3 Tumors, Mastectomy Mandatory

I have 3 tumors with inflamatory ductal carcinoma that span 4.9 centimeters, and I have been told that a mastectomy is mandatory. Honestly, I expected to hear that recommendation after researching info on multiple tumors in the breast. My lumps are not "in situ" or cancer that is contained within the milk duct. It is invasive--spreading into the rest of the breast tissue, and I really would have felt uneasy if the doctory had recommended a lumpectomy. I asked if the mastectomy would eliminate the need for chemo, because some people do not require chemo if the cancer is contained in the breast.

To find the answer, I went to the surgery center on Friday and had a sentinal node biopsy to see if the cancer had spread to any lymph nodes. I learned today that it has. Dr. Cross removed 4 nodes and only one was positive for cancer. It is good news for me that most of the lymph nodes did not have cancer. But I am going to go ahead and have the chemo since it has begun to spread to other parts of my body. The chemo will preceed the mastectomy, and will begin as soon as we can get it scheduled. Monday is a holiday, so it will be Tuesday before calls can be made to schedule the
next thing.

Besides cancer I have another problem that I would love for you to pray about:

I had one I.V. for the MRI on Thursday and another I.V. Friday for the sentinel node surgery, and both sites became inflamed. The one from the MRI sent a red streak up my arm, and so I have been laying around with an ice pack in my arm pit for the incision, which is two inches across and 2 1/2 inches deep, and with a heating pad on my lower arm to try to aid in the healing of the phlebitis. The 2 for 2 pattern of problems occurring in my veins from an I.V. is rather disturbing especially when you consider all the "Bee Stings" that are in my future. Personally, I think they should call the needle pokes "flea bites" since I'm getting phlebitis from it. (ha!)

Dr. Cross said when a vein has an acute inflamatory response they can never use that vein for and I.V. again. So I probably am going to have to have a port to start the chemo.

Love you all and thanks again for praying!