The Prep Work

This is the lull phase. It’s the waiting between the diagnosis and the procedure.

People have been sliding gifts and well-wishes to me. LilSis sent an Amazon gift card and I bought specialty bras with a zip front. A coworker brought me a computer bag. She said that way you can take your laptop to all your appointments and make notes.

A childhood friend sent a prayer shawl. How did she know it matched my glasses?

Another online friend who is a jewelry maker sent earrings. I had requested some kind of little pink symbolic things, or really whatever she wanted to send. She sent a box with at least 5 sets. One set matches my work shirt.

Another friend from high school who had exactly the same DCIS years ago called to offer support.

Because I am mentally planning for radiation, I bought a product recommended by someone in the support group that is to be applied after a radiation session. It’s a healing ointment- who knew it was mostly petroleum jelly?

I’m still three days out from surgery at this point when the oncology radiologist called to say that he had received the results from the DCISionRT test. I didn’t know he had requested the test because the surgeon said they wouldn’t do any testing until after the lumpectomy. However, the surgeon had never heard of the DCISionRT test, only the OncotypeDX.

He said he was surprised at how low my score was. This test predicts the potential reoccurrence of DCIS in the next ten years with and without radiation. Without radiation, I’m at 9%. With radiation, I’m at 7%. This is big! This means I have no appreciable benefit of having radiation therapy.

I told him about my first cousin who was diagnosed last year with DCIS. She’s in her late 70s, she had a lumpectomy with a second lumpectomy to get clean margins, and her OncotypeDX results showed 5% without and 3% with radiation, so she opted out. She’s on a hormone suppressing drug, and I probably will be, too. Her mother and my mother were sisters, and she also had genetic testing with shows she doesn’t have BRCA genes, which was a relief to her because she has female descendants.

I’m happy with this news. It seems like a bright spot.

*****

Two days before the procedure, the scheduler calls to tell me that I need to be at the hospital at 8:25am. No food or water after midnight the night before. No lotions, creams, sprays, or roll-ons to be used. The covid19 test was negative like I knew it would be. I will go home the same day. I will not be able to drive home or to make big decisions because of the after effects of the anesthesia. I will most probably be in surgery by one to one-and-a-half hours after arrival. I will receive a phone call the day before surgery with a finalized arrival time.

I’m sitting in the car of the Publix parking lot, eating a salmon salad, trying to eat clean with greens and protein. I’ve stocked up with protein drinks and the BabyGirl sent specialty vitamins.

What have I neglected? Oh, I put everything on autopay so I won’t miss paying something important.

Now? More waiting.

Tags: DCIS