Today I met my breast surgeon and oncologist.

They gave me my plan. Our lives will change on June 1st with my first chemo infusion.

Before that, there's work to be done. I'm scheduled for surgery to insert my port-a-cath for my infusions. I am also scheduled for a CT scan of my chest, abdomen and pelvis. Afterward, I'll receive a bone scan. And I'm going to have breast gamma imaging done, too.

All of this will determine whether or not the cancer has moved into my lymph nodes and/or other areas of my body. It will also determine if there's a hereditary gene that caused the cancer. From the ultrasound done last week, it doesn't appear that the cancer has spread to my lymph nodes, however the other scans are far better at detecting little bits of cancer floating around.

The oncologist described five basic types of breast cancer similar to individual personalities. They all behave differently and therefore require different treatment. The type of cancer I have is called Triple Negative. It does not feed off estrogen or progesterone. Nor is it Her-2 positive (hence the Triple Negative).

Triple Negatives have a high growth rate. My tumor is considered Stage II. It measures 4.1 cm. Tumors under 2 cm are Stage I. My prior mammograms have been very helpful in determining my breast behavior and the tumor's rate of growth. In fact, my priors (mammograms and general blood work) have been brought up a lot.

Triple Negative cancers respond favorably to chemotherapy--or I should say, chemotherapy is this type of cancer's kryptonite. I will undergo eight cycles of chemo with two different cocktails of drugs.

The first round will consist of four cycles (once every two weeks) of Adriamycin and Cytoxan. This will last roughly two months.

The second round will consist of four cycles broken into 12 weekly infusions of Paclitaxel and Carboplatin. Weekly infusions will minimize the side effects of these drugs. This will last roughly three months.

Naturally, there are a lot of side effects. I will feel increasingly tired throughout the course of my treatment. And--as you might suspect--I will lose my hair.

So in order to counteract some of these side effects, I'm taking full advantage of the offerings both clinics provide. In the chemo clinic, I will receive weekly massages and acupuncture. And I'll schedule some time with a naturopath. In the breast clinic, my goal is to take their pilates and meditation classes if I'm not too fatigued. And perhaps their art class, too.

After the chemo, I'll be scheduled for surgery. It's still to early to determine what will be done.

Sadly, this whole process leaves me checked out my family. But I need to get better in order to move forward. It will be a rough, long marathon and I don't suspect I'll be anywhere back to "normal" until 2017.

Let's do this thing!