00:00It's the Andy Summer Show. We like to give you a cup of joy, add some sunshine to your life,
00:05even if you're not getting it, I don't know, through your window. So I, you guys, yesterday,
00:12I met my oncologist for the first time. This is exciting. So I have an oncologist because
00:19about a month ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. And this has been quite a journey so far.
00:26It's been emotional, especially because it's just a crazy time of life for my family. We just
00:35finished a home renovation and are moving all of our things back in our house. Both kids just had
00:40graduations last week or two weeks ago, whenever it was two weeks ago. I've completely lost track
00:46of time because I'm trying to fit all of my regular life things in with all of my doctor's appointments.
00:52And there are plenty. Oh my gosh. All the scans, the MRIs, the CAT scans, the ultrasounds,
00:59the biopsies, the PET scans. Like it's so much plus meeting all of my doctors, right? Because I have
01:06a breast surgeon and I also have an oncologist and I have a plastic surgeon. So it's just, it's been
01:15a
01:15lot. Like it's really been a lot. And you can follow my journey. If you visit theandysommershow.com,
01:23everything is posted up there. I've been doing kind of a weekly blog, just letting you know
01:28what's been going through my mind. And I think it's been pretty cathartic for a lot of people who
01:33have a harder time kind of voicing their feelings about stuff that they're going through in their own
01:37lives. So I appreciate everybody for taking this journey with me. So let's get back to my oncologist who
01:42I met yesterday, um, who is fabulous. Her name is Dr. Nolman and I love her. Can you, uh, tell
01:49me
01:49exactly what an oncologist specializes in? Cancer. Just cancer. Okay. I wasn't sure if it was like
01:55a certain specific type. Yeah. So I think that's just the general term for a cancer doctor. Um,
02:01Dr. Nolman came highly recommended to me because she, um, specializes in breast cancer. Okay. So
02:08she was wonderful. And, um, you know, she said, first of all, what are your questions for me? And
02:16everybody that I've spoken to has been very forthcoming and patient and explain things at a
02:22very elementary level for my husband and myself when we go to these meetings, because of course I'm
02:27not schooled in this. Like I never had any interest in learning about the things that I know so much
02:33about right now. Exactly. Um, so I feel like I'm being schooled every day, which is great. But my
02:38big thing was most recently I had an ultrasound and, um, and a biopsy on my lymph node and then
02:46also an
02:47FES PET scan. So I remember when my mom had cancer, she had a PET scan done and that was,
02:52it's like a full
02:53body scan and they're able to sense these areas that are suspicious for having cancer. Wow. Wow. Um,
03:03and it's, it's a much more precise test than an MRI or a CAT scan. And she actually even showed
03:11me.
03:11So Dr. Nolan was able to show me on the screens, like, here's what your MRI looked like, which is
03:17why we went and had the ultrasound done. And then the biopsy on my lymph node, because you can see
03:22that my lymph nodes were glowing in the MRI, which then just means it's suspicious. Yeah. Um, when they're
03:30a little swollen, especially where they know that there already is cancer. So had that done,
03:35everything came back negative, which is great. Awesome. And then I had the PET scan and I was
03:39like, no one's called me about the PET scan yet. So I'm curious about this. And she looked at it
03:45and she was showing me all the things that were very difficult to understand, but she did a great
03:50job of explaining it. And, um, and the PET scan shows that there is cancer nowhere else in my body
03:57except in one breast. And yeah, we're removing it. So I mean, it's such great news. Like she was like,
04:06these are the things that you take away from this meeting. She said, right? Like, these are the
04:09things that you take away is that it is treatable and it is curable. And I am overwhelmed with joy.
04:17That's amazing. Andy. Yeah. That's incredible. That's probably the best cup of joy we've ever had.
04:22I know. I know. I'm like, let's go.
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