My Long Journey so far

ansy

My Long Journey so far

ansy

I was diagnosed with Stage III on February 14th, 2007. Happy Valentines. The cancer had spread to my lymph nodes but luckily had not made it's way to any of my organs. As the cancer had grown aggressively and the tumor was large, it was decided that I would have chemo first, I started chemo a week later and had 4 Taxitore treatments followed by 4 Adriamysin, with three weeks between each treatment. Lost my hair within 12 days of my first treatment. I was extremely well through my treatments, never threw up once, felt a little tired usually my second day after treatment. I managed to continue flying, I am a flight attendant so I would schedule chemo on Thursday and fly on a Monday. I took a miracle drug called Amend which prevents nausea. I also chewed on ice chips during my treatments to prevent sores in my mouth. Always kept the faith and decided to continue my life as usual, as far as possible. I also decided to embrace my chemo treatments and not think of it as poisen in my system but a wonderful curing drug. Once I started the 5th treatment - Adriamysin I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes. I also lost a toenail. After completing chemo/steroids - the worst side effect was the intense heartburn the first two weeks after each chemo.

Three weeks after finishing chemo I had a mastectomy. My left breast was removed. A month after that I started 30 radiation treatments. I experienced very little tiredness but did have third degree burns under my left armpit. I was lucky by the end of November 07 I was cancer free. I   had gotten through the worst. One the one hand I felt elated and on the other I felt vulnerable and scared, because I had been fighting this disease with such single minded intensity and all of a sudden, I was doing nothing - you question "Have I done enough?" to keep it away.

Now I looked forward to the reconstruction so I could feel normal once again.On the advice of my Plastic Surgeon,in May 2009, I had expanders inserted and my right breast removed as they found two suspicious lymph nodes on the right side. Luckily they were benign. I visited the plastic surgeon every two weeks to continue filling the expanders,  under both breasts. In September 08 I had my implants inserted. They looked great when I was lying flat on my back, but unfortunately when I stood up the left breast had a severe indent. It looked like a peach donut. In the November 07 it was decided to have operation 4 to try to repair the left breast. I woke up and found that it still looked pretty much the same. In June 09 I had operation no 5, they took stem cells from my hips, injecting under the breast area, hopefully to rejuvenate the skin or so he said and inserted juvederm under the indent. Nothing worked - the skin would not stretch. By December 09 the plastic surgeon finally suggested that I have a lattisimus dorsi flap/removal of skin and muscle from the back and transplanted to the front of the breast - operation 6. It was successful.  I had three drains inserted, two in the breast area and one on the back, during this operation. After the removal of two of the drains, I had a rash on my chest, so it was decided to take me off the antibiotics. I still had open wounds, so this decision I later found out was not very smart. Three weeks after the operation, I visited another plastic surgeon as mine was gone, I was told I had a serious infection because I had not been put on a different antibiotic while having open wounds. I then had to have a round of strong antibiotics and Operation No 7 early January 2010, to clear up the infection. My new plastic surgeon stated that he would hopefully clear infection but it is not always possible to clear it all. Since that operation I have had constant swelling of the breast. In August 2010, a small section of my incision scar opened, I had another round of antibiotics to take care of another infection and the scar finally healed. Early September, I developed an abscess under the breast, it was finally decided that I had another infection. They decided to give me a round of Vancomysin, which is an extremly powerful skin antibiotic. I had to give this to myself intravenously. This was followed by a very powerful oral antibiotic. They are  hoping to avoid Operation No 8. If all goes according to plan, in December 2010 I will be having an operation to insert smaller implants which is what I wanted in the first place. I then will have Operation No. 9 in about May 2011 to get nipples. Maybe just maybe it will be the end of a long, long journey. I am truly greatful to have my life cancer free, but nobody prepared me for the long journey of reconstruction.

mamaof3bugs

Welcome to the BCO boards Ansy.  I am so sorry to hear of your reconstruction nightmare!  It sounds as though you have finally found a good PS and will hopefully get the results you are looking for.  I am amazed that you continued to fly throughout your chemo, as a former FA I can honestly say I would not even had attempted it.    Are you a triple negative?  I read that after your radiation you were done with treatment...I am also a TN and today was my first day of rads.  I feel the same as you, once I am done with rads, what then?  I hope you continue to post here and find comfort and encouragement.