Nodules & Nodes...

As promised - here's an update on what's been going on with my breast cancer treatment planning and screenings. I've listed everything out so you can follow along chronologically. The photo is of an amazing tacky lit tree I drove past in a nearby neighborhood last month. It reminds me of the chaos that ensued once I heard the words "we did find cancer" again, all while trying to create birthday and holiday magic for my kids. Based on my CT results, this tree also resembles what my insides must look like when the IV contrast lights up with magnetic resonance and gamma rays. ;)

• 12/6/24 My annual breast MRI showed a cloudy suspicious spot in my right breast that warranted further review.
• 12/12/24 The radiologist who read my initial MRI conducted an MR-guide needle biopsy of the suspicious area. 
• 12/17/24 The radiologist sat down with Mike and me to explain that cancer was found in the biopsied sample, and I needed to meet with an oncology surgeon for next steps. Luckily, the one they recommended is the one I knew I wanted to work with if this ever became a reality...and here we are. 
• 12/17/24 Receive call from oncologist to discuss diagnosis and how it will impact my current treatment protocol. She explained that I'll probably be forced into menopause via surgery once I recover from the breast surgery. Great...can't wait for all that comes along with that. I was also advised to continue taking my current medication until a surgical plan is in place. Ugh! 
• 12/23/24 Met with breast surgeon for initial evaluation and surgical options. Obtained list of recommended plastic surgeons. The surgeon ordered two additional screenings to rule out metastasis in other areas of my body.
• 12/27/24 Visited nuclear medicine to have a bone scan conducted, along with a CT of my neck, chest and pelvis. This is routine for someone with a reoccurrence, but these additional tests were new to me.
• 12/30/24 Received clear results on my bone scan - yay! The doctor also confirmed that my cancer is once again ER/PR+/Her2- which means I do not need to undergo chemotherapy - big YAY! I wasn't so lucky when it came to the CT scan of the neck, chest and pelvis. Further testing would be needed to classify and grade nodules that were found on my thyroid and liver. They found other anomalies in other organs but are leaving those alone for the time being because they are not concerning. Okay, we're trusting the process...
• 1/7/25 Back to the radiation department to have a thyroid ultrasound and an abdominal MRI (liver). Tried to get a vibe from both technicians and they were keeping their thoughts and opinions to themselves. I couldn't charm my way into getting my favorite Rad Tech to spill it when it came to what he saw on the screen. And so, we wait.
• 1/13/25 Meet with a recommended plastic surgeon to go over reconstruction options after double mastectomy.
• 1/14/25 Meeting with oncology surgeon to discuss thyroid and liver screening results - discuss if any action is needed there, and if not, move on to discussing my breast surgical plan and whether I liked the plastic surgeon I met with the day prior.
• (Canceled) 1/29/25 Meet with another plastic surgeon who I feel more comfortable with, but their schedule is booked further out. FYI - my top pick in plastic surgeons isn't available until May, and I've decided that I can't put my life on hold for that long.

In between these appointments there have been numerous phone calls from the hospital's pre-approval department letting me know that my insurance company has not approved certain tests that my doctor specifically ordered to rule out additional cancers. Really fun times, y'all. Fortunately, it has worked out each time, and the paperwork eventually gets filed correctly, but it adds to the strain and mental load when you have to worry about paying out-of-pocket for expensive tests you didn't expect to need in the first place. 

I'll post again when I know more. Thank you for your support and well wishes. I read every note on FB/IG and LinkedIn. It means the world to me to have such a huge community behind me in this fight!

~Linné

Update as of January 20th:

• 1/13/25 Mike and I met with the plastic surgeon my oncology surgeon recommended, and we felt good vibes and came up with a solid reconstruction plan. It wasn't all good news, but I've decided to trust the process and orient my mindset to recognize that any result that's non-cancerous is an upgrade, so I need to roll with it. Let's just say I'll look more like this (--)(--) vs. (o)(o). 
• Yes, I can get the fancy medical tattoos of 3D nipples later down the road. I also know Amy Black is probably the best in the biz, and she'll be my first pick if I decide to go that route, but I'm going to sit with what I'm calling my "ghost boobs" for a while and see how I feel about them. If I weren't laughing, I'd be curled up on my bathroom floor in a puddle!
• 1/14/25 We met with my oncology surgeon to go over the liver and thyroid results from the previous tests. My liver was cleared, and the nodules that were found are benign and don't need further exploration. My thyroid nodule was still a bit concerning so I'm moving forward with a biopsy to make sure it's nothing to worry about. It was recommended that my thyroid continue to be monitored annually to track growth in any of the other nodules they saw on imaging. We decided to move forward with the plastic surgeon we met with the day prior, and I was able to schedule my surgery at the close of this appointment. I didn't want to wait to meet with another plastic surgeon at the end of the month, only to be confused by any differences in procedures that might have been offered. I trusted the honest approach of the first doctor, his reputation is impeccable, and my oncology surgeon works well with him and trusts his techniques in the operating room. I cancelled the appt. with the other plastics doc.
• 1/20/25 We met with the chosen plastic surgeon to sign paperwork, take "before" pictures, and go over any and all questions I had about the surgery, recovery and healing process. It was a lot to take in, but I feel good about everything. 
• 1/21/25 A few hours of pre-op testing at the hospital.
• 1/22/25 I'll be working at the KEVA Studio in Midlothian from 11-5 pm if you'd like to stop by for a visit. Otherwise, I'm hunkering down and avoiding events and crowds to maintain my health before surgery.
• 1/23/25 Aforementioned thyroid biopsy at the hospital. 
• 1/29/25 The BIG day. Surgery will be an all-day affair. I've booked a one-night stay.
• 1/30/25 If all looks good, I'll get to go home and sleep off the remainder of the meds.
• 1/31/25 I'll start adjusting to my t-rex arms and limited mobility.
• I'll be recovering at home with restrictions on movement, lifting, and driving for most of February. 

A group of awesome friends, led by Emily Oyan, has organized a Meal Train website for us to help Mike manage meals and provide some ease and normalcy for the kids. Here's the link if you'd like to drop something off or send an e-gift card. There's a calendar of days where Mike thinks a meal would be great to have on hand.
Meal Train for The Diiorio Family

My recovery requires a lot of additional accessories that I didn't need the first time around, so through the guidance of a sweet friend, and recent survivor, I've created an Amazon Wishlist/Registry if you'd like to support me in this way. Thank you!

More updates to come when I have more to share. Thank you for following along!

​~Linné
(This photo serves as inspiration for getting through this. I honestly want to relax on a beach and watch the waves roll in when this is all said and done!)