My Blog – Experience my journey as I defeat breast cancer

One Week From Today….

Apr 172014

It’s been a while since I have updated the website and I wish it was because I had nothing to report. It’s actually because I just have not taken the time out to do so.

As of my last surgery in January to remove the infection which resulted in the loss of the implant, I am still not healed. The surgery site has been quite stubborn and still has two open areas that leak body fluid continuously. When they first appeared my plastic surgeon as well as the infectious disease specialist (who I was still seeing because I had the PICC line in for the IV antibiotics) were not alarmed. They assured me that this was fairly normal and that it was my body’s way of dealing with the fluid build up after the surgery. It does not hurt but it is annoying as heck because these holes leak fluid so I have to keep the wound covered at all times with gauze.

I wasn’t really too happy about the fact that there were holes in my body, but since I had faith in my medical team I assumed they were right and these holes would close on their own after time. They did not.

On a checkup with my plastic surgeon in late February we talked a bit about other cosmetic options now that I basically have no breast on the left side. We decided that I’d get a prosthestic breast for that side. Luckily my wonderful sister in law works in the medical equipment field and she has guided me through the process of fitting the prosthetic. What a blessing she has been!

Anyway, back to the appointment. My plastic surgeon explained there were other microscopic options available for cosmetic surgery, but that she would like to refer me to another specialist at the U of M Hospital. Honestly, while I really, really like my plastic surgeon – Jim and I think a small part of why she brought up a referral is that she wasn’t quite sure what to do with me any more. All the infections, now the open wounds…..I am not an “easy” patient. We welcomed the referral and decided that while I wasn’t at all even thinking of cosmetic surgery at this point, we should go and meet with the doctor so that we were educated with our options and could ponder them down the road. Knowledge never hurts, plus we love a road trip and the U of M Hospital is only about 15 minutes from IKEA! We love IKEA!

We met with the plastic surgeon and presented him with my “book” of medical history relating to the breast cancer and subsequent reconstruction process. He joked that he’s seen shorter novels! He is brilliant; immediately Jim and I took to him and felt comfortable in his presence. He reviewed my history and then looked at the wound. He explained that in his opinion, something needed to be done or else the holes in the wound will not heal. He said that my tissue behind the skin has been compromised with the radiation and possibly even the bone. If there is dead tissue inside it gives the infection somewhere to live and thrive and my body isn’t able to conquer it. The best treatment in his opinion would be to open the area up and debride the area, cleaning out all dead tissue. The best case scenario would be to bring healthy tissue from my body to the area, promoting healing. Since I had the fat grafting procedure in December where fat was harvested from my tummy and injected into the breast for symmetry, my tummy was not a candidate for the tissue. During the fat grafting procedure there is a good chance the blood vessels were compromised and thus when transplanted to the breast area they most likely wouldn’t thrive.

Another option is to take tissue from my thigh or buttock and use that tissue to form a breast without a need for an implant. This is a highly specialized surgery requiring 10 hours or more. My new specialist doesn’t perform this surgery but did say I could be referred to another doctor whom he works with if I opted for this treatment. He explained the risks to us and we decided that at this time, this is not a solution.

The other treatment is what is called a latissimus dorsi flap. This option was available to me at the very start of my breast cancer diagnosis but I opted for the tissue expanders and breast implant after my mastectomy. Who knows; maybe if I would have chosen this reconstruction procedure initially all of this would have been avoided. Maybe not. I am not one to dwell on what-ifs, so enough said on that subject.

Basically, the latissimus dorsi muscle is located in your back, just below your shoulder and behind your armpit. It’s the muscle that helps you do twisting movements, such as swinging a racquet or golf club. An oval flap of skin, fat, muscle, and blood vessels from your upper back are used to reconstruct the breast in a latissimus dorsi flap procedure. This flap is moved under your skin around to your chest to rebuild your breast. The blood vessels (artery and vein) of the flap are left attached to their original blood supply in your back. Because the flap contains a significant amount of muscle, a latissimus dorsi flap is considered a muscle-transfer type of flap.

