So, it's day two of catching everyone up to speed.  I left off yesterday with having received my diagnosis.  From here on the days were a blur for several reasons.  First, the doctors were all telling me the cancer I have is slow growing.  I could take my time on making decisions.  I didn't need to rush.  On the other hand, I was told I was being scheduled to see and oncologist and a surgeon, and  the surgeon also wanted another ultrasound and mammogram from their hospital.  All within a couple of weeks.  Now, that may not seem fast to someone under normal circumstances, but when your head is reeling from the diagnosis of cancer and life is continuing as normal it is HUGE!  I mean I was still having to homeschool my kids, get them to work, piano lessons, strength training, and their classes that they were taking at a school, and everything thing else I normally did, and get back to normal after practically living with my mother, brother, and sister, for 3 months. Don't get me wrong.  I am not complaining here.  I am just saying life wasn't slowing down and yet my mind desperately needed time to consider what I was going to do.

At this point, I had decided to consider every option.  That include natural treatment, and yes, doing nothing.  Some of you may say doing nothing isn't an option, but I felt I owed it to myself to know I had considered even that option.  I scheduled an appointment with a friend who was a chiropracter to discuss natural treatment.  She spent a good couple of hours one Saturday talking to Vernon and I about her course of action if I were to choose natural treatment.  She made it clear that cancer wasn't her specialty and she would be working with another doctor who had cured his own cancer to coordinate my care.  She also recommended that I have surgery even if I did not proceed with chemo and radiation.

The oncologist wanted me to do surgery, and definitely radiation.  She said chemo would depend on how my surgery went as well as genetic testing.   I had one more appointment with the surgeon at this point and then I would make my decision on which course of action to follow.

When Vernon and I met with the surgeon, we spent an hour with her.  She talked with us for five minutes regarding the possibility of a lumpectomy.  Then for the next fifty-five she told me about a mastectomy and possibly a double mastectomy.  She spoke of lymphedema and long term effects of removing lymph nodes.  She told me that if I've ever considered a tummy tuck now would be the time to have that done because insurance would pay for it as part of reconstruction.  I will admit I'd never considered a tummy tuck in my life.  That is not to say I couldn't have used it.  My weight, my entire life, has always been around my belly.  I will say for 30 seconds she almost had me sold on the tummy tuck, but when really thinking about it I wondered if having cancer was really the time to be thinking about a tummy tuck. Honestly, it just seemed so inappropriate when you think about the seriousness of the whole situation.  I realize it may have been necessary to discuss and was a reality of the job she was doing, but I felt like I was getting a sales pitch.  She never seemed to even consider what I wanted when I entered her office. Perhaps she did, that was just the feeling I got as I was sitting there.  Before I left I was scheduled for a genetic testing appointment and a return visit.

At this point, I went home and prayed about my decision.  I wanted most what the Lord wanted me to do.  He knows best what we need, and while He has the ability to work in any method, I know His way is always best.  After a week or so, I had decided to follow the natural treatment.  I made this decision partially because of the inappropriateness of the surgeon's visit, partially because of how much more personal natural treatment seemed, but mostly just because I believed the Lord wanted me to follow this plan.

Tomorrow I will write more regarding what natural treatment meant I would be doing...