02/06/2026 Surgery Update
Erin had her lumpectomy and one lymph node removed yesterday (Thursday) with Dr. Beitsch in Dallas.
We are back in Lubbock now.
So far, no pain or side effects.
Before the surgery, I was talking to his surgical assistant about “the few hundred” of these procedures he’s done.
He corrected me:
“Well, a few thousand.”
That gives you some relief — this guy knows exactly what he’s doing.
But it also hits you with sadness.
Thousands.
Millions of other families have walked this same painful road with breast cancer.
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What the Doctor Said After Surgery
“Everything went well.
It looked like everything was dead — mostly just fibrous tissue.
We examined it under the microscope and checked the edges. Sometimes when tissue shrinks, it can leave small islands at the edges, which occasionally means we need to remove a little more tissue during a follow-up operation. I don’t think that will be the case here.
As for how much was removed — it was probably about the size of a ping-pong ball. That makes sense, since that was roughly the size of the tumor initially. That’s typically what we aim for.
In this case, it appeared to be one spot, possibly two very close together, but essentially one area.
The lymph nodes that were removed looked normal, but we’ll still examine them.
You were given numbing medication in both areas. Ice will help prolong its effect and manage discomfort. If needed, over-the-counter Tylenol or Advil is sufficient for about half of patients — many don’t need anything stronger long-term.
If pain medication is needed, we can send a prescription to the pharmacy downstairs, since you’re in town tonight and not in Lubbock.
Regarding follow-up: Wednesday should work. Pathology usually takes about a week — it was sent out Thursday — so we should have results by then. If anything changes, I’ll call you.
Waiting is the hardest part, I know.
But if I had to guess, I’d say this looks like a complete response.
Once the pathology report is ready, we’ll give you a copy. Even though we send it to medical oncology and radiation oncology, I always recommend you physically take a copy with you — sometimes records don’t make it through systems reliably.
Overall, everything went very well. Call the office if you need anything.”
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What That Means in Plain English
• The tissue removed looked dead, not active tumor
• The margins looked good — unlikely we’ll need more surgery
• Size removed was about a ping-pong ball (which was expected)
• Lymph nodes looked normal
• Pain is usually manageable with regular Tylenol or Advil
• Pathology results expected in about a week
• Surgeon’s gut feeling: **complete response**
• We’ll get a pathology copy — and we’ll hand-carry it to other doctors ourselves
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### Now We Wait
The hardest part.
But we’re grateful.
Grateful for a surgeon who’s done this thousands of times.
Grateful it appears to be pCR.
Grateful for every person who’s prayed, sent messages, or just held us in their thoughts.
One step closer.