Sooo... what now?

First things first, I'm now 27 years old. Yay? Haha. I can't say I'm especially thrilled to have turned 27, but after everything I've been through recently, I guess I have no right to complain to be alive for another year. I'm actually quite happy and thankful to greet each day now.

I got spoiled rather well by all my family. :) My parents threw a fabulous party for me, and I was treated to lobster by my mommy-in-law. It was nice to be able to celebrate my life with so many of my loved ones. Like I mentioned earlier, I am a woman so I naturally hate turning a year older, but on the other hand I'm just happy to be here. So thank you to everyone who celebrated with me! I love you guys and appreciate you coming together for this silly ol' Anj.

I spent today awaiting my phone call for my MRI results. I got a blocked phone call at one point and answered in case it was the oncologist calling. Turned out to be my nurse navigator Susann (the wonderful woman who aided me with setting up initial appointments, giving me hugs, handing me tissues and even sitting through my first MRI with me the day I first found out my diagnosis). She had gone to some event and was asked to give away a free spa day to one of her cancer patients. Guess who she thought of? :D

She said I had been so strong and positive about everything I'd had to face, and thought I could use a day to relax. So as long as my surgery isn't on June 18th, and my oncologist gives the okay, I get a fancy spa day with lunch for free in Newport Beach!

Now then, back to issue of my results! I was much too impatient, so with some encouragement from Susann that I should call to get my results... I did!

Let's do bad news first. The cancer is still there. That one lymph node still has some involvement. Also, they saw another mass in my right breast. Now for the good stuff! My tumor and the lymph node have "greatly diminished in size".  The tumor went from almost 2cm in diameter to 0.3cm. :) The new mass they found also seems to be benign. Although they can't know for sure without a biopsy, but seeing as I was given the okay for surgery, I can't see any point to test it. Apparently my oncologist has the same idea as me, as his note accompanying the results said I had completed chemo and he'd be talking with my breast surgeon.

Time to quote my post title!! You may be thinking as I am *ahem*:

Sooo... what now?

Well, tomorrow I will call and try to set up an appointment to meet with my surgeon. Then we'll really have a game plan. Otherwise, all is back to normal again. For now.

Praise the Lord that the first chapter of this has ended, and with His aide, onto the next!

"Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance."  Romans 5:3