Hello everyone,
Long time no write! I was
reading back through this and realizing so much has happened since I last wrote. I went back to work and just jumped
back into a regular hectic life. I think it was a good sign that I was ready to move on and not have cancer be the focus
of my life. I will catch up more of what’s happened between then and now later.
As many of you know, I had been
on a waiting list to have breast reconstruction done since last March. Well, after a long wait, my name finally came
up. We have had a bunch of pre-surgery appointments and tomorrow is the big day.
I also made a big decision –
after being diagnosed with breast cancer twice by the age of 41, I felt I didn’t want to spend my life waiting for it to happen
again. Also, watching my friend Dana lose her battle with the disease 16 years after her original diagnosis showed me
the true horror of breast cancer. I want to give myself every possible opportunity to live into a ripe old age and drive
Brian crazy. So, I will be having my right breast removed and reconstructed
even though it currently shows no signs of having cancer.
When we met with the plastic
surgeon last year, he explained all the reconstruction options and why most of them would not work for me. I am not
a candidate for implants because of the radiation I had in 1997. When a woman who has had a mastectomy gets implants,
they start by placing a tissue expander under the chest wall. Then, over weeks or months, they inject solution in the
expander and stretch the tissue out. When they get to the desired size, the expander comes out and the implant is placed.
When a woman has had radiation, the tissue cannot stretch to accommodate that. Other procedures involve taking fat from
various areas of the body, most often from the abdomen. This is the one time where my workouts and healthy diet worked
against me – not enough fat there. They can also use the latissimus dorsi from the back, but that would be affect my
ability to do the job as well as rock climb and stuff. So it came down to the final option of using fat from the booty.
For once I was happy about the extra cushion I have in that area. I may not be J-Lo, but I’ve got enough. The
plastic surgeon will be taking fat and skin as well as an artery and vein from the crease and creating new breasts from that.
It’s pretty amazing. Once the tissue settles into its new home in a couple months, he will make nipples for me.
He will use the skin from the new tissue for the shape and then tattoo the color.
Of course the jokes have already
been coming. One of the guys I work with asked if I would be wearing my shirt unbuttoned a ways to show off my new cleavage.
Another said, “Yeah, you could show us your crack.” Another one was showing me the new way I could sit down. And
I have figured out when I am mad at someone, I will be able to stick my chest out and say “Kiss my ass!”
So, tomorrow we check in at Virginia Mason Hospital
at 5:30am. My plastic surgeon will reconstruct my left breast, and when
he’s finished, my surgeon will do the mastectomy on the right. I will be in intensive care for a day or so after the
surgery then in a regular bed for a few more days. How long I am there will all depend on how I feel. They feel
it’s best for you to get home as soon as you are able. Then I go back in a week later on Dec 6th, and he
will reconstruct the right breast. He said the second surgery will be tougher for me as my body will have already had
a big shock with anesthesia and surgery, so to expect to be in the hospital up to a week. I will have the surgical drains
in for 3 weeks or so. That part I am not looking forward to.
Brian was able to get 3 weeks off from work to be home with me, so that’s
great. We’ll certainly get caught up on our movies.
While I am in the hospital, Brian will post updates on here just to let everyone know how I am doing. This will be very stressful
on him, and we thought this would make it easiest on him. We’ve both been pretty anxious and have hard times sleeping
since I got the news that I had a surgery date. I feel so ready to have it done, but I am not looking forward to the
process.
I will keep my knitty titties
just because I love them, but I am excited to donate the other prostheses. I feel that I have dealt with having the
mastectomy really well, but I feel so ready to be whole again.
I know I will do just fine through
surgery and will look forward to talking to you all. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. I know for us,
we look forward to 2007 and all the fun it will bring to us.
