I’m still waiting to hear from the surgery scheduling team, but I’ve been told that next Monday (December 14) is the day. Another conversation with my doctor yesterday has given me as much information as can be provided, but there will be many unknowns until they get in there and see what’s going on.

• The lesion on my liver is 1.9cm and is near the right kidney. There was a slight elevation in my liver enzymes (blood test), but the lesion appears to be very superficial and not deep inside the liver. This is good news.
• Two lymph nodes near my aorta are enlarged, slightly above 1cm. This COULD be due to another infection, but they won’t be able to really determine until surgery. They figure this out by actually feeling the lymph node. If it’s firm, that’s a concern. Note: the aorta actually runs the length of the body past the kidneys, so these are contained to the pelvic area. This is good news.
• Staging cannot be done until surgery and I won’t get an official diagnosis until 1 week after surgery.
  • If the tumor, lymph nodes, and liver come back with cancer, I would be considered Stage III.
  • If the lymph nodes and liver are okay, I would be considered Stage I.
  • Ultimately, I’m not going to give much time to worrying about what stage I’m in — staging helps my doctors determine what treatment path we’re going to take.
• After diagnosis, I will get genetic testing for BRCA. This is the same test that Angelina Jolie took. If postive for BRCA, that’s actually a better prognosis.
  • They can pinpoint the problem.
  • People with BRCA respond better to treatment.
• And finally, if the tumor comes back borderline and my other ovary looks okay, the doctor has recommended considering keeping the ovary to begin fertility treatment post-surgery. I’ve asked her to clarify what that process will entail and what has changed since the last time we spoke when she said that would NOT be her recommendation.

And now, let the waiting continue…