Home from Hospital


Ann is home from the hospital. While she recuperates we await the pathology report.

Ann came home from the hospital this afternoon (Sunday, 1/19/03) and seems to be regaining more of her strength and energy every minute.

As you recall, Ann scheduled her lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy for Friday (1/17/03) afternoon and was expected to come home that night.

We were very disappointed to learn that apparently the cancer was not completely contained in her breast. The sentinel nodes showed micrometastatic disease (<2 mm) and consequently an additional procedure called an axillary lymph node dissection was preformed. The procedure involves the removal of the lymph nodes under her arm on the same side as the diseased breast. The purpose of removing these lymph nodes is to head off the spread of breast cancer cells to the rest of her body through the lymphatic system.

Unfortunately, axillary lymph node dissection also increases Ann's lifetime chance of her arm swelling due to insufficient lymphatic drainage, a condition called lymphedema. More information about lymphedema is available online.

  http://imaginis.com/breasthealth/lymphedema.asp

The post-operative pain as well as the recovery time from an axillary lymph node dissection is much greater than for a lumpectomy. Consequently Ann spent both Friday and Saturday nights at Evanston Hospital. We expect Ann to be home recuperating from her surgical wounds for 1-2 weeks before getting back to work.

During our on Saturday morning (1/18/03) consultation, Ann's surgeon, Dr. David P. Winchester, said that he was surprised to find micrometastatic disease in the sentinel lymph nodes because the pathology of the breast biopsies did not seem that advanced. He looks forward to the complete pathology reports on the breast tissue as well as the sentinel and axillary lymph nodes for insight into this apparent inconsistency. Nevertheless, he said that this discovery changes Ann's treatment plan. Prior to the surgery, the plan was surgery followed by radiation; no chemotherapy was expected. The existence of metastatic disease means that chemotherapy will be added to Ann's treatment plan. He said that he expects a medical oncologist to recommend four treatments every three weeks beginning several weeks from now. A few weeks after chemotherapy is completed Ann will begin six weeks of daily radiation therapy.

Full pathology reports on the removed breast tissue as well as the sentinel and axillary lymph nodes will be key to understanding Ann's cancer and this understanding will determine her treatment plan as well as prognosis.

We expect the pathology reports no sooner than Tuesday (1/21/03) and possibly not until Wednesday (1/22/03). We will update you some time soon after the reports come out.

Thanks once again for all your cards and emails expressing hope and encouragement. When Ann came out of surgery she already had four get well cards that came in Friday's mail! Thanks too to Ann's and Nello's families for their hospital visits.

Wish us luck on Tuesday (or Wednesday).

Love

Ann and Nello

Posted: Sun - January 19, 2003 at 12:00 AM        

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