Great news!!!

Last month’s trip to the specialist yielded some seriously awesome results.

First of all, I still have LCIS but for the first time in 6 months, I was told I didn’t have cancer. Obviously amazing, but also very confusing.

The “C” in LCIS stands for carcinoma, so the word “cancer” is often used interchangeably. (I KNOW. Don’t even get me started.) My specialist, Dr. Hope, explained to me that LCIS - lobular carcinoma in situ - is NOT cancer. But it’s a sign that the woman who has it is 10 times as likely to develop cancer, over the course of her lifetime, than a woman who doesn’t have LCIS. It’s the same risk you’d be at if your mother and sister both had cancer. So I may not have cancer, but I AM more likely to get it than most women I know.

My first thought was that of relief. I am going to ROCK these marathons for ALL other women going through this shit.

My second thought was, WTF??? So I just live with this? What’s the treatment for this? Or do I just have to wait around for 30 years to see if I get cancer?

Dr. Hope explained that the treatment depends on my comfort level which, thankfully, is a-ok. I told her that I wouldn’t be running all twelve marathons if it wasn’t. She looked at me like I had two heads for even running one. She didn’t strike me as much of an athlete. Or even a people-person.

Basically, if I don’t have any strong genetic risk factors (I don’t) and feel able to handle the fact that I’m pre-disposed to breast cancer (meh) the course of action recommended most often is “watchful waiting.” I’ll need to get a breast exam every 4 to 6 months and a yearly mammogram. That way, if cancer does develop, I can catch it early.

If you have a family history of breast cancer, and/or a strong emotional reaction to LCIS, you may consider treating it, rather than just maintaining a watchful eye. The most drastic treatment, of course, is bilateral mastectomy: removing both breasts. With all your breast tissue gone, you have no chance of developing breast cancer. The other treatment choice is taking Tamoxifen, a drug that prevents cancer cells from growing by starving them of the estrogen they need. It’s a hormone drug which I am NOT keen to take on because my mass-Googling the subject led me to discover that it can mess with any future baby makin’ plans.

That’s FUTURE baby makin’ plans, people! Let’s not jump the gun!

Side note: Googling your health concerns usually only produces more concerns.

So I may be out of the woods for now, but I am facing a big challenge ahead for the rest of my life. It’s kind of a like a shadow that you can’t shake. Lucky for me, it’s finally spring time in Nova Scotia. The sun is high, I am healthy enough to move, and there are no shadows I can’t outrun.