Team Buring Raises Over $1,000 for Komen for the Cure!

What a day!!!!  I am still very emotional just thinking about it!

First of all, a HUGE thanks to Team Buring (pictured above - L to R Bottom Row -- Charley and Ethel Hoffman (My Amazing In-Laws), Me, and Bill Lampe (Brother-In-Law/Shauna's husband) // L to R Top Row -- Steve Hoffman (my hubby), Jake Lampe (nephew), Sharon Stuard (sister), Lisa Donnelly (friend/"sista" from birth), and Shauna Buring (sister). 

Second of all, an ENORMOUS THANKS to all those that donated to the cause!  At this time, we have raised $1,075!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Which is pretty darn amazing considering we didn't even start until Thursday!  Donations are accepted through October 31, so it's not too late! :-)

Over 18,000 participants for the day (over 700 of those are Survivors)!  You can ask any of us girls in the group....it was emotional to say the least.  As I had mentioned, my plastic surgeon had instructed me not to walk (with drains just out) so Steve (my "co-survivor" and "rock") hung with me while the rest of the Team enjoyed a beautiful morning walk of 3.1 miles!  You may think Steve got the easy duty, however, given my emotional state he actually ended up with quite the challenge. :-) 

As we waited at the Finish Line, we saw my breast surgeon!  (see picture below)  Clearly, I am a survivor due to her skill in manually detecting the lump that started it all.  I have been seeing her for about 9 years and grown comfortable with her very direct style.  So it only seemed fitting that she told me "you could have walked it" and told Steve "what's your excuse?". 

We all crossed the Finish Line together (they said it was okay for me to cross the finish line since I was only 45 days post surgery) and again....very emotional.  I will just say, the volunteers who make this race and fundraising event (over $1M was raised in total) happen are amazing! 

After the race there was an official Survivor Celebration that took place inside Great American Ball Park (GABP).  The survivors sat together, were honored and then filed onto the field for a group picture.  We spelled out "hope" with a ribbon outline above it (I'll post the picture once it is published).  Funny comment - of course most of you know me very well and that I am a fairly organized and methodical person.  So the first thing my sisters said to me when we rejoined was "were you going crazy that they couldn't organize the picture any more efficiently?!"  To which I said "YES!"  So just imagine about 500 people filing onto the baseball field (not in single file of course) and being loosely guided to stand on these ropes that spelled something (but we didn't even know what at that time).  It all works out in the end but I really think I could have shaved about 10 minutes off the exercise with a little instruction and discipline.  :-)

At this point, I know you are thinking...."I want to do that next year with Team Buring!"  Well, you can!  I'll let you know when and where and we will strive to grow our Team and have even more fun celebrating, walking and crying together than we did this year! 

To cap the event, we had our own private celebration / luncheon (thanks to Steve) at Rock Bottom Brewery!  Our friends James, Carrie and Quin joined us (they had walked in honor of Tracy who lost her battle with breast cancer this past year) and it was great to catch up with them!  It was very enjoyable and certainly a memorable day for me!  To think I am at a 45 days survivor status (actually not really officially a survivor for five years I think but what the heck else are you supposed to call yourself?) is quite amazing.  My nap was a great one yesterday and my 12 hours of sleep even better!  Taking it very easy today!

Again, thanks to all!  Each and every one of you are helping me get through every day and to continue to heal and grow in all ways!

A"Coming Out" Party Like No Other!

While that statement can mean many things, for me it means......MY DRAINS ARE OUT!!!!!!!!  Oh my gosh, you don't know (or some of you do actually) how fantastic that feels!  Five weeks those darn things were hanging out of each side.  Yes, I know the benefits and appreciate what they were doing for me.  However, they were very annoying from a trying to get through the day standpoint.  (Showering - ugh!, Blousey tops that hid the bulbs - ugh!  You get the point!)

Now I have about a 5 - 7 day "risk" period to further watch for infection and to make certain my body absorbs the fluids.  The Doctor said, getting through this upcoming weekend will be key. 

Night One with drains out was a little more painful than I had expected (Perc and Val were my friends).  Night Two was great!  I actually was able to roll on my side (VERY carefully) and sleep like that.  After five weeks of "flat on my back" sleeping, that felt wonderful!  And I moved into my Big Girl bed! :-)  No more couch for me (except for napping).  Still can't sleep with Steve....he has been known to flail around at times which would not be good right now.  Was that TMI?!

Also received another "fill" while at the Doctor's office.  Very strange sensation!  It makes you feel like a "DD" or bigger, but that is just the "tissue expanders" working their magic.  (Todd - get your mind out of the gutter!)

Overall, my energy has been pretty good and I was feeling much stronger.  Drains out (and the fill) causing a slight set-back due to the tenderness they have caused.  But still trying to walk (although gliding is actually preferable - no bouncing welcome here) at least once a day. 

It is pretty easy to update everyone on my physical state.  My mental state is a bit more challenging.  I have a feeling there will be many phases on that front. 

My "Coming Out" party was a delicious dinner at Maggiano's with a glass of wine.  Yes, I have my wine taste buds back.  I didn't want to alarm anyone but was getting quite worried they might be gone forever. 

