Treatment (Finally) Begins!

 And the good news just keeps on coming! After waiting 8 weeks, I finally had the MRI yesterday and it looked good. I will have to repeat all the tests in 6 months, but today I had my radiation simulation appointment (a non-treatment planning session). I am scheduled and ready to start radiation on March 24. Next week I will return to the oncologist to start anti-estrogen meds.

My whole story really seems like a miracle! A routine mammogram and ultrasound in September 2025 found nothing. My breast surgery on January 13 just "happened" to remove the area of cancer, and the pathologist found it. ALL of the testing came back with the best possible outcome. I praise the Lord for this great mercy!! Yet, I still have cancer, it is emotional and difficult, and it still sucks even if it is stage 1.  Pray for minimal side effects, response to treatment, and no recurrence. As I have said before, please always pray that I would suffer well, and may God be glorified through all of this!

You may have heard that we are grandparents now! Sweet little Maddie is 4 weeks old today, and she is the perfect treatment plan! There is nothing like a baby to make you forget your troubles and focus on what is important.

If you would like to learn more about what I will be going through, this short 9 minute video explains radiation treatment for breast cancer specifically. I will be doing hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (WBI) regimen for early-stage breast cancer. Because the radiation will be on my left side, it will involve:  Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) - a technique for left-side breast radiation that involves taking a deep breath and holding it for 20–40 seconds. This expands the lungs, pushing the heart away from the chest wall and significantly reducing radiation exposure to the heart. 

For all the other science nerds like me - this is the standard treatment of 42.5 Gy in 16 fractions. A gray (Gy) is the unit for measuring the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation. 16 fractions is basically 16 doses which will be given 1 dose per day (Monday- Friday) for 16 days.

If I have emailed you, you are familiar with my email signatures (I have two different ones because they were both so good and could not just choose one, so one is sent from my phone and one from my laptop). I leave you with these:

"Peace is the deliberate adjustment of my life to the will of God." ~Anonymous

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."  ~Job 13:15

Until Next Time~

Shari