I needed to have an MRI to verify that I was a candidate for this surgery (I am). I also needed a Cat Scan to make sure the vessels in my body at the site of this flap were not damaged during my lymph node removal (they were not). We visited IKEA that day too!

So (yes, I am pretty sure you know where this is going….)……next Thursday I’ll be having surgery. Again.

This surgery isn’t a walk in the park – it isn’t an outpatient procedure. It’s likely I will be in the hospital at least 2 to 3 days. I’ll have two drains in my body that will remain in for up to 3 weeks. We have been warned that the recovery process is slow; for the first 4 weeks I can not do anything. No lifting at all, no driving, nothing. The doctor said I can’t even dust the house, load the dishwasher or pull weeds. Apparently any stress on the area can cause the operation to be compromised and it would be unrepairable damage. I think that aside from the discomfort of the actual surgery (thank heaven for meds and an amazing nurse/hubby), this 4 weeks of down time is going to be nutso. I am a do-er, like many of you. I don’t sit and watch TV for hours, or widdle away the day snoozing ….. oh boy! The doctor did say I can walk (but not on a treadmill), and it will be important I move my arm to encourage the muscle to heal. That being said, I see many walks in my future; that is a good thing because the dryer keeps shrinking my clothes! There will be many follow up appointments so he joked that we should get used to driving US23. (It takes us about 2 hours to get there.) More IKEA time!

We’ve already been to the U of M hospital; how impressive! The care I have received in the pre-operative process has been wonderful, and I am at ease with the decision we have made. I can’t go on having two leaking sores on my body. It’s getting old; 3 months is enough of that.

We want to put this behind us, and while we hoped beyond hopes that the surgery at the end of 2013 would be it, it wasn’t. We honestly hope and pray and believe this one will do the trick. Will I look “normal”? No. This is not a cosmetic solution and I will eventually be using the breast prosthetic. I am OK with that. Maybe years down the road I’ll change my mind and want to explore more cosmetic surgery; maybe – but probably not.

As always, thanks to all of you for your prayers and continued words of encouragement. Who would have thought that over 2 years later I’d still be messing around with the cosmetic end of this disease? Not me, but I know it could be so much worse and for that I am thankful.

I’ll update you after the surgery!

Valentine’s Day Appointment – A Little Update

Uncategorized 6 Responses »

Feb 172014

First, let me start by saying that Jim and I are continually blown away by how kind, caring, compassionate, friendly, encouraging and simply AMAZING all of you are! The love we feel from our family and friends is such a blessing. Without that, this would be a long, lonely journey!

Thanks!

The last update I posted was right before my surgery on Feb. 3rd (catch that update here). I did end up loosing my left breast implant due to the severe infection. I ended up in the hospital for 3 days. By the way, Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc is simply amazing – we were treated very well and the atmosphere is calming and peaceful. Jim was able to stay in the room with me (I had my own room, probably due to the fact I was battling infection) and the room had a bed/bench for him to snooze on. Hooray!

While in the hospital we met with the Infectious Disease doctor who prescribed a course of at home daily IV treatments of antibiotics. That meant I had to have a PICC line, which scared me. I learned a PICC line is a tube they insert under your skin in a vein, in my case starting in my right arm. The tube travels through your body and ends by your heart. It’s a way to deliver IV medication.

My mind was thinking that the tube was as thick as the IV tube you see outside of your body in the hospital so I was anxiety ridden about the procedure because you are wide awake when it is put in. In the end, it really did not hurt at all – and the tube is super duper fine. It’s no where near the size of a traditional IV tube. I told the nurse that put it in that it would be a great idea to show that to people facing the procedure beforehand because I am certain it would greatly reduce anxiety.

