And the oncology decision is..........

I saw a medical oncologist at Hopkins yesterday. He was quite the dashing young fellow with a hint of a Latin accent (and a dashing resume as well!).

It's so very discouraging to take my fat 48 year old self to see such a guy...and for a stinking cancer appointment, for crying out loud. I've grown so used to my female medical army that I was rather daunted to face a male doctor. My weird medical fantasy life (that I don't really have anyway) just gets shot to h*#@, I'm afraid. I daresay Governor Sanford would not be waxing poetic about me these days!

Thank goodness my real-life dream doc is still on my team--he's the best fantasy man I know. Tomorrow is our 27th anniversary, and I can now look forward to many, many more.
.......................

I digress, as usual.

The medical oncologist does not--I repeat DOES NOT--recommend any chemotherapy. Hurray!!! I'm pleased I get to keep my hair. I guess I view my hair as my "one beauty" (Amy to Jo in Little Women).

I will start with radiation (consultation appointments scheduled 7/10 in Cumberland and 2nd opinion 7/16 at JHU) and then take tamoxifen pills (a "selective estrogen receptor modulator") for 5 years. Tamoxifen "reduces the risk of further invasive breast cancer by 50%" (and gives me a few fun new systemic risk factors, but tomorrow is another day--so says Katie Scarlett O'Hara). And tamoxifen will also give me the symptoms of menopause, but probably not the real thing!? Tell me that's fair! Jeff will be needing the asbestos pajamas.

To continue with today's cinema theme, I'm channeling Bette Davis in All About Eve....“Hold on to your seats, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!"