Almost exactly one month after Marissa was born, Lori found a lump in her left breast. After further testing and a biopsy we have sadly discovered that Lori has Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. We are completely shocked, but we've kicked cancer's ass once (Madison was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia "ALL" in 2004 and completed her treatment in 2006), and we plan to do it again!
After several tests and doctor visits, today we met with a surgeon and received some good news and some frightening news. The good news... the cancer appears to be localized at this point in the one tumor and does not appear to have spread to the lymphatic system or other areas. The frightening news is... the cancer cells tested positive for HER-2 protein and are not estrogen and progesterone fed. This type of cancer cell is more aggressive and resistant to one of the drugs that is commonly used to defeat the cancer. Having fewer options for successful treatment is disappointing and frightening, but survivability can still be very high based on what we know at this point. Like we've all heard a billion times, catching it early is key to long-term success.
Next step is surgery and more testing before a complete treatment plan can be devised. After surgery and radiation, chemotherapy may be necessary. We're taking one step at a time, but we're ready for the fight.
Hmmmm... is this payback for all the times I teased James about going bald? Forgive me!!!!