Fast forward to arriving home, and the visiting nurse taught Jim how to administer my daily IV cocktail of antibiotics. He is such a gem, he took ownership of the task with pride and mastered the process of 4 steps in a heartbeat! SASH is the acronym, one syringe of saline (which makes your tastebuds react and is really yucky!), then the antibiotic cocktail which takes 1/2 hour to get into my body, then another syringe of saline and then a syringe of Hepprin. Every night since 2/5. Bless that man! (It doesn’t hurt a bit for me.)

Every few days my visiting nurse comes out to draw a blood sample and change the dressing on the PICC line. She’s commented that it is in great condition and really well cared for. You can’t get it wet, so each morning I have to wrap saran wrap around it and tape the top and bottom of the saran wrap tight to keep the water out. It’s an inconvenience, but it works! Luckily blood can be drawn through this PICC line, so I don’t even feel a thing!

We did have a follow up appointment with the Infectious Disease doctor on the 7th, and he wanted to keep me on the regimen for 1 more week. We were hoping that on Valentine’s Day, when we went back for another checkup we would get the all clear for the PICC line to be removed and the IVs to stop.

No.

The doctor wants me to remain on the IV treatment another week. This is in part due to the fact that I have a hole in the incision that is seeping and since it is being stubborn and not closing quickly he feels that it is best to keep feeding my body with the medicine to fight any more infection. It makes perfect sense, but it was disappointing to hear. As for the small hole, no one is alarmed by it or the seeping. It’s tiny, and the fluid is clear so we have been told this is my body’s natural way of getting rid of the excess fluid. I did have a drain right after the surgery that was removed a week later (thankfully; those are the pits!!). So for now, in addition to my lovely PICC line in the right arm I also have a large dressing over the left breast area incision to catch the fluid. Nice, right? Yep, it is a goofy looking as your mental picture. Trust me!

One thing that the Infectious Disease doctor did tell us is that he would not recommend any more surgeries with implants for me. Ever. The radiation has really damaged my body and it is simply refusing to accept any foreign implant. This confirmed the decision Jim and I had made that we were finished with implant surgeries. 4 tries = 4 failures…..yes, it takes a while but we “get it” now!

What options does that leave me with? Well, we have one surgical option that takes my own skin and tissue to form an implant. According to my doctor, this procedure can put me in the hospital for up to 5 days. At this point right now, that is not something we are considering. My body needs to heal. We need to be free of all this medical stuff, so we can live life without thinking about it, about doctor’s visits, about cancer.

I know we are going to move forward with a breast prosthesis, so visually I’ll look normal when I am out and about. My right breast (which is an implant) is really quite pretty … so we will just match up a prosthesis and I’ll start wearing that. The downside is that I’ll have to start wearing a bra again! I was spoiled with not needing a bra with the implants because they were so perky! Oh well, I’ll survive. And I get to go shopping, because I gave all my old bras away. Luckily my sister in law works in the medical equipment industry and can give me personal one on one attention with fitting the implant. What a blessing!

This is a really long winded post, but I wanted to give you all the nitty gritty on where we are with the process. I know some of you reading this may find yourself in this journey and I hope it helps to get my personal take on the process. That is what it is, a process. One by one the pitfalls are conquered and life moves on. I always, always remind myself it could be SO much worse. I could be fighting cancer (I am not – I am all clear as of my December checkup). I am simply struggling with a cosmetic appearance, and that my friends is a low priority when I think of all the other blessings in my life.

So remember – live life, enjoy it and kiss those you love. We are blowing you kisses!

xoxo

So Much for That! Guess What We’re Doing Monday…

The diagnosis journey 12 Responses »

Jan 262014

2014 is the year of healthiness – that was our plan. No more surgeries.

Well that lasted all of 26 days! Yes, you are reading this correctly, I am having surgery tomorrow.
I have developed an infection in my left breast. Again. I’ve been on medication for 2 days and it is not helping, in fact the infection is worsening.

