Thank you everyone for being so kind and supportive.

My oncotype test came back and I will not have to go through chemo, which is a major relief to me.

Looks like it will be just radiation and endocrine therapy.

So I have a lot to be thankful for as thanksgiving approaches.

I have been going through a bit of mourning for my old pre-cancer self and body but I know I will be happy with my new breasts once the scars are not quite so gruesome and once the swelling has subsided. I think on this cancer journey we all have moments where we need to let the sadness out and mourn, and then carry on.

Thank you all for being here and being you.

More blues.

Anyone else like the old fashioned Delta blues like I do?

"Middle East" by Ofra Haza.

A song I’ve loved for decades but have listened to a lot recently.

Hope you guys might enjoy this song and video as well.

KGMY, Missoula, Montana. 1972.

Ashkenazi heritage here, currently fighting breast cancer

No BRCA but still tons of breast cancer in the family.

I have noticed since my diagnosis of breast cancer, tons of ads are popping up

Everywhere, even on my TV, which shocked me, for meds targeting breast cancer or products for post surgery.

Really disturbing.

Mostly eaten with bread, like toast. It's quite delicious.

Helen Reddy, "Leave Me Alone"

Love this song and I have been listening to it non-stop lately. It has special significance for me right now. I’m sure we all have times when this song speaks for us.

+1 99% of the things I was horribly worried over, never ended up being true

Or happening.

And medical stuff…my goodness, test results can be wrong (that’s why lab tests that seem alarming are pretty much always repeated) and also without having that medical degree, we are going to be mistaken 99% of the time when we look things up.

I totally understand that urge to look things up though.

From my experience, and this is just anecdotal so it’s worthless, but for me, when a lab result or test has been troubling, the doctor calls immediately and discusses results with you.

For example, when my biopsy showed cancer, the doctor called me at home before she even posted the results to my chart.

Even with something less worrisome like my cholesterol being higher than recommended, the doc has staff call me to come in asap and discuss the results.

So in my experience, that is what doctors do when stuff is a little or a lot worrisome.

If no panicky sounding doctor has called, I wouldn’t worry until I got told by the doctor to worry.