The next morning, I woke up to a text from Dr. K., saying that she had a preliminary report. The tumor “appeared” to be small, but I would need an MRI after the holiday weekend to determine “the extent of disease.” On Tuesday, we would also learn my receptor status, which indicates how tough your strain of cancer is. “It’s like dogs,” she explained. “You have poodles on one end and, on the other, pit bulls.”