts to fit in to; let's just say that there was a lot more space in there than was necessary. The test lasted about 20 minutes, and the tech would tell me how long each individual test would last. I got to wear earplugs, but I could still hear her voice, and then the test would begin with a series of clicks, followed by beeps and grunts and noises that sounded like the emergency broadcast system test. And that was it. We got the films right then, and tried to look at them but quickly realized they were totally indecipherable. So I just carried them with me, the answers right there in my hand but useless until I met with Dr. Park.
A few hours later, we (mom and dad and I) went to Dr. Park's office. She had the radiologist give her a verbal report and then met with us. It looks really good, but like I said, there seemed to be something not quite right with the lymph nodes. We asked Dr. Park a bunch of questions, but the important one ('why did you think that this wasn't cancer, when you say that it wasn't as easy to get out as you would have expected?'), she answered very honestly. She said that she's usually really smart about going in and figuring out what's there, but, she said, she's not feeling very smart right now. I have no doubt that she's a fantastic surgeon. But she's human, and everyone makes mistakes. You just don't want your surgeon to make a mistake with YOU! but it happened, and she knows it, and I'm sure she wants to make it better. She scheduled surgery for June 29, but at this point, I think the best course of action is to switch to a different surgeon, someone a little more dispassionate who will not be under pressure to make right what she had done wrong. I meet with the new surgeon (Dr. Julia Tchou) tomorrow. There are still questions about the lymph nodes, and the next surgery will be to get the margins and dissect the sentinel node. In that procedure, there are several decisions that the surgeon needs to make at critical times, so I'm definitely more comfortable with someone else besides Dr. Park making those decisions. And ultimately, because she is a good doctor, she probably knows it's in my best interests too to have someone else do the surgery.
So today was another small victory! I know I still have a tough road ahead, but things like this just renew my strength.
Thanks to all of you who have been sending out all the love and the good, healing thoughts! It's working!
posted by Rachel Troxell at 5:59 PM
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