Time to Take Charge -- Watch Out World!

The idea of taking charge of one's medical program is the single most common practice among survivors. It is the cornerstone of a strategic recovery plan.
-- Greg Anderson, Author of Cancer: 50 Essential Things to Do

The dictionary defines Optimal as "most desirable" or "favorable. I define optimal care as individualized or customized care that is neither undertreatment nor overtreatment for each woman's particular situation. It is a treatment that gives each woman the best chance of being cured with the fewest side effects and disruption to her life. I believe that as many as 40 percent of women in this country with newly diagnosed breast cancer do not receive optimal care.
--Take Charge of your Breast Cancer-- A guide to Getting the Best Possible Treatment by John Link, MD

I've had it. I'm going to be more assertive about my treatment. I think initially I was so freaked out by the diagnosis that I just went along with whatever they said. Not anymore, they've bungled and botched and they don't get my situation. I do. I know my body, my disease, my situation better than anyone and I didn't trust that initially. Things are gonna change.

Cancer Sucks

I've had two surgeries. One consisted of a lumpectomy that found micro invasive cells and dirty margins which led to another to get clean margins and do a sentinel node biopsy. They took 8 lymphnodes and the pathology report says that two of those lymphnodes had micro matastisis. That's the facts as I know them, now. What does this mean exactly? Well, it's unclear except that my little ole' stage O breast cancer is now at least a stage II and I'll have chemo and radiation. My case is being presented at the Johns Hopkins tumor board next week because there are some peculiarities and they just don't have a handle on my cancer yet.