Sunday, February 6, 2011 10:08 AM, CST
Stephanie, Ellie and I got back from the Caribbean on Friday February 4th. After we received the pathology report on the tumor, and after Stephanie made the decision to have a double mastectomy, the family decided to take an emergency Caribbean vacation. We figured it would be the last chance to get away for an extended time during the next year.
We flew directly to St Maarten and picked up a 40 ft catamaran in the port town of Marigot. Marigot is French speaking. We don’t speak French and most there spoke only broken English. In retrospect, this was probably a blessing. We didn’t need to tell anyone about our story or plight. Once away in the foreign town, we didn’t talk about the cancer much; the cancer didn’t seem real. That said, the vacation was dubbed, “The Breast Vacation Ever!”
The next day we cruised to Orient Beach. It’s a beautiful stretch of white sand with a great restaurant and plenty of action for Ellie. Ellie rented a jet ski and made sport of jumping the waves. Orient Beach is also known for its nude-only area. Yellow umbrellas mark the nudist beach. Apparently yellow is the universal color for nudists. If you saw a yellow umbrella, a yellow canopy on a boat, or yellow towels, you were sure to encounter naked bodies. Part of the fun for Stephanie was to watch the nude or topless beach walkers. Most were middle or older couples with sagging body parts. Stephanie has always had great breasts. I was attracted to her and them when we first met at the Heartthrob Nightclub in St Paul. She was a cocktail waitress and I was her manager. Twenty years later, Stephanie still has fantastic breasts and I will be sad to see them go. She watched the walkers on Orient Beach and would say, “my breast are better that those…”
From Orient Beach we sailed the twenty miles or so east to St Barths. St Barths is the vacation island of the rich and famous. The harbor is filled with mega yachts and beautifully crafted sailboats. We anchored outside the harbor at Shell Beach and spent a day on the beach sitting in the sun and another day snorkeling around the island. In town, Stephanie bought a single Tahitian pearl strung on a leather necklace. The necklaces are made by the 80 year old mother whose daughter ran the small shop. Stephanie told the daughter about her cancer. The daughter was very much into organic foods and herbal medicines. She recommended Argile Verte or “green clay” which Stephanie bought at a local drug store and smeared on her breasts that evening. St Barths seemed remote, you can see the outlines of St Maarten 15 miles away, the island of Saba 30 miles away with the tip of its volcano touching the clouds, and St Kitts further east, just a shaded silhouette.
As we sailed back and got closer the Marigot the anxiety slipped back into our lives. Some memorable moments though: “The Breast Dinner Ever” at Le Escargot where there were few other diners, lots of attention, and plenty of fruit-infused rum. Ellie a little sea sick on a bouncy tack back to Orient Beach. And me having to dock a giant 40-foot behemoth in a tight marina surrounded by onlookers.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011 4:43 PM, CST
Here is what we know now (and bare with me, I'm just the husband and just trying to understand all the jargon myself). Stephanie's tumor is 2.4 centimeters in diameter. The tumor size is part of the formula that helps determine the stage of the cancer. In most of the articles we've read on stage determination, 2 cm seems to be a popular benchmark. Over 2 cm, the stage moves from 1 to 2. Another important variable in stage determination is if the cancer has moved through the lymph system to nodes. The lymph node under her arm pit is swollen and sore, not a good sign.
We know that she tested positive to hormone receptors or she is progesterine positive. Those cancers that test positive grow faster as the cancer interacts or is fed by the certain hormones. This is good news. The doctors can slow the spread of the cancer by simply suppressing hormone production.
We know that she tested positive for the HER2 gene. HER2 gene-positive cancers grow faster and are more likely to spread and come back. Though this is overall bad news, there is a new drug that is very, very effective in battling HER2-positive cancers called Herceptin which they are calling the miracle breast cancer drug and has been widely in use since 2007.
Stephanie was a candidate for the BRCA 1 and 2 gene test due to her grandmother dying of Ovarian Cancer at a young age and her mother dying of Breast Cancer in July of 2008. The test is a blood test and takes three weeks to get the results. Testing is only done in 1 facility on the East coast that discovered the gene and therefore owns the gene and the test. Its been controversial as the gene test is not widely available yet and may save many lives. I think the statistic is if you have the gene you are 80% likely to get breast or ovarian cancer. Many young women have double mastectomies and ovary removal as a cancer precaution . I will now the results of this test soon.
The next step is surgery. Stephanie has chosen to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back in her breasts by having a double mastectomy. The mastectomy is scheduled for Thursday, February 17th. During the surgery, the doctor will check the lymph nodes for cancer and remove nodes if necessary. We should know the stage of the cancer at that time (and the more specific treatment plan). The plastic surgeon will also be involved to begin the process of reconstruction.
