Information and Appointment overload!!

WOW. What a day!!
I had my oncologist appointment today and I really like her!
Here is the official diagnosis:
IDC~ Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (means it started in the milk ducts and is spreading)
Grade 3 (means it is aggressive)
It is both estrogen and progesterone receptors positive (the hormones are causing the cancer)

It is HER2 Negative (HER2 is a gene that sends control signals to your cells, telling them to grow, divide, and make repairs.- Since this is negative it means that it is not causing the cancer)

We won't know the stage or size or even how many of the lymph nodes are involved until I have surgery. That is a long way off. I will have 16 wks of chemo and then go from there for the next step.

Friday(tomorrow) I go for the MUGA test which checks that your heart is strong enough for chemo.

Monday: CT and Bone scans (make sure the cancer hasn't gone anywhere else)

Tues: I get my port put in (so I don't need an IV every time I go for chemo)

Wed: First chemo treatment

Thurs: Booster shot (this helps my white blood cells so that they don't get too low)

Over all it was a very good appointment. My nurse is Gloria but she was not there today. I had Lynn and she is so so sweet! Everyone there is so very nice and upbeat. One thing she said is that now I am part of their family. It was funny when we first got there I was called "the new girl!"!! It was cute! 

After all these appointments and then the appointment with the genetic counselor I will only have to go 2x a week every other week. After the first 8wks (after the AC is done and start the tamox(both are the drugs they use)) then I will be going only 1x every other week. I need the booster with the AC to help the immune system so for those treatments I go 2x the week of treatment.

I hope I explained everything so that you all can understand it. I barely understand it all!!!