We are set to see my plastic surgeon tomorrow morning and then surgery will be in the late afternoon. At this point we are 99% that I am going to loose the implant. I will be kept overnight at the hospital for at least one night for several reasons, one being that my doctor wants the Infectious Disease people to see/treat me. Hopefully I’ll be home on Tuesday.

I am beyond frustrated, beyond aggitated and frankly pissed off. I thought with my whole heart and soul that this was behind us. Everything was healing so well; we just had a doctor appointment a week and a half ago and she was so happy with everything. We were too – the breasts were filling in well and the fat grafting procedure I had done in December had really evened things out. Instead of having to go for a check up each week or every other week she pushed it out to 4 weeks – which was a milestone for us and a sign that soon we wouldn’t be going there at all.
Woohoo!

That was the plan.

Then on Thursday I woke up and felt so sleepy, in fact I slept away most of the day and even posted on my Facebook page that I must be coming down with a cold because I just had no energy. I felt OK, but slept, slept, slept. That night my left breast was a little sore, but I chalked that up to lifting a box at an auction on Wednesday. Jim has been reminding me not to lift anything over 10 pounds since my last procedure, he’s always taking care of me! Friday I woke up and felt fine, no cold symptoms and the day was normal. The breast was still a little sore, but not red or inflamed. However when I changed into my pjs Friday night I noticed a spot on the incision had started seeping light yellow liquid into my tank top. Not a ton, about the size of a quarter. Not a good sign.

When I woke up on Saturday I saw a bit more seepage and suddenly a light bulb went off in my head – it is an infection. Sleeping all day Thursday was probably my body’s way of trying to fight it off.

I immediately contacted my doctor who perscribed a high dose anti-biotic that I have been on since. It has not helped, and the swelling and redness is worse. This morning Jim noticed that a hole has now developed in the skin and it appears as though the implant is exposed, which as you can imagine is not a good thing. Needless to say we have been communicating with her and while this is not a life threatening emergency (luckily), it needs to be taken care of.

So tomorrow is the day!

Oddly enough, it is 2 years to the day of my initial diagnosis of breast cancer. So much for a non-surgery 2014, no medical big bills 2014, yadda, yadda.

BUT this is not going to knock us down! Jim and I have wrapped our heads around what is happening, what needs to be done, and we know we’ll get through it just fine. It could be so much worse – and we are so very thankful that it is not.

So if you have a chance to send a prayer or positive thought or good juju tomorrow for us, it would be much appreciated! You are always so uplifting and encouraging – and it means more than you will ever know. xxoo

Trick or Treat or Implants? I Have a Surgery Date!

Now what 17 Responses »

Sep 242013

It’s been a really long time since I’ve updated this blog! I can’t believe how the time is passing by so quickly this year. I remember when I was a teen and I would hear people say that time goes by faster as you get older and I thought they were nutso.
Well, they were so right!
Here we are, mid way through September. I had a doctor appointment today and thought I would let you know where I am with the reconstruction process because so many of you have been kind of nice to check in with me and ask.
You may remember that in May I had another surgery to have more damaged skin removed from my left breast. Alloderm was used in the latest surgery to help repair the skin and strengthen it along the incision. My amazing doctor, Dr. Pummill, is really pleased with how it has healed. I’ve been going down to have the breast expander filled every two weeks for quite some time. (Huge thanks to Jim and my Mom for accompanying me to those appointments…we drive for over an hour for a 10 minute appointment. It’s really, really fun! NOT.) At the last appointment Dr. Pummill said she felt the skin was to the point where we should stop expanding it so that we do not overstretch it and encounter difficulties again. That being said, today’s was more of a double check before we booked the surgery to remove the expander and put in a new implant.
Since my left breast has had so much surgery and skin removed, the right breast looks really different in comparison. In order to try and give me as much symmetry as possible we decided that we would go with the new teardrop shaped implants. This means that while I am in surgery this time, Dr. Pummill will not only put in a new implant in the left side but will also remove the existing round implant from the right side and replace it with a matching teardrop shaped implant. She’s confident that this is the best option to give me a “matching” appearance, and that is worth it to me. I trust her. She knows that both Jim and I are really ready to be finished with the surgeries!
She mentioned that she may also put some tissue underneath the right breast implant to raise it up a bit so it better matches the left side. Sounds good to me – I’ll be out of it so I told her to just work her magic.

