Some days I think I know all about my breast cancer. Then I read or hear something that prompts me to ask more questions. Today I learned that I am HER2/neu positive. That has something to do with the protein found in my lump. Because I am positive, I may have to take a drug called Herceptin to reduce my chances of recurrence. I also found out that I have a score of 7 on the Bloom Richardson scale. This refers to the features of the lump. A low score would indicate a not-so-odd lump and a high score might reveal a bizarre lump with aggressive tendencies. My score falls right in the middle. I also know now that my chest x-ray was normal (no spread of cancer to the chest) and so was my heart test.

Today I also talked to someone about genetic counseling. I shared all kinds of family information and will meet with a counselor in March. At this point I can elect to have blood tests to determine if I carry a gene for breast cancer. My mom and sister can also be tested to see if they carry the gene.

Tomorrow I will go learn about chemotherapy specifics and about the port placement. The port will be placed in my chest on Friday at 8:00 am. Then I will await chemo which will begin sometime next week.