Marisa 'eM' Louw

For those new to my blog, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Grade 3 Invasive Pleomorphic Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast that is HER2- and hormone receptor-positive in August 2019. Different types of breast cancer Stage 2 means the tumour is larger than 20 mm and has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes. Grade 3 means faster-growing cancer that is more likely to spread. Invasive applies to cancer that has spread from where it began in the breast to surrounding normal tissue. Pleomorphic refers to how the cells appear under the microscope - multiple shapes and sizes. The cells display abnormal cores and irregular cellular division. The term lobular speaks about where the tumour originated - in the breast's milk-producing glands or lobules.  HER2 is the acronym for the protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. The HER2 receptor has a vital role in normal cell growth and division. In HER2-positive cancers, the cells have extra copies of the gene that makes the HER2 protein...

While I was sitting in the waiting area of the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre oncology practice earlier this week, the lady beside me started a discussion. She has been coming here every six months for the past 15 years for her follow-up appointments for breast cancer. Like me, her breast cancer is positive for hormone and HER2 receptors. She had a double mastectomy, received chemo- and radiation therapy, and has been on Tamoxifen for 10 years. All of this she shared with me with a smile; her eyes were bright, and she radiated positivity.  Her journey was not without hardship. She gained 36 kg during her first two years of treatment and struggled with the drugs' side effects. She would get anxious in the weeks leading up to her follow-up appointment. "Even though I've been in remission for 10 years, the fear never really goes away," she told me. "But I had to keep going because there is so much to live for."  Her message came to me at a crossroads in my b...

  What follows is a timeline of defining moments in my journey to date. Updated on 9 April 2024. 2019 8 July 2019: Routine  mammogram 9 July 2019: Second opinion mammogram 11 July 2019:  Fine needle aspiration 23 July 2019: The family doctor tells me that I have breast cancer 1-3 August 2019: Hospitalised for a  surgical biopsy 30 Aug-1 Sep 2019: Hospitalised for bilateral  mastectomy and direct-to-implant reconstruction 27-29 September 2019: Hospitalised for  debridement  of the wounds 25 October 2019: Start with chemotherapy ( Taxol  once a week - 18 treatment cycles) 13-14 November 2019: Hospitalised to remove the right implant 22 November 2019: Start with  Herceptin  injections (once every three weeks - 15 treatment cycles) 2020 6 March 2020: Last chemotherapy session! 27 March 2020: COVID-19 lockdown 9 April 2020: Start  Tamoxifen  hormone-blocking therapy 6-8 May 2020: Hospitalised to insert a  tissue expander  ...

  Since this is my first blog for 2022, I feel obliged to start it with "Happy New Year!", "Happy Valentine's!" and "Happy Easter!". I have lived with Stage II Grade III  invasive pleomorphic lobular carcinoma (PLC) of the breast  that is  hormone-  and  HER2 positive  for 1,001 days. Living with hormone-positive breast cancer is a roller-coaster ride nightmare that doesn't seem to end.  The first phase is waiting - waiting for the results of the numerous diagnostic tests is like standing in the queue to get onto a roller-coaster. You get tired and often think of leaving the line. Then starts the second phase - that killer climb to the top of the first hill. You've now found out that you have breast cancer. Several doctors confirmed it. The many available treatment options are confusing. With each click of the chain lift, you learn something new, or there are more medical aid forms to fill out. It feels as if you need to rush to make a decision...