And the Answer Is....

Horses,  Annandale, MN  2010

The doctor says the DNA of my tumor says the benefits of doing chemotherapy are just about equal to the risks caused by the chemotherapy drugs.  So, no chemo for me.  And, since I had a bilateral mastectomy, no radiation treatment, either.

Hormone therapy, yes.  Most women kind of have to guess when they started menopause; not me.  I'll have an exact date - 3/6/12.  Since my cancer fed on estrogen and/or progesterone, the idea is to starve any cells out that may be inclined to be develop.  (Since my lymph nodes were clear, they're pretty darn sure they've gotten all the cells that had existed before surgery.)  I'll be taking Tamoxifen, which blocks your body from producing those two hormones for the next five years (or something like that).  One of the side effects of the drugs is insto-menopause.  After talking with me about it for a few minutes, the doctor advised I not be allowed near firearms until I've been taking the drugs for a bit, and have settled in to whatever side effects I'm going to experience.

I'm thrilled at the news, of course, but it also scares me.  It's not a rational thing.  It goes more like:  Mom had cancer and Mom didn't have chemo right away and then the cancer came back and then Mom died.

Rationally, I do not have my mother's cancer.   There was no such thing as mammaprinting back in her day.  (That's the part where they look at the DNA of my cancer, compare it to that of cancers found in other people, and decide the most effective method of treatment.)  Mine had not spread to my lymph nodes, and the bilateral mastectomy guarantees it cannot come back in the other breast.  (The analysis of the left breast tissue showed that removing the 'innocent' breast was a wise decision - there were abnormal cell growth areas there that were likely to become precancerous if left alone.)

So, fear, begone!

Asmodeus - you are toast.  dead meat.  You are banished to the farthest reaches of the deserts of Northern Egypt, and I have legions of protectors to guard against your return.  You have no more power to hurt me.  You are gone from my life.  Good riddance.

I'll keep the rest of you posted on how this next treatment step goes.  Rumor says the effects of the hormonal drugs vary widely...  And no, I don't have any firearms.