Pathology Report

Yesterday Mom and Dad had a visit with Dr. Faddis to remove Mom's drains and to discuss the pathology report. The report was great and exciting news. All of the lymph nodes that Dr. Faddis removed were clear and cancer free. She also had clear and cancer free margins (the edge tissue). There was no cancer in the skin. The cancer was only detectable microscopically in the breast tissue that was removed. Dr. Faddis told Mom and Dad over and over throughout this visit that this is all great news and a truly excellent report. Dr. Faddis was not able to tell Mom what this means in terms of her future treatment plan. She will have a visit with Dr. Kenyon the oncologist and hear his thoughts about the pathology report and how this new information will impact her future treatments.

Mom is recovering very well. After she arrived home last Saturday it was only a matter of a few hours before she declared that she was bored with just sitting and was ready to DO something.

Prompted by her industrious spirit, Steve and I went out front and dug 40 two foot by two foot holes so that we could plant all the baby roses that we bought in early August at the rose sale. Dad joined us after his nap and helped us with the project. The next day Mom helped us plan where to plant all the different varieties and we completed the project. Now we have a huge front yard rose garden that we will always remember was planted the weekend after Mom's successful surgery.

Mom has spent the week peeling apples from out back to make more applesauce, picking the blackberries that hang over the fence, helping Maya with her homework, and steadily working on increasing her strength by sweeping the floor and walking around the block. You can't keep the woman down.

Mom will have a couple more weeks to recover before she starts in on more treatment. We know for sure that she will continue taking the herceptin at the infusion center every three weeks and also have radiation treatments five days a week for several weeks. This will all start up again at the end of September or early October.

On the home front, Elias is having a great time in kindergarten; Maya is making the transition to the higher expectations of 3rd grade; and I went to the humane society and brought home two kittens. We like to keep busy.

Love, Emily