Chemo vs. Surgery: Which Comes First in This Nightmare?

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Are you sure you’re not sick of me yet?

I know you’ve got questions—send them my way. I’ll answer them here where I can keep it real (and maybe a little funny). If I feel like chatting, we’ll do it face-to-face or via text—don’t worry, I’m not calling anyone!

CHEMO OR SURGERY FIRST

Great question, Terry. Don’t worry, I’ll explain—but no, you don’t get to pick!

If there’s a significant amount of cancer remaining, they prefer to start with chemo. If the tumor shrinks, it confirms they’ve got the right treatment mix. Her2+ is a mean little bitch who loves that I am estrogen positive so they may have to play around with my cocktails. I told them I’m a light weight so I’m sure anyone will work. I guess that’s not what they meant by cocktail.

However, if they can’t reliably monitor the tumor’s size, they opt for surgery first to eradicate the area of that bitch. After that, they wait 4 weeks before beginning chemo. So I’ll be joining Benjis Bad Boy Bald Club for the Summer. It seems I’ll get a break in August (maybe).

If they are able to stay on track by mid September is radiation for 6 weeks and then I’ll ring in the new year hopefully at the finish line with immunotherapy iv which starts when the chemo does and goes for 52 weeks.

So bicus. Fuck 2025. Can someone wake me when it’s over. I’ve decided I decided I want a redo.

And of course there is only a 1% chance of this happening. Why when I play the lottery I don’t seem to have the same luck.

The doctors are great but let’s face it in 2014/15 they are the ones who told me if I had a bilateral mastectomy I would never have to worry about breast cancer again. So they will not give me any outcome numbers. Maybe my scans will be beautiful and that will change. We’ll see.

Pending Timeline

• February 4: Surgery or chemo begins.

• March 4: If surgery was first, chemo begins.

• July 1: If chemo was first, surgery happens.

• August: Escaping to the beach—who’s in?

• Mid-September: Start 6 weeks of radiation (5 days a week, 15 minutes per session).

• February 4 or March 4: Start 1 year of immunotherapy via IV.


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