Could be a lot worse.
Just a quick update for those interested. As I said earlier in the thread, my wife has been diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, a type of breast cancer. Fortunately she has had regular mammography every six months, more or less, so this was detected early.
We found a good doctor out of Sibley Hospital in the District. She's a surgeon who operates exclusively on breast cancer patients. The good news is that a full blown mastectomy will not be required, but rather a lumpectomy, in which they remove only the small area in which the carcinoma has nested.
Her operation is scheduled for this coming Monday afternoon. She's been pretty strong for the most part, but I've found her crying in solitude once or twice. She's worried about this operation, her job, about me, about her son, so many things. She feels better once I get her to talk about what's bothering her, but that's easier said than done, and I don't always succeed.
Still, I'm hopeful and optimistic that the operation will go smoothly, and we'll be able to put most of this behind us. I say "most of this" because once somebody contracts cancer, it changes their life. They have to forever after watch their diet carefully, and be ever vigilant for recurrance.
Thank God, sounds like no metastasis! YAY!