Resconstruction is a year long process. They remove your breast tissue and nipple and place an expander in its place (think fake plastic boob) that they fill over the course of 8 weeks with water to stretch the muscle and skin and create a pocket they can put implants in about 6 months from now.
After her mastectomy, we suspect she will go through chemotherapy and radiation therapy in addition to receiving Herceptin treatments for a year and finally final breast reconstruction.
Overall breast cancer is very survivable. Stephanie is young, in good health, and is ready to do battle. This is going to be a tough year for her, but we expect to get through it and move on to our other plans and goals in life.
Our friends are throwing a "Tits Ahoy - Bye Bye Boob Bash" on Tuesday 2/8 at Vics about 6pm in St Anthony Main. As of today 60 people had RSVP'd from all over the broadcasting and media community as well as friends and family. Special thanks to Ira Heilicher, Sara Collins, Holly Hunt, Irene Peterson and Steph's running friends Michael Kithcart, Mickey Moore and Kim Wier who have run plenty of miles with Stephanie and will no doubt help her through the next marathon.
We know that she tested positive to hormone receptors or she is progesterine positive. Those cancers that test positive grow faster as the cancer interacts or is fed by the certain hormones. This is good news. The doctors can slow the spread of the cancer by simply suppressing hormone production.
We know that she tested positive for the HER2 gene. HER2 gene-positive cancers grow faster and are more likely to spread and come back. Though this is overall bad news, there is a new drug that is very, very effective in battling HER2-positive cancers called Herceptin which they are calling the miracle breast cancer drug and has been widely in use since 2007.
Stephanie was a candidate for the BRCA 1 and 2 gene test due to her grandmother dying of Ovarian Cancer at a young age and her mother dying of Breast Cancer in July of 2008. The test is a blood test and takes three weeks to get the results. Testing is only done in 1 facility on the East coast that discovered the gene and therefore owns the gene and the test. Its been controversial as the gene test is not widely available yet and may save many lives. I think the statistic is if you have the gene you are 80% likely to get breast or ovarian cancer. Many young women have double mastectomies and ovary removal as a cancer precaution . I will now the results of this test soon.
The next step is surgery. Stephanie has chosen to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back in her breasts by having a double mastectomy. The mastectomy is scheduled for Thursday, February 17th. During the surgery, the doctor will check the lymph nodes for cancer and remove nodes if necessary. We should know the stage of the cancer at that time (and the more specific treatment plan). The plastic surgeon will also be involved to begin the process of reconstruction.
Resconstruction is a year long process. They remove your breast tissue and nipple and place an expander in its place (think fake plastic boob) that they fill over the course of 8 weeks with water to stretch the muscle and skin and create a pocket they can put implants in about 6 months from now.
After her mastectomy, we suspect she will go through chemotherapy and radiation therapy in addition to receiving Herceptin treatments for a year and finally final breast reconstruction.
Overall breast cancer is very survivable. Stephanie is young, in good health, and is ready to do battle. This is going to be a tough year for her, but we expect to get through it and move on to our other plans and goals in life.
Our friends are throwing a "Tits Ahoy - Bye Bye Boob Bash" on Tuesday 2/8 at Vics about 6pm in St Anthony Main. As of today 60 people had RSVP'd from all over the broadcasting and media community as well as friends and family. Special thanks to Ira Heilicher, Sara Collins, Holly Hunt, Irene Peterson and Steph's running friends Michael Kithcart, Mickey Moore and Kim Wier who have run plenty of miles with Stephanie and will no doubt help her through the next marathon.
Saturday, February 5, 2011 4:43 PM, CST
Here is what we know now (and bare with me, I'm just the husband and just trying to understand all the jargon myself). Stephanie's tumor is 2.4 centimeters in diameter. The tumor size is part of the formula that helps determine the stage of the cancer. In most of the articles we've read on stage determination, 2 cm seems to be a popular benchmark. Over 2 cm, the stage moves from 1 to 2. Another important variable in stage determination is if the cancer has moved through the lymph system to nodes. The lymph node under her arm pit is swollen and sore, not a good sign.
We know that she tested positive to hormone receptors or she is progesterine positive. Those cancers that test positive grow faster as the cancer interacts or is fed by the certain hormones. This is good news. The doctors can slow the spread of the cancer by simply suppressing hormone production.