So … there will be no trick or treating for me – I’ll be getting my new boobs that day. Oct. 31st is surgery day! It’s slated to be outpatient surgery, so that part is great. I’ll be sent home with two incredibly annoying and somewhat disgusting drains, but I’ve had them a couple of times before so it’s no longer scary. Inconvenient is more like it, especially for Jim since he takes care of them for me because looking at them makes me want to vomit. I’ve gotten much better with my apprehension to shots and needles, but to see the tubes coming out of my body is still really creepy and a bit too much to handle. Thank God for my amazing husband.
I’m really looking forward to this surgery, because it should be the end for me. I am ready for that! Thanks to all of you that continue to share in my journey and send your love and wishes. It means a lot! When you are out Trick or Treating, have a Snickers for me, OK?

Everything Went Well!

The diagnosis journey 3 Responses »

May 202013

Just wanted to touch base quickly with everyone who was concerned about the surgery last Thursday. Everything went as planned, there were no issues! The staff was super and my doctor, Dr. Kimberly Pummill, once again was great.

We return to her office in just a couple hours for a check up and to (hopefully) have the drain removed. You have no idea just how much I am looking forward to that happening!

Recovery was as expected, I pretty much spent Friday and most of Saturday sleeping but by yesterday was back to the land of the living. I even got to take a shower last night – hooray! Drugs help – which is good!

Thanks for all your prayers, concern and kind words. They touched my heart as well as my ~~nurse’s~~ Jim’s.

So Tomorrow Is The Day

The diagnosis journey 8 Responses »

May 152013

If you have been following my journey, first of all thanks and second of all you know that I am having surgery (again).

Tomorrow is the day! Surgery to remove the incision and tissue that is too badly damaged from radiation on the left breast. They are going to put in a layer of Alloderm (cadaver skin), take out the existing expander and install a new one with hardly any fluid in it, and then stitch me back up. The plan is to wait a fair amount of time for the skin to (hopefully) heal up before we start the weekly expansion appointments to fill it back up. Then one last (hooray) surgery to swap out that expander for the permanent implant.

The pre-op phone questionnaire is all done, the prescriptions are in hand and we are ready to rock and roll! We have to be at the surgery center tomorrow for 9:30. Surgery is booked for 11:30. I wish it was earlier so that there wasn’t time in the morning to sit around and think about it. Get up and go would be awesome, but alas that is not to be. Maybe I can convince myself to stay in bed until the last possible minute before I need to rise and shine? Probably not.

I’m grateful that this is outpatient surgery and also grateful for the new pain management being used for this surgery. I had what I think they called a “block” done for my last surgery and it really help control the pain after surgery. They are going to do the same thing tomorrow too, which is welcome news. I had in my mind hoped to be up and back to normal on Saturday but then my doctor told me that I would have a drain in that wouldn’t come out until Monday. The drain is just as icky as it sounds; I had 2 of them after the double mastectomy and they are literally tubes that come out of your body and drain into a little round pouch like thing that has to be emptied periodically. Yuck! The whole tube coming out of my body thing makes me queasy so once again I am mega grateful for a hubby that is so willing to help out. He’s in charge of the drains! (Lucky man, I know that is what you are thinking!). Needless to say that with the drain I need to be cautious about staying away from anything that could infect the area.

To top it off, our mega huge annual garage sale is next weekend and we have a LOT of work to do to get ready. I am confident we will be ready, but feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by the fact that I am loosing at least a couple of days due to this dang surgery. If I allow myself I may just have a little pity party – but I am determined NOT to do that. Luckily again I have an amazing hubby that I know will do what he needs to do to be ready and a family that is always willing to pitch in and help. I am blessed.

