What's next? Well first,......

we need to get the results of the Oncotype DX test.

So says Dr. Mittleman, who is a patient, caring man. He spent over an hour with us yesterday, going over my pathology report line by line.

I just want to say again that I am the luckiest person alive. Okay, I have cancer. But look:

• I have lived to be 69 years old with basically no health issues
• I am receiving terrific care
• I have family/friends/neighbors who are supportive, helpful and loving
• I have faith that whatever happens I will be okay
• I feel the presence of God at nearly every  moment-when friends bring food (my friend Margery calls that "love on a plate"), when I get phone calls and cards, when friends come by and do things like change our sheets, and put out our garbage (you know who you are)

So as I said to Dr. Mittleman, this is an "inconvenience" and it's really screwing up our vacation plans.

Maybe not all cancer patients are as curious as I am but I've been doing a lot of research and have some basic idea of how this all works.

Step One: Surgery

Been there, done that. All tumors are gone, pretty clean margins, looking good (and sore!)

Step Two: Choose among the following

• Chemotherapy
• Radiation
• Hormone Therapy

Well, we know for sure that I will be having radiation (more about that later).

Will I need chemo?

My Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score will let Dr. Mittleman know what the chances are of my breast cancer recurring, whether or not the particular tumor(s) that I have would respond to chemotherapy, and in general, it will help plan my care.

Cancer Cell
Image courtesy of jscreationzs at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I love it when a doctor says "you will be fine" and even more when a doctor says (in response to my concerns about side effects of hormone therapy) "I'll work with you. We'll decide together."

I certainly don't want to have chemo, but I also don't want to die of breast cancer. I'd much rather die of "old age," whatever that means.

The results of the Oncotype DX test will be available in two weeks, and back we go to see Dr. Mittleman. After that visit, I'll be seeing Dr. Tinger for radiation.

When I asked how many radiation visits I'd need, Dr. Mittleman told us that there is a study in Canada, of which Dr. Tinger is aware, that compared three weeks of radiation to six weeks of radiation. Once we know more we'll know if I'm a candidate for three weeks. I didn't find the Canada study, but I found this study of patients in the UK. This study doesn't address the three-week/six-week issue but does address the extent of the radiation-rather than radiating the entire breast, radiation was directed to what they call the "tumor bed" only.

Also there are different ways that radiation can be delivered. The patient (that's me!) can be on her back or on her stomach. On my stomach allows the radiation to miss my heart; depending on where the radiation needs to go, I might be a candidate for "on my stomach." We'll see.

Who knew?

So for the next two weeks, I'm concentrating on healing-napping, reading, doing crossword puzzles, working on the jigsaw puzzle that Judy gave Anne (you gotta watch me--I sort of "took over" the jigsaw puzzle).

So now you know why I said I'm lucky. And I didn't even mention my amazing wife, who, even though she is recovering from her surgery, has been doing EVERYTHING around the house.

All of this while we mourn the loss of both our cats; we lost Snapdragon on May 1, and Bee Balm on September 29th. A house without cats is an empty house, for sure.