ALL SYSTEMS ARE A GO!

WOW!, a lot has happened since the genetic testing almost 2 weeks ago. Mom set up an appointment for a second opinion with her original surgeon from 19 years ago for Tuesday of this week, 9/13/11.

Despite the circumstances, she was thrilled to see her old Dr again! Yeah, it was like a mini reunion right there in the Dr's office! (see pic below) At any rate, the good news is that his opinion mirrors that of her surgeon over at Lahey. He agreed that her best course of action would be to have a mastectomy & rid herself of this problem, once & for all! This way, she can avoid the likelihood of the cancer coming back. And when I say likelihood, I'm talking a 95% chance that it WILL NOT come back in that breast. Yes, the breast will be gone, however, that doesn't mean that it can't surface in the tissue of the chest wall...again highly unlikely. So we were pretty happy with his recommendation, as Mom was very much leaning towards that direction. Below is a pic of Mom & her original surgeon from 19 years ago!

Today, Mom got a call from her team at Lahey saying that the genetic test results were in...EARLY!!! Her response: "Great! What the earliest appointment you have?" Lahey: "Today, in a couple of hours" Mom: "Fantastic, I'll take it!" And just like that we were off to an impromptu Dr's appointment at Lahey for the results. Drum roll please....

N.E.G.A.T.I.V.E. (woot! woot!) Mom started crying (happy tears of course) & I busted out in typical Hawkes fashion with a round of high fives & hugs! This is great news, as Mom gets to keep the other breast AND her ovaries! HA! Take that Ms. BC (Breast Cancer)! Ding ding ding...Mom-1: BC-big fat ZERO!

Next step, meet with the Dr to decide on her course of action. Our genetics counselor called the Dr to see if he could squeeze in a visit with Mom, since she was already there...lo & behold we were in chatting with her surgeon in less than 10 minutes! Mom was soooo happy to see the Dr because she "had a little surprise for him"...now here I go digressing again.

Let's rewind back to when Mom was told she had BC for the second time. You want to know what my Mom was most bummed out about? (well, clearly getting the diagnosis is dreadful enough) but MY MOM was so heartbroken, because she was fearful that she would not be able to reach her personal goal of running 6 miles for her 60th birthday this November. Now, please remember that this is a women who doesn't have an athletic bone in her body; she never participated or played sports when she was a kid (the little pipsqueak was too scared to!) Now, I'm not telling you anything that she wouldn't tell you herself. Even into her adulthood, Mom never really got into any competitive sports or activities. Sure, she's had long spurts where she would diligently workout at the gym, eat healthy & maintain a relatively fit lifestyle; however, I'm more or less talking about the competitive urge one gets to set & conquer a goal...like say running for example. For someone to start running well into her 50's, who has never ran before, well that is a feat in & of itself! (pun intended!) Two years ago, Mom set a goal to run 3 miles. I hopped on board & told her I would run with her every step of the way. Come Thanksgiving morning, off we went to run the Turkey Trot 5K in Newburyport. Since then, Mom's been pretty addicted to this running thing! Ok, we're at the Dr's appointment in August this year...Mom is told the news that the BC is back. One of the first things she said to me right there in the Dr's office was, "I'm not going to able to run my 6 miles before November!". I looked upon her, this tearful little soul who reminded me of a little bird with a broken wing. Ugh, I hated hearing those words! The Dr quickly retorted, "Oh yes you will be able to & I'll hold you to it!" Those words, I LOVED hearing!

Ok fast forward to today & the "little surprise" Mom had for her Dr...yeah, you know where this is going...Mom's delivery was pure perfection. "Dr, you remember that I was the one who wanted to run 6 miles before my 60th birthday? And do you remember what you said to me?" Dr: "Yes, I said that I will hold you to it". Mom: "Well, I ran 6.6 miles the other day! I was out running & didn't even plan on it, I just kept running. I didn't even know I ran that far until I drove the route later in my car & clocked it!".

Seriously, the word ROCKSTAR comes to mind then I think of this woman! My Mom is a fighter! Nothing will stop this woman. This BC has only fueled her fire, once again, and made her zest for life & LIVING so much more apparent. So once again, I thank you BC for making my mother the remarkable woman she has become. Mom, you never cease to amaze me!

Mind over matter folks...mind over matter!

The Dr was very happy to hear this, I on the other hand, was more than happy. It truly warmed my soul to see & hear my Mom's delivery of such news. No one was more proud of my Mom than me at that moment.

The appointment ended with my Mom telling the Dr that she has made her decision on the course of action she would like to take. Not looking back, she boldly stated her decision to the Dr; "I am going to have the mastectomy & am going to forgo having reconstruction of the breast. I feel it's the best decision for me". With a soft smile & a nod, we knew the Dr was happy with this decision.

And just like that, the surgery date was set for 9/27/11.

Mom, you are loved & cherished by so many family members & friends. We support your decision, 110%. I am so proud of you & love you with all of my heart! XOXOX ~Amy

Below from left to right...the news, the reaction to the news, the delivery of the news to Dad, & Dad's response to the news. I think we were more in shock that Dad actually knew how to text us back, let alone retrieve his text messages! Mom said, "The ONLY reason why there is not an "!" is because he has no idea how to do that!" Seriously...I love my family!