Just wanted to post a mini-update - my Mom's breast cancer lumpectomy was moved up, and she had it done today instead of on the 16th.

They kept her in the operating room while waiting to hear back from pathology - the margins are clear and they got it all.

Just wanted to say thank you all so much for your support and for posting your experiences with this - it really helped me a whole lot, and I was even able to tell my Mom that some "online style friends" had written to me and said that the radiation wasn't too awful and so on.

The thing to remember? My Mom had gotten a reminder card in the mail from the provincial health care dept. to get her mammogram. She'd put it off and then when she was cleaning out a junk drawer in her kitchen, she came across the reminder card and booked her mammogram.

This thing was caught in the nick of time. It was DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ), but it was 'grade 3 with necrosis' by the time she got around to going for her mammogram.

Please make sure you get your mammograms, even if it seems like a hassle. Mom got the reminder card in May or so, and shoved it into a kitchen drawer. Later on, early summer - she was cleaning up stuff in the kitchen, including organizing the 'junk drawer' and came across that card suggesting it was time for her mammogram appt. She booked it and threw the reminder card into the recycle bin. Figured it'd be another one of those routine tests/hassle-y type things. Well, this time - they found something - and they found it early, in the nick of time. The cancer had turned aggressive (grade 3 and necrotizing), while still "in-situ" (contained).

Anyway - they got it all. Here's to cleaning out drawers and 'getting organized'. Mom came across that card, reminding her it was time for her mammogram appt. and just picked up the phone and booked the thing. Promptly tossed the card into the trash, thinking nothing of it.

Here's to taking action when cleaning out drawers and/or closets. I'm so glad my Mom didn't put that mammogram reminder card into a 'holding zone' or a "I'll deal with it later" pile.

Mom's home, safe - and the lumpectomy came back 'all clear' in terms of the margins (so she won't need a re-excision later).

Whew!

Haven't slept too well the last few nights, but am so relieved that things were fast-tracked and fixed ASAP.

Thanks again for all of your support and kindness - it helped so much. You have no idea. It's so easy to get swamped with all kinds of information, and it was incredibly helpful to hear from real people who'd been there, and it was also extremely comforting to feel supported from an amazing group of people at YLF.

I think my Mom's going to be ok. Meanwhile, I feel very grateful to YLF'ers for 'being there' for me - thank you! Nothing worse than being thousands of miles from home when this kind of thing happens.

Thanks again