Whew; finally a plan is taking shape.

It seemed like the morning drug on until we finally left and went to have lunch at the hospital and then went for our appointment at 1 p.m. We got all the news, and then started scheduling and everything was happening so fast. I feel like I'm spinning.

The most important thing: all the scans were clean. There seems to be no cancer anywhere else in my body besides the one breast and the nodes under my arm.

Because of the cancer in the nodes under my arm (they tested one and it was positive for cancer; there are up to 9 more which they did not test but look suspicious, much like the one they tested), they feel that there could be other cells circulating around in my body. They want to begin chemotherapy as soon as possible to get any of those cells that could be loose and looking for a place to set up camp.

Also they want to do the chemotherapy before surgery because it may cause the mass in the breast to shrink. Cancer cells grow not only from side to side and top to bottom, but also from front to back. (Understand this is my lay terms that I offer to you from what I understood they told me.) If the chemotherapy can shrink the mass, then they won't have to dig so deeply into my chest cavity when they remove the breast. That struck a familiar note with me, because when my mom had her breast removed I remember they had to scrape the bones to get it all. I honestly believe this is an inherited cancer, so I like the idea of shrinking the cancer before they go in to remove it. Until she explained that to me today, I was very frustrated that they weren't doing surgery first. I get it, now. I'm ready to start the chemo tomorrow!

I will do 3 months of a Chemo called Taxol. Likely I will be nauseated and my hair will fall out. I was motion sick most of my life, so I'm good with a burp bag. About half my hair fell out with the chemo I had in Tijuana, and it came back curly, so I can deal with losing my hair. Maybe it'll come back curly and maybe even with some color this time! Besides, my favorite hair is gone hair, so I'm the best person in the world to lose my hair. I'm okay with it.

Then I'll do 3 months of another Chemotherapy that uses 3 drugs; I think it's FAC. I'll learn more about that when we get closer to that time. (By then it'll be winter and I'll get to wear some of those knit hats!)

With the Taxol they tell me comes steroids which will make me gain weight. Oh, joy. Well, at least I'll know what's doing it to me, and I've been battling the bulge for the last 20 years, so this won't be new, either. At least I have a villain to blame and battling the bulge is way better than being dead. I can deal with it.

After 6 months of chemotherapy I will take a month to build my immune system and then we'll do surgery. After surgery we'll do 6 weeks of radiation; I think one treatment a day 5 days a week. My mom did that, so I can do it. I have only great examples set for me.

We are working to see if we can get an oncologist in Hawaii to do some of my chemotherapy according to instructions my doctor here gives. If we can get the doctors to agree, then we will make it happen. If it doesn't work, then we won't. Our friend in Hawaii is open for us to come or not, so we will if we can. If we can't it won't be the end of the world. God will open the doors if it works for His plan. If it doesn't fit into His plan, then we're good with it.

All that is certain now is what I have told you. Tomorrow we will be working on scheduling to make it all happen. They are pretty amazing here. Today I had to have blood pulled since we're doing chemo tomorrow and the girl was real ugly and snappy to me. Of all the people I've seen since we've been here she was the first who had missed the bedside manner training. Everyone else has been wonderful to me. I felt sorry for her; she must feel so out of place!

The pictures on the blog are Don and I dipping sukiyaki last night and then us at dinner tonight with Jim and Ann Nelson. Jim is another Itazuke alumni and his wife Ann is here having radiation treatments. It was wonderful to get to join them for dinner tonight at the Black Eyed Pea. God is so good to put precious people in our lives when we need them. He is so amazing! Thank you for being some of those precious people who God gives us right now. I thank Him for you and our many blessings!