Thanks to all for your congratulatory messages on the No Chemo!  It was and remains to be quite a relief!

Have a great day!  Remember to celebrate my "Coming Out" tonight!  :-) 

XOXOXO to all
Susan

The Breast Cancer Formula (according to Susan)

Breast Cancer = Surgery + Chemotherapy + Hair Loss + Nausea    

Right?!  That is how we typically think of “the steps” once diagnosed with breast cancer.

However, I am one of the fortunate few that will stop at

Breast Cancer = Surgery + Hormonal Therapy!   YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!

In a nutshell, I’ll be taking a drug called Tamoxifen for the next five years.  And I will NOT need chemotherapy or radiation therapy. 

This really is terrific news!  But I must admit…..I was a bit concerned at first.  I thought everything always pointed to chemo.  However, after consulting with the Oncologist and reviewing all the pathology details of my cancer, this direction DID/DOES make sense.  For you “detail junkies” out there, here are a few stats:

              My Oncotype DX – Breast Cancer Recurrence Score = 16 (out of possible 100)

              Those patients who had a Recurrence Score of 16 had an Average Rate of Distant Recurrence of 10% (95% CI: 7% - 13%)

              Node Negative, ER-Positive Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Benefit – Approximately 2% (Risks associated 1%) for a Net Benefit of 1%

So WOW WOW WOW! 

We are definitely celebrating tonight! 

Pizza and wine (for Steve) / water (for me)! 

My sisters are really happy too because in a very weak moment, they had agreed to shave their heads with me (well, not really Shauna because shaving her hair just wouldn’t be right).  But Sharon was right there with me on it!  Steve too!  The side effects of Tamoxifen pale in comparison (fatigue, hot flashes, mood swings (or at least that is the excuse I will use), etc.).

Remember when I said all the test results just keep guiding me along in my decision making?  This is another perfect example! 

We wanted to get the GREAT NEWS out today!  Stay tuned tomorrow for some side notes to our Doctor visit and other updates ….   

Please celebrate with us tonight!  Pop a cork, a bottle cap, the faucet, a can….whatever your pleasure!  

The positive mojo you ALL have been sending my way has paid off BIG today!!!  THANK YOU!

Below are just some links and details about Chemotherapy and Hormonal Therapy in case you are interested:

Chemotherapy is the general term for any treatment involving the use of chemical agents to stop cancer cells from growing. Chemotherapy can eliminate cancer cells at sites great distances from the original cancer. As a result, chemotherapy is considered a systemic treatment.^1,2   www.chemotherapy.com

Hormonal Therapy

Hormones naturally occurring substances in the body that stimulate the growth of hormone-sensitive tissues, such as the breast or the prostate gland.¹

When cancer forms in breast or prostate tissue, its growth and spread may be caused by the body's own hormones. Therefore, ways to fight cancer include drugs that block hormone production or change the way hormones work, and the removal of organs that secrete hormones, such as the ovaries or testicles.²

Hormone therapy, similar to chemotherapy, is a systemic (not local) treatment—it may affect cancer cells throughout the body.³

In addition to hormonal therapy, chemotherapy is another way to treat cancer. Learn more about treating cancer with chemotherapy.

Getting Better Everday!

Yes, that's a song!  Who sings it?

I really am getting stronger and a little better everyday!  Which is nice!  I'll take any and all the progress I can get! 

Still can't drive, can't lift more than 10 lbs (you would really be surprised how everything seems to weigh more than 10 lbs -- including just shifting your body), definitely lost lung capacity -- but feel a ton better than 3 weeks ago!  So I'll take it!  Oh yeah, the drains are STILL in.  You will hear the celebration when those things come out -- trust me!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  We live next to a catholic church and school and their Oktoberfest was this past weekend.  They had a few rides, game booths, auctions and bands.   It just so happened that the kids would be just about in front of our house when they spotted the rides.  The squeals of delight and amazement were so cute.  They kept me chuckling all weekend long.

What do I miss most?  That probably changes everyday and aside from not being able to do whatever I want (like open a window for example), I miss cooking!  Funny, I wouldn't have guessed that leading into all this.  Lesson - appreciate the little things that you do (they may not be so little some day).  :-)

Fill 'er Up!

A little surprising yesterday when we went to the Doctor's (Plastic Surgeon) office yesterday and they were ready to "do a fill" as they call it.  Hmmmmm, just when I am starting to have mostly good days.  But she said "it wouldn't be like starting over".  And that is when you want to say, excuse me but have you ever had this done yourself?  In the end though, you do want progress so you may as well go with it!  60cc's more per side were added (this is added to the tissue expanders) in a relatively pain-free process.  The definition of pain takes on a whole new meaning every day!  This felt more like someone just sat on your already sore chest.  And then later the pressure was joined by pain.  So for those of you that thought I went off the pain meds a little too quick, you will be happy to know I fell asleep with the aid of a Percocet and Valium last night.  Boy did I sleep well!  :-)

I made an exciting discovery yesterday!  I have somewhat mastered the waist down stretch. Now you may think that is easy but just try it! Laying down, see if you can really stretch (you know that morning stretch that feels oh so good) but just from the waist down (no arms, no head or neck, and certainly nothing that makes the chest area even tweak). Yeah, that's right....it is pretty darn hard to do!  I have been surprised at how involuntary the morning stretch really is.  Feels like your body just does it without any brain command. 

