Cancer update

So I went to my doctor today. My tumor has gone from 10 cm by 10 cm to 5.5 cm by 5 cm. It shrank by half with one dose of chemo, YEAH! This of course is an outside measurement so I am sure it is smaller without skin and such. This gives me hope! I also found out that I was staged at STAGE 3, not STAGE 2 like my surgeon had estimated. This was kind of a downer. It is okay though because I will beat this. I am estrogene positive, HER2 negative and progesterone neutral. The doctor was thinking that I might have to do ALL of my chemo before surgery, :( I really wanted to have a break in the middle. Well, I will do whatever is best for my body. He is recommending a double mastectomy. Wow, that is pretty life changing. I am hoping to be able to go to the Huntsman Cancer Center in Salt Lake City to do the surgery. They can do immediate reconstruction with skin sparing and such. I am just working out the insurance situation now. Some great news...I am BRCA 1 and 2 negative. This is a genetic test. It is a gene that causes breast and ovarian cancer. If I was positive, I would be lookig at having to get my ovaries out too. About time I got some good news. I do have to see a genetics dr though for some more testing. I sure hope that my girls never have to go through this, especially not at such a young age.