When it all started.....

January 2011 I felt a lump in the top portion of my left breast.  I had felt one about two years ago, and through testing the lump was benign.  I knew I needed to get a mammogram as soon as possible but wasn't too worried.  To make a long story shorter, I had a mammogram, a week later an ultrasound, and a few days after that biopsies.  On February 14th, the Love Holiday, Dr. Moonatt called me at school to tell me I had breast cancer, and she wanted to see Greg and I tomorrow at her office.  Thank God Chris Kuempel was in my room working on RtI with me at the time; who is a cancer survivor.  Greg and I found out I have invasive ductile carcinoma which is about 80% of all breast cancers.  She recommended an Oncologist, and said we were waiting on the hormone receptors to determine the type of cancer.  Dr. Moonatt called school again to give me good news, and bad news.  The good news was that my liver and chest show no sign of cancer from the lyphmnodes; bad news is my cancer is a triple negative.  That means it is not Estrogen, Progestern, or Her2 fed cancer.  On February 18th we decided to get second opinion from MD Anderson.  Two and half weeks felt like forever, but on March 4 we met with Dr. Ronald Walters (really smart dude) who visited with us for 1 1/2 hours and explained everything.  He wanted all ultrasounds and mammograms redone at MD Anderson.  These people are thorough!  Since cancer is Triple Negative, plan is chemo first, then surgery, and possible radiation.