TODAY can be my day

Yesterday, my Oncologist called to let me know that he had received the results of the Oncotype DX test. This is a Breast Cancer Assay, where they look at the individual genes within the tumor removed from my breast and determine how each gene (21 of them for this test) is expressed. Basically, it tells how likely my individual cancer tumor cells are to spread or grow. According to this test, the type of cells that make up the tumor removed from my breast are at a low risk of recurrance. LOW RISK OF RECURRANCE. I just had to say that again.

With a combination of surgery, radiation and hormone blocking drugs for the next 5 years (maybe more - studies are in the works), there is about a 10% chance that I would get cancer again within the next 10 years. That means that there is a 90% chance that I will remain cancer-free for at least the next 10 years. Whoo Hoo! Notice anything missing there? Chemotherapy. The Onco Doc will not be recommending chemo at this time. Statistically, adding chemo to the treatment would only reduce my chance of recurrance by 1-2%. At an already low rate of 10%, the risks and side effects outweigh the benefits in my personal opinion (and the doc agrees). And it is my personal body we are talking about here.

Thank you all for praying for God's peace. Honestly, I was surprised by the test results and I suspect that my doctor was as well. I was all ready to go through chemo. I shopped for wigs, tried different ways of wearing hats and scarves. I had the prescriptions for anti-nausea meds and pre-treatment steroids in hand. I had even gone so far as to call the Cancer Center to schedule my first treatment. That day was supposed to be today - June 9, 2009. But the Lord knew otherwise. He put a doubt in my mind that as long as there was more information about my situation available, I was not to be at peace with the decision. I had met with 2 different doctors, neither one of them had mentioned this test. It's a newer test and not yet widely used. I learned about it through friends on a breast cancer survivors' message board. Yep, I read it on the Internet. I researched it and found that I met all of the criteria. When I asked the new Doc about the test, he had used it in other cases and was very willing to order it for mine. He said that he had made his recommendation for chemo as the "standard of care" in my situation, but that if I was having trouble deciding, this would give me one more piece of information to look at. Had I not asked, this important information would not be available and I would be sitting in a chemo chair this very day, June 9th, rather than my office chair.

To me, this shows that the Lord is our ultimate healer. He speaks to us daily through the world around us, giving us wise doctors and access to information. It is up to us to listen to His still small voice and to follow His daily leading. Thank You Jesus.