After my experience at Dana-Farber, I started doing some research. I felt that the team at Dana-Farber was fantatstic. But, as a consummate researcher with journalistic training, I knew that I had to have a second opinion.

MGH was the second institution on my list. I work with a few breast cancer survivors at my job. I reached out to one of my co-workers knowing she had been treated at MGH and that she was also part of the program for women under 40 diagnosed with breast cancer.

I can’t say enough how helpful it is to talk with someone who has had the same experience. It didn’t hurt that she was able to reach out to the team she worked with.

As it so happened, rather quickly, I was able to meet with the breast surgeon Dr. Michelle Specht first. She’s amazing. She answered all my questions and has extensive experience with nipple sparing mastectomies. The type of surgery I will end up having is highly dependent on how my cancer responds to tumor. So, if having a mastectomy is on the table. I’d like to keep as much of boobs as possible. In the grand scheme of things, stuff like keeping your nipples doesn’t seem as big a deal as being alive. But, hey I’m attached to those suckers. Sooo, it’d be nice to keep them if it’s possible.

After my experience with Dr. Specht, I figured I’d be switching to MGH no matter what. The deal was totally sealed after meeting Dr. Steven Isakoff, my medical oncologist. I could tell he was tired and had had a long day. Despite this, he spent over an hour talking to Josh and I about my tumor, my prognosis, the types of treatment available. He didn’t sugarcoat anything and was able to give me a clear picture of what I was looking at. I was sold.

It doesn’t hurt that commuting to MGH is way easier for me. And the views of Beacon Hill from the Yawkey Building are incredible.

So there you have it. I picked MGH and I picked a recently approved regimen called TCHP. TCHP stands for Taxotere, Carboplatin, Herceptin and Pertuzumab. Depending on how I respond to treatment will determine my surgery. I’m hoping for a lumpectomy, a lot.

But, I have to wrap my head around the concept of mastectomy especially if it reduces my risk for a recurrence later down the line. Eh, I’ll think about that sucker later.

For now, I’m going to revel in the fact that I found my team. It’s flippin awesome.