Her2+ is aggressive!

Jun 24, 2026

Hi everyone, G here! Has almost been 2 months since my last update and wow have things have continually surprised us. This is about to be so long and I apologize in advance.
(TLDR: Cancer came back in another tumor, already removed it & have a treatment plan in place)
My double mastectomy on April 30th went great! I had minimal pain and healed well. I ended up not having drains put in and had the fluid build up in my chest to keep the skin loose for reconstruction! Which we were able to schedule for May 13th with theee most amazing doctor, Dr. Carey at Banner. That surgery also went really well. I was able to skip tissue expanders and go direct to implants! Very exciting for me as I was hoping to not need any more surgeries and get back to work ASAP.
Well by the time my follow-up appointment came around (May 21st) I was already feeling a tiny nodule where my original tumor was. Very concerned I had the medical staff feel it and they weren't totally positive it wasn't just scar tissue, so we would keep an eye on it.
I had an appointment with my oncologist May 27th and we discussed the maintenance treatment and radiation I was going to need. I also told them how badly my port was hurting me. The implant was pushing up against it causing it to almost push thru my skin, causing it to be red and swollen all the time. The port hurt more than any part of my recovery from surgeries. It truly felt like small needles in my chest 24/7. So my oncologist reached out to my breast surgeon Dr. Hou (Another absolutely incredible soul) who squeezed me in June 2nd to take a look at my port. Well June 2nd came and my bump was getting a little bigger, you could definitely feel it. She validated my concerns about my port and referred me to her surgeon that places ports (so many different doctors at this point :P) She was also concerned about the growing bump and said I needed to get it biopsied. By the time I got into the biopsy, June 10th, you could visibly see the bump :( Had to wait 5-10 business days for results.
That following Friday (6/12) I had my first consultation with Dr. Gin my new radiology oncologist! He is so knowledgeable and kind - I'm not looking forward to radiation but I'm so grateful to be in good hands. Due to my pending new pathology we have to wait to schedule the radiation. But at least we got established and I knew what to expect. I also had my 1 month follow-up that day with my plastic surgeon for the reconstruction. He said I was healing well but was very troubled by the news of my recent biopsy and pending pathology. He reassured me that no matter what happens to my implants during radiation he will fix them. #Blessed
Monday the 15th I got called by every doctor I know to let me know the biopsy came back positive for the same cancer, Invasive Intraductal Carcinoma, ER/PR-, Her2+. Completely throwing my hopes & dreams of normalcy returning soon right out the window! I'm so frustrated and sad, but we just keep putting one foot in front of the other. My oncologist needed to get me in ASAP so I got an appointment for June 18th to discuss the pathology and plan.
Meanwhile, June 17th I finally got my port removed and replaced. She was able to replace it a few inches higher on the same side of my chest thank goodness. I really didn't want it on my left side due to driving and having my seatbelt touch it (that's the worst part about being a passenger right now.) That surgery went okay. It was the only surgery so far where I woke up nauseous and with a headache. Not fun! After my surgery, I had a 1pm appointment with Dr. Hou to go over removing the tumor. We got that surgery scheduled for 6/23. After that appointment I had a dermatology appointment for my skin check (I've had 2 basal cell carcinoma spots cut out since 2023) and found out my favorite dermatologist is moving away :( But anyway, just a busy busy day!
June 18th, I meet with Dr. Hagin (my oncologist) and go over my new treatment drug: Kadcyla. It is a specific Her2+ targeted chemo that I'll get every 3 weeks for 14 cycles *insert sobbing emoji here* This drug won't take my hair or nails luckily. I've read up a little about it online and everyone responds differently (of course) some people feel fine, some people get a little joint pain, some get nausea, some get multiple symptoms, we're going to find out! Also said I will definitely need radiation. Still waiting to get that scheduled. Got a PET Scan scheduled for 6/22 to make sure the cancer is still localized to this one spot.
Got to celebrate Ruben's birthday! He's the most supportive partner anyone could ask for.
June 22 I had my PET scan done at Radiology Limited. PET Scans are sooo much easier than MRIs, why? I should ask next time. Last time I had my PET scan in October I got the results within 4 hours. Was expecting that this time. Did not happen, but that's okay. Thank goodness for Alprazolam :P My port is healing okay, my skin is a little mad about the glue they used around it, but otherwise doesn't hurt much!
Back to Northwest Hospital yesterday, June 23rd for my lumpectomy. Some of the nurses still remembered me from my double mastectomy, so freaking sweet. I'm pretty much a pro now, I'm very proud of myself because I used to cry and pass out getting my blood drawn or having any sort of small procedure. Now I just wince a little bit. Still have to look away for pretty much everything but I'm not crying! :P The OR was behind by over an hour - so there was a looottt of waiting. I had my trusty emotional support dawgs with me (Mom and Ruby) so it wasn't too bad. Surgery went well - margins are clean - and I woke up feeling fabulous! We asked about the PET scan results, but they said they had not come in yet (as of 5ish pm)
My surgeon called me personally this morning to let me know my PET scan was clean! No additional involvement in any areas. "Unremarkable" is the best word in the medical world. So it's still in my lymphatic system which is why I need more targeted chemo and radiation but whatever, we'll get through this!
WHEW - if you've gotten this far, thank you! Just wanted to update everyone that I've been busy and overwhelmed but very thankful for the support.
Finally, a HUGE shout out to my bosses Jill & Jeff Spires at AlphaGraphics Palo Verde. They have been so very accommodating for me and my ridiculous schedule. My mom instilled a very hard work ethic; I've felt immense guilt not being at work as much as I'd like. Jeff & Jill have done nothing but be supportive and pull the extra slack around the shop. My super sweet coworkers: Myrra, Monica & Darby helping out everywhere I'd usually be, I'm just so lucky. Please please please if you have any printing needs, I'm talking business cards, party invites, banners, booklets, wall graphics, stickers, etc. you come to us at AlphaGraphics Palo Verde!
& here's a little hair update. I'm going to keep taking pictures on the 26th of every month! (This was last month tho, sorry!)
I love y'all!

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