Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
I have washed and combed my hair for the last time for the next few months. Tonight I will let my family have at it with a set of clippers. Today it is covered with a scarf, mainly to keep anymore from falling out. I will try to post pictures tomorrow.
I just had my follow up with the surgeon and she said everything is looking good. I'll go back to her again in four months. I did get some more clarification on the debate about the margins from a few weeks ago. It seems that the margin that was of concern was next to another section that was also removed. Think of her removing two half-circles. The margin of concern was along the flat edge of one half. When combined with the other half, the margin became closer to the 0.5 cm goal and so is not as bothersome. I also got a final copy of the hormone receptor tests that were done to the tumor. The numbers were a little different than on the biopsy, so I'm not really sure what this means. ER came back as 10% positive; it had been 90% on the biopsy. PR was 83%; 90% on biopsy. HER2 was 1+ on both tests. They also tested for something called Ki-67. I don't really know what this means yet, but it has something to do with how fast the tumor was growing. >10% is considered low, between 10 and 20% borderline, and above 20% high. My tumor came back as 62%.
Basically, Merle was a fast growing little bastard. The next time I see an oncologist, and I'm still not sure who the next one I see will be, I will ask what this means as well as what the change in hormone receptor numbers means.
I just had my follow up with the surgeon and she said everything is looking good. I'll go back to her again in four months. I did get some more clarification on the debate about the margins from a few weeks ago. It seems that the margin that was of concern was next to another section that was also removed. Think of her removing two half-circles. The margin of concern was along the flat edge of one half. When combined with the other half, the margin became closer to the 0.5 cm goal and so is not as bothersome. I also got a final copy of the hormone receptor tests that were done to the tumor. The numbers were a little different than on the biopsy, so I'm not really sure what this means. ER came back as 10% positive; it had been 90% on the biopsy. PR was 83%; 90% on biopsy. HER2 was 1+ on both tests. They also tested for something called Ki-67. I don't really know what this means yet, but it has something to do with how fast the tumor was growing. >10% is considered low, between 10 and 20% borderline, and above 20% high. My tumor came back as 62%.
Basically, Merle was a fast growing little bastard. The next time I see an oncologist, and I'm still not sure who the next one I see will be, I will ask what this means as well as what the change in hormone receptor numbers means.
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