June 20th, we met with the surgeon, Dr. McLoughlin and found out that I do have cancer. I will have surgery on June 26th to have a mastectomy of my right breast. My lymph nodes will be checked to see if the cancer is in my lymph glands. A port will be surgically installed to make the chemo therapy easier. I will be spending the night at the hospital.

Today (6-23-17) was my pre-op appointment. An EKG was done and my medical history was screened. Now I am waiting for the phone call to tell me what time to report to the hospital. I have to be honest with myself… I am very scared. I am totally out of control. I’m being reassured by friends who have gone through this that it will be fine. I’m reassured by my dear close friends that God is in control, He is with me. I am living in a nightmare and feel like I’m holding on to my sanity by my fingernails. I’m on the edge of crying all the time. I don’t know what I will be like after the surgery.

Will I be maimed, gross and ugly?
Will it be too horrible to look at?
Will I get any help?
Will I lose all my hair?
Will I get sick a lot?
Will I get depressed?
Will I be in pain?
Will I stop crying?
Will I be able to go swimming?

Journey began March 6, 2017 when I went in for my regular annual wellness checkup. Dr. Robin scheduled me for a routine mammogram.

On March 17th, I went to Rollins-Brook Hospital for a mammogram, and on March 27th, I had another mammogram because there was an area that was unclear. Bobbie also did an ultrasound on the right side.

The area in question was still inconclusive so an MRI was scheduled for April 27th at Metroplex Hospital. That was real scary. They had to start an IV (so the contrast could be injected). The machine was very noisy and the contrast stuff felt funny when it was injected. Afterwards, I went to Walmart and while there, Dr. Robin called and said that the MRI revealed a suspicious area and she was referring me to a great surgeon, Dr. McLaughlin. However, that referral was denied and I was instead directed to Darnall Army Medical Center. The earliest time I could see the surgeon for the consultation was 3+ weeks.

On May 22nd, Frank went with me to DAMC and we saw Dr. Bruce, who explained in detail how breast cancer was rated. She rated me as a BI-RAD 5 (on a scale from 0 to 6) meaning I had over a 90% chance of having breast cancer. She also wanted to re-run the tests and since the Radiology was backlogged, was referring me back to Dr. McLaughlin at Metroplex.

I waited for over a week for the referrals to take effect and be called for an appointment with Dr. McL. With Frank being very busy at work, I, myself, called the scheduling office at Metroplex on May 31st. There, I was told there was no referral and I told her that could not be. She proceeded to be very very rude and harsh to me, with no kindness or compassion whatsoever. A few minutes later, I got a call from the scheduling office at the Family Medicine Clinic who told me that she had had the referral for Dr. McLaughlin for over a week and she was also very rude and mean to me, threatening to tear up the referral. After this very terrible experience, I called Dr. Robin’s office and asked her assistant to please ask Dr. Robin for help in getting my referral to Dr. McLaughlin. And on June 2nd, I saw Dr. McLaughlin.

Dr. McL talked to me and did a brief exam and said he would order a biopsy. I waited a week to receive the phone call for the biopsy. The surgeon’s office did not answer the phone and never returned calls or messages. Finally, on June 8th, Frank went to the surgeon’s office during the day and sat there until he had answers. Later that day, Dr. McL called me and said I would have the biopsy the next day (Friday). On Friday, June 9th, I didn’t get a phone call until about 10 am asking that I come in at noon for the biopsy.

The biopsy procedure was not as bad as I thought. The doctor (Vancuren) made sure I understood the procedure and then injected the lydocaine and the ultrasound guided needle biopsy was painless.

Now I am back to waiting. I have an appointment on Tuesday, June 20 to talk to Dr. McL where we will discuss what will be done to me.  I am exhausted from worrying about the unknown. Nobody has said for sure that I have breast cancer. I am encouraged by my friends who are supporting me with their love and prayers. I am blessed to have a loving husband who is taking the best care of me and taking time off of work to be my advocate. It would be honest for me to say that I am really scared. Yes, scared. But I want to live to be very old. I have confidence that God is with me every step of the way and will not leave me.  But deep down, I’m very scared.

