Hi all,

I must say that I just love my oncologist, she is such an encouraging woman. I feel that my appointment went really well yesterday and I was able to make a decision on one thing on my list and almost the other.

She said that the right breast looked cancer free and if was closely monitored, there was no reason to worry about it. Since I didn't really want to have a double mastectomy, I've decided this is what I'm going to do. So friends, you will have to put up with me looking a bit lopsided for a while. The reconstruction itself will take about 3-6 months. I feel comfortable with this decision.

The one yippee is, she saw no evidence that the cancer had become invasive. It still looks encased. What has become the problem is that the cancer in one node has traveled about 5 inches up and is on the verge of spreading. So this is the reason for the big push on the surgery.

If the pathologist report confirms that it hasn't become invasive, there is still no need for Chemo.

She also discussed with me the different reconstruction procedures. Although I haven't made the final decision, I think that I know what I want to do. I'm going to talk with the plastic surgeon on Thursday.

Anyway, I guess that wraps up my visit yesterday. Thank you all your encouragement and prayers, I feel so much more up beat about everything. I still need to work on that courage thing a bit. If I think about things too much, my stomach begins to do little flip flops.

Specific prayer requests (by the way...I can feel the prayers working):

• COURAGE
• Peace for myself and my loved ones
• Wisdom for the doctors and myself
• Confidence in the decisions that I'm making
• Continued joy and laughter in the small things

Kathy