Today is a great day!  It's FRIDAY!  Yeah, even though I am not "working", there is still something great about knowing it's Friday!  My pain is being eased by Tylenol, I don't have to shower today (gross to some of you I know), and the girls are getting together for a quick happy hour tonight.  Fun Fun Fun!  Of course, my happy hour is water or Gatorade -- woohoo! 

I hope you have a great Friday and an even better weekend! 
Blog Soon!

Shout Outs!!!!!

It is really too bad I didn't think of it sooner, but the picture above is a mere sampling of the wonderful gifts, flowers and cards received!  (If you don't see your gift here it just means I could not carry it or retrieve myself.)  Isn't it amazing?!  All so thoughtful, creative, comforting, entertaining and delicious!

I thought you would enjoy seeing and hearing about some of the items.  So every day or so, I plan to add a couple of specific "Shout Outs!" over on the right hand side of the page (no particular order....so you may have to check the site everyday to make certain you see your "Shout Out!").

Speaking of everyday....sorry I don't blog everyday.  And that sometimes it is actually a few days in between.  Honestly, typically that means I am either in a "dark" mood or really tired.  What, you thought I was positive, perky and upbeat everyday?!  Silly!  Just ask Steve and my sisters....they can tell you I am not always the pleasant, funny Susan you have come to know and love.  :-)

Today, I am feeling pretty good (and relatively strong)!  That is very welcome because I had about three days where that was definitely NOT the case.  Lot's of pain which is just exhausting to manage.  I figure there will probably be phases to this recovery process and that is to be expected. 

Update from the Doctor visit last week -- the breast surgeon was pleased with my overall progress.  She reviewed some test results with us which were encouraging to hear.  First of all, while the tumors were only in the right breast, the left breast revealed clusters of atypical cells (soon to be cancer).  So the double mastectomy was definitely the right thing to do!  The lymph node was negative so they don't believe the cancer has spread.  (These of course are my very simple layman's terms and I couldn't remember if we had previously revealed these details or not.)  And as expected, she did recommend an oncologist and I have an appointment next Thursday, September 16th.  (Really?!  This was the soonest you could get me in?  Are you kidding me?  Do you know how much "stuff" hinges on this consultation?!)  So I am still setting my expectations of having to go through chemo (but there are some outside chances this could be where I get "lucky").  More to come on that next Friday!

Back to the picture above.  The gift display area is doubling as my "home" for the past three weeks.  So that couch you see under the gifts is my bed!  :-)  This is a side room to our house and we chose this area because it is on the first floor, very sunny and open (plus if you look in the background you will also notice it is our "bar" which is quite convenient ;-) ).  So generally a pretty cheery place to be.  I am really looking forward to sleeping in a bed again (soon) but until my drains come out (one on each side) this just seems the safest thing to do.  Can't roll over and no one to bother me or "the goods". 

Well, here's hoping I post tomorrow!  :-)  Hope you had a great holiday weekend!  Just think, this work week is already half over!!!!

Take care!

Ladies and Gentleman -- We are in a holding pattern.....

What I mean is, things are good (great actually) and progress is steady.  But there are not a lot of daily accomplishments to report on at this time.  I mean do you really want to hear that I watched daytime TV for the first time in 2 weeks yesterday?  And now I know why I don't watch daytime TV!  Or that I took another nap today!  :-)  Some of you are probably jealous of that aspect of the recovery!  Every day I definitely get stronger.  The pain remains about the same for now...tolerable. 

Tomorrow is another Doctor appointment....this time with the Breast Surgeon.  She will check my healing progress and discuss some pathology results (http://www.genomichealth.com/  Genomic testing / Oncotype DX if you are familiar/interested) that will assist in determining if or what the chemotherapy path will be.  She will actually be referring me to an Oncologist who will analyze those results and consult with us on the need / benefits of chemotherapy.  So I won't actually know tomorrow about chemo (although I REALLY wish I would) but I am guessing get the referral and hopefully be able to schedule that consultation sometime next week. 

I don't know if everyone knows but my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 47 (same as me right now) and didn't even make it two years.  Hers was definitely more advanced (they didn't really talk "stages" 25 years ago) but she did go into remission for a short time after the surgery/chemo before discovering it had spread.  My point of telling this is that I am amazed at how far things have come since then.  Starting with awareness, diligence and so many medical advances.  At every turn in this process there has been a test / result to assist in making the next decision.  While eradication of breast cancer (all cancer actually) is desired and a "cure" would be a great second choice, we are very fortunate to live in times of such medical advancements.

So on a more positive note, here we are about to enter a three day holiday weekend (in the US anyway)!  I am thinking about a manicure (didn't count on the fact that it would be rather hard to file my own nails), lunch out with my sisters and maybe a cookout (barbecue for those who prefer that term).  How about you?  What are your plans for the holiday weekend?!  Whatever they may be......ENJOY!