Why "The Unwanted Journey"

     I have been diagnosed with breast cancer.....the path it takes me is unkown and unwanted but I am determined to make the best of it.  So for some of you, here is the history leading up to this time and place on the journey.
    Six years ago, after a mammogram that showed a suspicious area, I had a biopsy of my right breast.  Although it was considered benign, it did show atypical hyperplasia which is essentially a pre-cancerous condition.  I traveled to Mayo Clinic for a second opinion where I became aquainted with Dr. Pruthi.  After much discussion and thought, I chose to go on a breast cancer prevention study.  I have traveled to Mayo every 6 months for the last 6 years.  The study was called the MAP3 and was examining aromatase inhibitors which keep your body from producing estrogen.  Aromatase inhibitors are well proven for the prevention of the recurrence of breast cancer but they wanted to know if it would prevent breast cancer in women like me with atypical hyperplasia.  It was a blind study with half the women in the study on the drug and the other half were on a placebo. I recently traveled back to Mayo for my last appointment in the 5 year MAP3 trial where during my check-up they did discover breast cancer.  Needless to say, they unblinded me in the study and I was taking the placebo.  The good news of the bad news is that it is categorized as stage1, grade1.  So for that and the early detection, I am extremely thankful.  Had I not been on the study I might not have been diagnosed as early.  I have chosen to do lumpectomy surgery which is scheduled for December 1 and after approximately a month of healing, I will travel back to Mayo clinic to begin 5 weeks of radiation treatment.  I am thinking the surgery will be a piece of cake compared to my shoulder surgery after my car accident, but I am thinking the radiation won't be all that much fun.  But then again, it might be fun just from the aspect of my daughter, Krista, who lives in Rochester, is good friends with some of the girls in the radiation therapy department. I am sure they will take good care of me. God is good in so many ways.
     My doctors at Mayo are amazing, caring and compasionate.  I have much faith in their abilities and I know that God will be with me through all of this.  I am confident that all will be OK when I have completed this journey.  The name for my blog was from a friend who said she would pray for me while I traveled this unwanted path. So thank you Ginny!!  I am so thankful for my many praying friends who have come along side to lift me up in prayer.
    So you are invited to join me on this "Unwanted Journey" with breast cancer.  I will update this as time goes along and things happen.  Right now we are 16 days and counting until the surgery.  Hugs to all!!!