The December 29 post op appointment

The mitotic rate is 44 per 2 mm² (approximately 10 high-power fields).

This is the biggest takeaway from today's visit.

What does this mean?

A mitotic rate of 44 per 2 mm² (equivalent to 22 per 1 mm²) is considered a very high rate, which typically indicates a more aggressive tumor with a higher risk of metastasis and a less favorable prognosis in the context of cancer.

I was not surprised by this new information, given the spread of disease between October and December, and having this information made today's decision much easier:

We plan for me to start chemotherapy on March 13.

I am completely comfortable with this decision and in complete agreement with Dr. Rossi, based on this information. This is not what I wanted, but it would appear endocrine therapy is no longer my best option.

Get ready, World. I plan to live big between now and March 13 (many fun things planned in January, February, and the first two weeks of March), and I plan to continue to be as active as possible while undergoing Carboplatin-Taxol chemo treatments - currently scheduled for 6 rounds, spaced by 3 weeks.

An adventure awaits, but I sure hope it’s over by fall. 🍁🍂