The surgery

You've been asking, so here's the story.

The surgery had two parts:

1. Tumor removal (including removal of margin of "clean" cells surrounding it). The whole thing is biopsied, to make sure that there are no cancerous cells near the edge, within the supposed cancer-free margin. If there is cancer there, they go back in and try to get the rest of it.

2. Sentinel lymph node biopsy. If the cancer has spread, it will have done so via the sentinel (first) lymph node. So if it is cancer-free, they can assume that the rest of the body is also. If not, I'll almost certainly get chemo, which involves the whole body. The danger of messing with the lymph nodes is the risk of lymphedema (fluid buildup), which is Extremely Unpleasant. The diagnostic mammogram did not show swelling of the lymph nodes, which is a good sign.

So, what we'll know on Tuesday is a) whether the entire tumor is gone, and b) whether the cancer has spread.  It's up to the oncologists to decide whether radiation will be sufficient.

My uncle, who's had more cancer treatment than is right and proper in one life, has suggested I put off the chemo if it's recommended even if the cancer has not spread, and I will probably take that advice. If cancer has spread, it will be slow-growing, and holding off chemo for 6 months or indefinitely won't hurt.