The Flash is bouncing around the yard like a young pup again! He is running almost as fast as before his injuries (blown ACLs in both back knees), and he is jumping on the bed, chasing toys and Sammie. It was nice while it lasted Sammie, but you are no longer the alpha dog in this family!  We are going to begin training again, this time for the Cirque Dog Soleil!

It seems the second ACL operation has been just as successful as the first. Although the Flasher is not yet jumping up on furniture, he has occasionally put his front feet up on my knees. He is also starting to play again with Sammie, chasing after toys – and running down the hill to bark at that which exists only in a doggie mind. He still loves to be right at our feet, and readily follows whomever is moving. He simply does not want to miss a thing. Gotta love that Flash Boy!

Dad

Flash went in yesterday for his fourth and final laser treatment.  Debbie took him to the veterinary office yesterday, and Flash had 4 female technicians around him, just admiring him and doling over him.  With this ACL repair operation, we were advised by the vet that it is “normal” for a dog to walk on 3 legs for about a week, then spend another week touching the ground with the affected leg, then finally – after about 2 weeks putting weight on it. It is expected the dog will be walking normally in about 6 weeks.  That is what we were told to expect.

Well, Flash has his own ideas about ACL recovery.  With his first operation, he was putting weight on the affected leg within 48 hours, and was walking normally within a week. With this second operation, he’s taking it a bit slower. He is gradually using the leg more each day, but still carries it high when he’s moving a bit quicker.  I guess that’s what I have noticed so far.  If he is just walking slowly, he will use the affected leg. If he wants to move more quickly, he will raise it up, and run 3-legged style.  Unless Sammie is barking at something… then its: “Forget the pain – I’m going all out to get there!” and he runs like he never had the operation.  He’s only done that once, as he got out of the house before we got the leash on him.  We are more careful now.

Frank

Today, Flash had his left ACL repaired (actually, more like replaced). He came through it just fine. Well, he’s still pretty groggy and doped up on doggie pain killers.  But the good Doctor Beene says he’ll be back to normal pretty soon.  We’ll go through a couple of weeks of carrying him outside to do his chores, keeping him in his kennel the rest of the time.  If his first operation and recovery is any indication, I expect him to be walking well by next weekend, running by the end of the month, and jumping by sometime in October.

Frank

Well, the Flash has recovered very well from the ACL surgery on his right leg. We’ve had to postpone his second surgery due to a bout with the doggie runs. I believe we’ve got that cleared up now, so he’ll be going back on Friday to have his left ACL repaired.  If his recent behavior is any indication, he’ll be jumping over the fence in a few months. Yes, he’s been so excited a couple of times he has actually jumped, and he’s beginning to jump up in our laps when we sit in  a chair.

Meanwhile, Sammie has come back to life since Flash has been laid up. She perceives that she is now the Alpha dog, running and playing while Flash just lays around and watches. If he recovers from his second surgery as well as he did for the first one, he will be running and jumping by Thanksgiving.

We’ll update soon after the surgery!

Frank

After xrays and a visit to the vet, it was determined that both of Flash’s knees will need surgery to fix his ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). If we do nothing, Flash will face pain and arthritis in his back legs for the rest of his life. With the surgery, he will be 90% back to normal, with a much quieter lifestyle. Dr. Logan Beene will be doing the surgery on Thursday, 6/3/10 and we have full confidence in his decisions. His common sense philosophy of veterinary medicine has earned our respect and trust. We love Flash so much and he has brought us love in return. We know that recovery will be very time consuming and the surgery will cost a whole lot.

Flash is such a good boy, especially with the three grandsons. They can climb all over him and pull on his tail, ears and feet and he remains calm. Frank calls Flash his “love sponge” because he will soak up all the attention you give him.

Flash loves to play with the boys in the water!!!