Now let’s just hope that Jim’s sore back, which has been acting up for a few days now, is OK through the coming week. When it rains it pours I guess – but it won’t be pouring next weekend for the sale!!!

Anyhoo – I just thought I’d give you all an update and I’ll check in with you in a few days.

Decision is Made!

The diagnosis journey 2 Responses »

Apr 222013

For those of you who read my last post about needing surgery again (you can read it here) you know I was left with a decision. I’ve been pondering it for a week now and have come to the conclusion to go ahead with the surgery that involves the Alloderm.

It’s outpatient and will happen mid-May. I just booked the date today.

I am hoping and praying that this will be the ticket for the permanent fix but if for any reason it is not, I can always opt for the other surgery.

On a side note, if you know us then you know we have our once a year whopper of a garage sale on Memorial Day weekend and this year is no exception so this has to be a piece of cake so I am back to normal to get set up for that! Power of positive thinking strikes again!

Thanks for your kind thoughts of encouragement, for the cards and the notes – you guys are so awesome to have in my corner! xoxo

It’s Been a Long Time! Latest Update & Not So Great News

Now what, The diagnosis journey 4 Responses »

Apr 162013

I haven’t been updating this site in a long time, and I am not sure why….but so much has happened that I figured I would today with the hopes that if someone ends up in the same situation they would find this comforting.

As of my last update things were proceeding as planned and we were nearing the end of the reconstruction journey. I had surgery on 9/6/12 to have my breast expanders out and the permanent implants put in. I was so excited for that surgery because it meant the end of the expanders. Those babies are not fun, they end up being hard as a rock and are very uncomfortable. Blech! The surgery went well; it was outpatient and the recovery time was nothing compared to the mastectomy. If you ever have to go through this know that this part of the surgery process is a piece of cake compared to the mastectomy.

I loved my new implants – they were soft and perky and I was very happy with the end result. Both Jim and I were elated that we had made it – it was over!

Then….

Yep, there is more.

In November I developed a blister on the side of my gum near one of my teeth. It was not painful at all and it would come and go. It seemed to be filling with pus, but there was no pain. Truthfully, I felt so finished with appointments and medical bills that I told myself I would deal with it after the holidays. Since it wasn’t painful, it wasn’t a big deal to me. My brother in law warned me that he had something like that happen to him and he ended up needing a root canal. His face swelled up and he almost ended up in the hospital. With that news I still decided to wait – figuring after Christmas I would schedule an appointment with the dentist to deal with it. If you know us at all you know we really enjoy the holiday time. The last thing I wanted was to be dealing with appointments during that special time.

So I waited … and nothing happened to the tooth. The holidays were wonderful!

Then….

I noticed that my left breast was swollen a bit and it was a little red. This was on a Thursday and I decided that I would wait and see what happened. Jim encouraged me to call my plastic surgeon right away, but I did not listen. I waited and when I woke up on Sunday morning I knew that something was wrong. The breast was red and swollen and there was a black hole on the incision. This may sound silly to you, but I took a picture of it and sent it to my sister who works in the medical field. Upon seeing the photo she called right away to tell me that it is infected and that I should get in touch with my doctor. This was not what I wanted to hear, but in all honesty I kind of figured that was the case.

My plastic surgeon is amazing and I contacted her that day, Sunday. She wanted to see the photo so I sent it to her (don’t you love technology?) and she confirmed that there was a problem. She said that she needed to see me right away the following day. She said that we may have to remove the implant and deal with the infection. She called in an antibiotic that she wanted me to begin taking immediately. When I hung up I lost it; I cried out of frustration and out of fear because I did not want to step backwards. I did not want to even think about another surgery. Jim was amazing, as always, and comforted me. He too was taken aback by this development but he has a really great way of digesting information and calming my fears. I could not do this without him, or the support of my family and friends.

