More progress on treatment: yesterday I had my tissue expander expanded. That was a weird sensation. Not even uncomfortable, but just weird. It did start feeling a little uncomfortable yesterday evening, but I took some ibuprofin (permitted by the doctor) and that took the edge off, and I feel more or less fine today.

I go back for another expanding session in 2 weeks. Then, a couple of weeks after that, I should be ready for radiation therapy.

I did point out to the doc that it did look like they took a pretty big chunk out of the left breast as well (that was the benign fibrous stuff that they wanted to take out and biopsy just to be safe). He mentioned possibly doing that tissue transplant thing he mentioned before, but I assume that would be later down the line, after the radiation therapy. Probably at the same time we take the tissue expander out and put in the permanent implant on the right.

After a week of hormone therapy I still haven’t noticed any side effects other than just a few possible tiny hot flashes across my shoulders and back of my neck. But I’ve been having a few of those for the past year or so.

I’m going to guess that the most difficult part of all of this will be the radiation therapy. So far everything else has been very manageable.

I’m also making good progress on the fitness front. I started riding my bike again on June 6. I guess I’ve forgotten to mention that until now. I worked up from a 20 minute slow ride to going about three quarters of the way to my work. Which means I will be ready to start bicycle commuting soon. I think I’ll make it to the downtown area by this Sunday. I am petrified to ride on public transportation.

I had a Skype meeting with one of the managers at work today and after we were done talking about our business she asked how I was doing. We chatted for a while, but I said that I thought I was really more focused on what’s going on in the world now – a worldwide pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. It seems really weird to have a personal crisis happening at the same time as these matters of significant worldwide historical significance.

It was a good talk. I’m glad I work where I do, and that my colleagues and management are so supportive: both of me and of Black lives.