Email #3 to the Nons: The MRI and a Friend in the Parking Lot

Wednesday, July 28
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello my sweet friends,

Today's MRI went well. That is not something I'd care to do regularly. Kinda creepy. And Brenda, I listened for "anger hunger" but couldn't hear it. Just sounded like weird scary techno music that needed more high notes. The best part was when I had been there for what seemed like an hour (but was more like 15 minutes) laying face down with my head in a hole, the nurse came in and said it was time for her to give me the injection in my IV, but she couldn't since there was evidence of movement in the images and they needed to do it again. I swore I hadn't moved, but she said I was so small that maybe my breathing was messing it up. Well, then I went from relaxed and dozing off to trying to not breathe too hard and feeling like I was smothering...heart started pounding (more movement?) and everything. But, thank goodness, she came in next time and all was fine. I got the injection and they continued. A weird experience, for sure.

The MRI doctor (Harms...not the best name for a doctor, but a very nice man) showed me the tumor and even where they could see another small "lesion" in the same breast...something that was out of range of the mammogram. He said this was not a big deal and would be taken care of with surgery. Good news is that the surrounding lymph nodes look "beautiful", as he put it. The only cancer that showed was in that one breast. That doesn't mean that it hasn't ventured elsewhere, but the #1 place for that would be the nearby nodes, so I am praising God that they are clear. He said, due to it being this type of tumor (specifically- "infiltrating ductal carcinoma"), they would be treating this as aggressively as possible.

He asked what I was willing to do and I said "whatever it takes to keep me alive." DUH! I know they have women who don't want to lose their breast, but I say take the thing. I will know the definite plan once I meet with Dr. Cross on Tuesday and then an oncologist, but he did say he was pretty certain they would want to start out with chemo first, then removal of the breast when I complete the chemo treatments. I am ready to get this show on the road.

As I told someone yesterday, I began my summer with the trip of a lifetime and am now ending it with another trip of a lifetime, only this is a trip NO ONE wants to go on. Maybe I told you guys that already...I don't even know anymore.

I was blessed when I left the clinic by running into Kelley D. (edited for privacy), who was arriving for her mammogram. Mark and Kelley were our first community group leaders years ago and I have not seen her in ages. I actually brought our two dogs in to see Mark (he's our vet) on Monday morning before going for my biopsy, thought about telling him what was going on with me, and just couldn't bring myself to do it. We talked about family and I was thinking how long it had been since I'd seen Kelly. Anyway, it was truly a God thing running into her. Kelley has the sweetest spirit and she blessed and encouraged me so much right there in the parking lot. Isn't it great how God works? Amazing.

Thank you ALL for your prayers and the wonderful and encouraging emails. They truly do make a difference, physically, mentally, and emotionally. When people ask if I have a good support network, you girls are the first to come to mind (oh yeah...and my family), so I usually tear up and say "oh yes, I surely do!" I'm feeling much better tonight than I was last night (haven't cried in several hours), so hopefully I'll actually get a little sleep.

I love ya'll so much.

Patti