We went to the doctor’s office bright and early that next morning and she confirmed there was a bad infection. This infection and the swelling stretched my breast skin and because that breast was the one that had undergone Radiation, the skin was different and damaged. Also that is the breast that had the cancer tumors and during the mastectomy they had to scrape the tissue away quite close to my skin because one of the tumors was very close to the skin. The stretching from the infection caused an opening to form in the incision and the black we were seeing in the hole was actually the implant.

Instead of whisking me away to surgery she said we could wait a few more days to see if the antibiotics helped. If so, we may be able to get away without surgery. We agreed to come back in 2 days.

Nothing changed with the breast and when we returned it was decided that surgery was the only option. I had outpatient surgery and during which my doctor removed a horizontal piece of my skin including the incision. She removed the implant and put a breast expander back in and closed the wound. The plan was that once the incision healed we would start expanding the breast again and once it was to the proper size I would have the final surgery to swap out the expander with the implant. The surgery was not bad, it was outpatient and recovery was quick. I was off the pain medication in 2 days and back to normal activity.

We continued with weekly checkups and the incision healed so the expansion process began again. We’d travel to the office once a week where she would inject the expander with a large needle and insert liquid to fill it. We had 3 expansion visits and then the incision changed. It developed 2 gray areas, gray areas that were strikingly close to the infection appearance from January. We halted expansions and she even withdrew some fluid with the hopes of relaxing the skin to let it heal. No luck.

We visited the office yesterday and it was decided that because a month has gone by with no improvement to the gray areas we needed to do something. The skin is so thin, so damaged from Radiation that if we were to expand it any more it would surly develop a hole. Leaving it as is isn’t an option either, because a hole could develop at any time in the thin areas.

We were presented with 2 options for surgery and have not made a final decision as of this post. They both entail cutting out the damaged skin/incision again. They both involve a new expander and then a final surgery down the road to swap out the expander with the final implant.

Option #1 is a “maybe it will work” less invasive outpatient surgery that involves using alloderm as a layer of tissue to provide more thickness to the area.

Option #2 is a more extensive surgery that involves removing skin and muscle from my back and using that on my breast. This is a longer surgery that would require a stay in the hospital.

If we go with option #1 and it doesn’t work then option #2 is still available.

Jim and I have talked about it quite a bit and we have not come up with a decision yet on which way to go. I have mixed feelings and honestly need to put it out of my mind for a little bit as I mull it over.

So in a nutshell, that is the update as to where we are at now. Stay tuned as we know more, and I promise to keep this updated!

Thanks so much for your kindness, support, prayers and love! xoxo

**Oh, I almost forgot! Remember the tooth situation? I did have the root canal in February, and it was a piece of cake! Don’t be afraid of a root canal. Turns out the infection from the tooth may have been the catalyst for the infection in the breast. We have no way to know for sure, but apparently infections tend to navigate to areas where surgery has taken place. I did not know this. Did you?

Just a Little Update From Kelli

Now what 10 Responses »

Aug 292012

It’s been a whole month since I’ve written, and in case you have been checking your email frantically each day looking for an update – here you go. Ha ha ha!

My full hysterectomy was on 7/27 and went well. I was lucky that I did not experience too much discomfort from the anesthesia or gas. I was able to shower the next day which was a good feeling. Nothing like getting into your own jammies to make a person feel better (and when you have great parents that treat you to new ones it is even better!). My wonderful mother in law treated me to a new robe too so I was styling in the hospital! Seeing my sister and her kiddos was a great treat too – the love everyone has shown is so meaningful.

Turns out that there was a cyst the size of a tennis ball on one ovary but it was benign and nothing at all to worry about. The pathology results came back perfectly OK! Hooray!

We were on our way home by 2:00pm on Sunday and recovery was better then I expected. In comparison to the mastectomy this one was pretty easy. Jim took excellent care of me as usual – that poor man has had to do that so much this year. He is truly a blessing that I am thankful for each and every day.

