Breast Cancer Redux

Here's part of my story: 

Under my old health plan through COBRA, a second surgery was covered, but my mammograms (which generally are two-parters, due to irradiated tissue/need for ultrasound) were not completely covered. 

Last year this time, I discovered what appeared to be a keloid on the right side of my sternum.  It is exactly where underwrire bras hit me, and so that team and I basically said "check into it".  Why didn't I?  Doctor appointment exhaustion?  Billing & records concerns?

Thus, a year later, the little scar had changed size a bit.  For something completely unrelated, after I had visited a dermatology PA twice, I went to the Dermatologist she then recommended.  I asked, "so long as I am here, what about this?"  He immediately took a biopsy.  It was malignant breast cancer involving the dermis. 

It is not particularly operable right now, but wer're all happy the PET scan indicating that it is a "when you see is what you get" growth, not metastatic.  So, neoadjuvant therapy. 

We'll see how much and how quickly the growth becomes operable, excise it, and hopefully go at radition with a cycberknife, because of it's location in "Beverly Hills Adjacent" -- where the last radiation happened -- and then probably adjuvant chemo. 

I'm a "no monkeying with my hormones" person as well as a "I will suffer every listed side effect for every drug prescribed."  This persists beyond menopause.  I know it can be tough when doctors hear this, especially before relationships to patients form. 

Many people research their prescriptions and develop listed side effects subsequently.
But others, like myself, without being armed with information, are led to wonder, why on earth do I seem to have chemically-induced suicidal ideation?  Where is the x, y, and z problem coming from? 

Many people will look up cures, use message boards, or glean information from not particularly official sources.  That's not me. 

Thank heavens I forewent reconstruction surgery!!!