10 Years Cancer Free, Now It’s Back?: My (New) Battle with Breast Cancer

Fighting cancer was not how I expected to start the New Year. January 2, 2014 however found me back in the chemotherapy clinic after almost 10 years cancer free. I had a newly installed infusion port and an aggressive chemotherapy combination ready to go. Unfortunately a low red blood cell count meant I needed a blood transfusion first and a procedure to remove the fluid from around my lungs. After those preliminaries I was back in the chemo clinic on January 6. A new battle with breast cancer metastasis has begun. In November I started experiencing shortness of breath. I attributed it to the patient population I serve. I could have easily acquired pneumonia from any one of them. This past year I truly worked on my health. I achieved my best weight; I worked with a naturopath to boost my immune system, and had significantly changed my eating habits and activity levels. This was a good year for me. Imagine my surprise when my primary doctor examined my lungs and immediately hospitalized me. I had developed pleural effusion. There was fluid building up in the space around my right lung. A biopsy during the draining of the fluid revealed a small mass on the lower right lobe; it was cancer – not lung cancer – but breast cancer. Despite all my efforts, it is back. My doctors are warriors and sprang into action. Every test was performed to reveal that cancer only has a small desperate hold on the corner of my lung. I on the other hand have much more. I have friends that...
Source: Life with Breast Cancer - Category: Cancer Authors: Tags: Breast Cancer Breast Cancer metastasis Fighting Cancer Source Type: blogs