We know that she tested positive for the HER2 gene. HER2 gene-positive cancers grow faster and are more likely to spread and come back. Though this is overall bad news, there is a new drug that is very, very effective in battling HER2-positive cancers called Herceptin which they are calling the miracle breast cancer drug and has been widely in use since 2007.
Stephanie was a candidate for the BRCA 1 and 2 gene test due to her grandmother dying of Ovarian Cancer at a young age and her mother dying of Breast Cancer in July of 2008. The test is a blood test and takes three weeks to get the results. Testing is only done in 1 facility on the East coast that discovered the gene and therefore owns the gene and the test. Its been controversial as the gene test is not widely available yet and may save many lives. I think the statistic is if you have the gene you are 80% likely to get breast or ovarian cancer. Many young women have double mastectomies and ovary removal as a cancer precaution . I will now the results of this test soon.
The next step is surgery. Stephanie has chosen to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back in her breasts by having a double mastectomy. The mastectomy is scheduled for Thursday, February 17th. During the surgery, the doctor will check the lymph nodes for cancer and remove nodes if necessary. We should know the stage of the cancer at that time (and the more specific treatment plan). The plastic surgeon will also be involved to begin the process of reconstruction.
Resconstruction is a year long process. They remove your breast tissue and nipple and place an expander in its place (think fake plastic boob) that they fill over the course of 8 weeks with water to stretch the muscle and skin and create a pocket they can put implants in about 6 months from now.
After her mastectomy, we suspect she will go through chemotherapy and radiation therapy in addition to receiving Herceptin treatments for a year and finally final breast reconstruction.
Overall breast cancer is very survivable. Stephanie is young, in good health, and is ready to do battle. This is going to be a tough year for her, but we expect to get through it and move on to our other plans and goals in life.
Our friends are throwing a "Tits Ahoy - Bye Bye Boob Bash" on Tuesday 2/8 at Vics about 6pm in St Anthony Main. As of today 60 people had RSVP'd from all over the broadcasting and media community as well as friends and family. Special thanks to Ira Heilicher, Sara Collins, Holly Hunt, Irene Peterson and Steph's running friends Michael Kithcart, Mickey Moore and Kim Wier who have run plenty of miles with Stephanie and will no doubt help her through the next marathon.
We know that she tested positive to hormone receptors or she is progesterine positive. Those cancers that test positive grow faster as the cancer interacts or is fed by the certain hormones. This is good news. The doctors can slow the spread of the cancer by simply suppressing hormone production.
We know that she tested positive for the HER2 gene. HER2 gene-positive cancers grow faster and are more likely to spread and come back. Though this is overall bad news, there is a new drug that is very, very effective in battling HER2-positive cancers called Herceptin which they are calling the miracle breast cancer drug and has been widely in use since 2007.
Stephanie was a candidate for the BRCA 1 and 2 gene test due to her grandmother dying of Ovarian Cancer at a young age and her mother dying of Breast Cancer in July of 2008. The test is a blood test and takes three weeks to get the results. Testing is only done in 1 facility on the East coast that discovered the gene and therefore owns the gene and the test. Its been controversial as the gene test is not widely available yet and may save many lives. I think the statistic is if you have the gene you are 80% likely to get breast or ovarian cancer. Many young women have double mastectomies and ovary removal as a cancer precaution . I will now the results of this test soon.
The next step is surgery. Stephanie has chosen to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back in her breasts by having a double mastectomy. The mastectomy is scheduled for Thursday, February 17th. During the surgery, the doctor will check the lymph nodes for cancer and remove nodes if necessary. We should know the stage of the cancer at that time (and the more specific treatment plan). The plastic surgeon will also be involved to begin the process of reconstruction.
Resconstruction is a year long process. They remove your breast tissue and nipple and place an expander in its place (think fake plastic boob) that they fill over the course of 8 weeks with water to stretch the muscle and skin and create a pocket they can put implants in about 6 months from now.
After her mastectomy, we suspect she will go through chemotherapy and radiation therapy in addition to receiving Herceptin treatments for a year and finally final breast reconstruction.
Overall breast cancer is very survivable. Stephanie is young, in good health, and is ready to do battle. This is going to be a tough year for her, but we expect to get through it and move on to our other plans and goals in life.
Our friends are throwing a "Tits Ahoy - Bye Bye Boob Bash" on Tuesday 2/8 at Vics about 6pm in St Anthony Main. As of today 60 people had RSVP'd from all over the broadcasting and media community as well as friends and family. Special thanks to Ira Heilicher, Sara Collins, Holly Hunt, Irene Peterson and Steph's running friends Michael Kithcart, Mickey Moore and Kim Wier who have run plenty of miles with Stephanie and will no doubt help her through the next marathon.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
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