Fast forward……

Last week we had a follow up appointment at the Oncologist office. He was pleased to hear how I am doing. I will keep taking my Tomoxifin daily and don’t have to return to see him again until December.

Monday we had 2 more doctor appointments (I know you are jealous, right??)! At the breast specialists office it was a follow up visit and it went really well. So well in fact that I don’t have to go back – ever – unless I want to. Hooray! Cross that one off the list! We went to lunch at Red Robin to celebrate that victory in the cancer journey!

Then it was on to the pre-op appointment at the plastic surgeon. On 9/6 I am having my breast expanders removed and the permanent breast implants put in. Hooray for that – these expanders are like wearing rocks on your chest. They are hard, stiff, do not move and hurt. I am SO ready for this surgery! It’s outpatient so that is good too. I’ll have to wear the support bra again and have the lifting and movement restrictions again like before but no drain tubes. Whatever it takes, I am ready! I really like my plastic surgeon and have no worries at all about the operation. Jim will be there to comfort me and hold my hand when they insert the IV (yes, I still hate needles)! You’d be proud of me though because after the pre-op appointment we went right over to the lab and had the blood draw completed for the normal pre-op blood tests they run. I did not even wince or get woosy! Before I would have been all worked up about getting blood taken, would have felt afraid and even got lightheaded. Boy, I have come a long way when it comes to that!

So all in all, it’s been another eventful month for us! Thanks for always caring and being there for us. Your cards, messages of encouragement and simple check-ins means a lot!

Hug those you love!!

xoxo

Awesome News at the Checkup Monday!

The diagnosis journey 5 Responses »

Jul 242012

I am so happy! On Monday we went for a follow up checkup appointment at my plastic surgeon’s office so that she could take a peek at what effects the Radiation had on my breast expanders. Luckily there is no need for concern and everything is looking good according to her.

Whew!

Then she proceeded to explain that she has been reading up on the newest studies on breast expanders and how they are affected by Radiation. Typically the consensus was that the expanders needed to remain in for about 6 months after Radiation is complete. At that time the patient has another surgery where the expanders are removed and the permanent implants are installed. I had my surgery booked already for Dec. 13th. She explained that new research is changing that idea and now they are looking at 2 to 3 months after Radiation is complete as the ideal time frame for the surgery. One of the benefits is that the permanent implants react better to the body.

I was so very, very happy because frankly I am tired of the expanders! They are hard as rocks (literally, like rocks attached to my chest), they do not move, laying on your stomach is impossible without discomfort, and they protrude out towards my arms so that you are always rubbing against them with your arms. That plus the fact that if you bump them – it hurts! (I know…whine, whine, whine!!).

To our delight we’ve booked the surgery for early September! It is out patient surgery and recovery restrictions are a bit like after the mastectomy. No lifting, no yard work or vacuuming, etc and I will have to wear a support bra for a few weeks. No problem there!

This also means that if everything goes well, I may be able to get in at the very end of the year for my nipple reconstruction surgery if I choose. That would be nice, since I’d still fall under my 2012 insurance deductible threshold. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure I was going to have that surgery due to the cost, but this puts a new spin on it!

Pretty cool news! We were so happy – and I am still smiling when I think of it. My plastic surgeon rocks!!!

**On a side note, this Friday I am having a Hysterectomy. I should be home from the hospital on Sunday as long as everything goes as planned. I am nervous but not nearly as bad as with the double mastectomy! At least now I know what to expect, I know what a hospital is like, and my sister just went through the same operation a week before my mastectomy so I benefited from seeing her recovery.

For someone who had not been to the doctor in years, was never in the hospital before and who dislikes needles – 2012 sure has been dramatically different! You just never know what lies in store for yourself or those you love.

Thanks for following my journey; I hope my ramblings in some way help educate you about the breast cancer experience. I’d like it even better if you never had to use any part of the information I talk about!!

Love to you all!

-Kelli

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