Today, I had my third breast surgery. This should be the last of the surgeries.

In December I had a routine mammogram which showed a lump that could not be felt. I was told that I needed to come in for a more specific mammo. I ended up also having an ultrasound and fine needle biopsy at that time. It was sent for pathology which at that time showed atypical papillary proliferation. Excision was recommended. We are very fortunate to have a great cancer center at the hospital where I work and a great team of doctors. I went to the surgeon and was scheduled for an excision of the mass. The pathology of this was infiltrating ductal papillary cancer. I was quickly scheduled for another surgery to double check that all of the cancer was removed and to check my axillary lymph nodes for any spread of cancer.

The day before my surgery the elders, pastors and leaders in my church fasted and met to pray over me that night. That surgery was a bigger surgery and sort of wiped me out but I did return to work quickly. The pathology came back as not infiltrating(invasive) but insitu(all contained in one spot). I still do not have a satisfactory answer of why it changed from invasive to insitu. I am convinced God answered our prayers. The lymph nodes were/are clear and it appears that he got all of the cancer out. I had surgery today because the margins were not clear enough for his satisfaction, meaning not enough "clearance" between the cancer and the edge of the tissue specimen that he removed the last time. That came from further pathology results. He believes that today should be the last.

This past week I saw the medical oncologist. He was very pleased with my situation . It is pretty much best case scenario for someone diagnosed with breast cancer. It is Stage 1. And I am basically "cured." I will need radiation to destroy any abnormal cells that could possibly turn into cancer and one pill a day for 5 years. This is all preventative treatment to keep the cancer from returning. They did send my specimen out to do one more test that would indicate a need for chemo but it is really not expected to be needed.

So through all of this God has flooded me with peace and an awesome sense of His love. I know that He did not cause me to have breast cancer but for some reason it has been allowed and I want everyone who comes in contact with me in this journey to know that God is with me and I want to make sure that He is honored. I have already had many opportunities to share my confidence and trust in Him with others.