Well, it's officially one month until we hit the road for the 3-Day! Wow, it seemed like we had so much time to prepare and yet we did so little preparation! I'm trying to keep my excitement at bay, just so I don't make these last 4 weeks pass too slowly!
On a more important front, Gina is just days away from her lumpectomy. This Friday, she will have dye injected into her breast to make her lymph nodes easier to follow. They will start with the lymph nodes closest to the breast and work their way up to her armpit looking for cancer cells hiding there. They will also remove tissue around where her tumor once was. The goal is to get "clean margins," meaning that they want to take out all the cancer-damaged cells plus an edge of normal cells. Having an edge of normal cells all around the tissue they take out means they got it all.
From what I have read, the armpit is actually the most tender part after a surgery like this. Swelling in the affected arm is common, as is the inability to raise your hands over your head (like to get dressed). After surgery, there will be radiation treatments...five days a week for 6-8 weeks to be exact. But, by most accounts, the worst is over now that chemo is over. I am hoping this is true!
Please keep Gina in your thoughts this weekend.
Love,
Lisa
PS The 3-Day has announced the address for camp mail! If you would like to send us a letter that we will receive over the weekend of the walk, please mail it NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 8 to:
3-Day for the Cure
ATTN: Lisa Brubaker
P.O. Box 722485
San Diego, CA 92172
Great team name, love it! My organization, Good Days from Chronic Disease Fund, offers financial assistance to chronic disease sufferers, including those with breast cancer, that cannot afford the medication they desperately need. To find out more about our organization, or to get involved, visit our website! http://www.gooddaysfromcdf.org
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