Twin Peeks: And, We're Back.

Dear friends and family,

I've sadly got to report that as of late, my health has not been at its best. What started as an annoying cough a few months ago has led to my taking several x-rays and cat scans of my lungs, eventually one needle biopsy of my right lung and then thoracic surgery on my left from which I am recovering right now. The breast cancer with which I was diagnosed in 2007 has apparently metastasized into my lungs.

I'm working with excellent doctors at Lenox Hill now and will plan to meet with one or two oncologists within the next two weeks to confirm who I will use. Yes, chemotherapy is a must (no radiation). Treatment will have to begin as soon as I am healed enough from this operation.

The course of treatments (chemo cocktail and intervals) cannot be determined until the chosen oncologist has all of the reports. Assume I'll do some sort of treatment over six or so weeks and then maintenance treatments. The latter is something new to me. The medical field is trying to treat cancer now as a chronic disease. Keeping that in mind, the goal is to get rid of whatever cancer there is and prevent it from returning. With maintenance treatments, say, once a month for a couple of years, that goal may be achieved. Again, this is based on not yet having the dr outline the protocol as well as having to see how I react to the initial chemo.

There are multiple nodules on both lungs. What the chemo should do is eliminate them. They'll be monitored to see that they shrink in size if not disappear and / or multiply. If after several treatments there are some nodules resisting the treatment, those might have to be surgically removed similar to how I had five removed this past week. The procedure is called a VATS wedge (video assisted thoracic surgery). Dr. Richard Lazzaro is a pioneer in this field and I feel blessed to have met him and will continue to work with him at Lenox Hill. It's not a fun ride, but after three days of hell, I now feel normal again.

I am a bit numb from all of this news. I knew something was going on but was believing it would be more like an infection that could be cured with some steroids. My chronic cough and results were resembling that of TB but I tested negative for that and so many other things like molds, fungus, Lyme Disease, Legionnaire Disease, etc. Although Cat scans were reading highly suspicious of metastatic cancer, I figured, I was given good odds of ten years of no recurrence from my last surgery, so it couldn't be that.

As with my last surgery I will probably update people via my blog or just email. It makes it easier to share the same information with everyone at once. Plus, my cough tends to get more persistent when I talk a lot. For a while I've been avoiding the phone at home just for that reason.

The good news in all of this is that I have the most wonderful support team. If you're receiving this, consider yourself part of that team. This week I received so much love and healing from immediate family and friends and doctors and nurses that I feel like the luckiest person in the world. There are those who suffer through this or worse with no one around them, no good resources, no money, nowhere to turn. To me, I have already conquered half the battle.

I'm sure you'll have questions, so please fire away. This is not a secret or something I am ashamed of. Like my first time around, I did as much research as possible to empower myself and in order to help others who might someday find themselves dealt these same cards.

I am hopeful, I am eternally grateful and I am prepared to beat this with flying colors.

With love and friendship,

eLIZabeth

Recovering from surgery