January Mastectomy

It is such a treasure to have Team January at a time like this.

Kelly goes in for pre-op this afternoon. Her surgery is first thing tomorrow. She goes to the hospital at 5:30 a.m. We are so grateful that she can be the first on the roster.

Thank you for your prayers on her behalf.

I am doing a tad better today. The news just totally rocked my world yesterday.

xx00xx00xx00xx

Strength and courage.

Strength and courage.

Strength and courage.

Laura. How very kind of you to reach out and offer support to others, when you are still so very much in the midst of your own 'fight' to reclaim your very heart.

What a balancing act to know how much to do to keep it 'open' and when to curl up into a cozy robe with a book.

Know that we are all here for you. Sending you calm, healing thoughts.

Have you been able to do any of your painting lately? I am so very eager to see more of your work.

Sending you a steady beam of joyous, yet calm, thoughts & images. Thank you for sharing specifics, even though it is difficult to do so. I pray that they find the perfect balance of medications for your healing process.

xx00xx00xx00xx00xx

Strength and courage.

Strength and courage.

Strength and courage.

burley,

I wore my wig to the exchange and they just covered it with the plastic head cap. Maybe they can do the same with your scarf.

Good Morning Ladies!

Kim, best of luck today.  Prayers for a smooth exchange into the the new normal!   I like Claires idea with the bandana...why not? 

Laura...it's so nice to see you on the boards again...I'm sorry you're battling a low cardiac output still.  Are you on coumadin now...or maybe an asprin a day?  I hope the meds do their magic and get that heart back into fighting shape.

Speaking of fighting...I can't take credit for Fight Like a Girl...I believe it's a trademarked slogan.  I like it though...right along with Cancer Sucks!  (I like that too!:)

Well I got my tattoos yesterday after a morning jam packed with drama.  It turns out that there is a PA there who only wants to do work for my world re-knowned surgeon (who just happened to be out of town)  They tried to cancel/reschedule me because she was off doing something else.  I protested, threw a big fit and eventually got my way. (sorry, sometimes you just have to pout like a girl!  HA!)  My tattoos are very very nice and I'm extremely happy with them.  They actually sting believe it or not but I've never had a tattoo so I don't have a reference point.  The little gal (couldn't have been more than 28) did a great job.  They measure 40mm and we spent a lot of time mixing colors to get exactly what I wanted.  They're oozing but I can take a shower here in a bit.  I'm supposed to keep them moist for a week...glob on the neosporin and cover with a telfa pad.  This will prevent the top layer from scabbing off and fading the color.  Evidentially, the needle has a gaurd on it so they can't go to deep and puncture an implant.  That's also one of the reasons that the colors fade faster than regular tattoos.   I'll take some photos tomorrow (7 months exactly from BMX to Tattoos) to commemorate the journey.   

Hope the Team is doing well today.  Mercury seems to be retrograde which could account for all the communication breakdown yesterday.  Today is a new day so I hope it will be much better!

Have a great one!
Kat

Kim, Best of luck today !  

Laura, I hope all the new meds help you get back on track. 

Kat, I can't wait to see the tattoos.  I saw the nipple pictures yesterday.  You look fabulous !  

The pain is much better from the fat grafting.  I hope that the fat takes, because right now they look really good    The ridge I was noticing on the edge of my divot was caused by a rib.  Apparently, in the original surgery, he removed part of a rib to get to the "good blood vessels" underneath.  He said that I am the first patient to ever notice the spot.     

Time for a happy dance here at Team central.

My niece, Kelly came thru her surgery with flying colors. All good news at this point. Her lymph nodes are clear...... she's on her way to recovery!!

Thanks for keeping me company.....................

Whoohoo Debbie!

Laura, Is he doing thyroid function tests too?  That could certainly explain the palpatations if that's out of kilter.  Maybe that's why he ordered the synthroid...I don't know.  The ecotrin is good...all the aspirin without the risk for GI bleed or stress ulcers and prevent you from throwing a clot in the event you do have an occasional run of a-fib.  Have you asked about cardiac rehab?  I hope you can do that in a controlled environment

Hope you're doing well on your regime Lynbob...Sometimes I would like a little lasix PRN too!

WoW Sally...seriously? They took some rib out of you initially?  That's crazy.  I'm glad you're healing well.  I was fire engine red with my fat grafting and my belly hurt probably most of all...especially trying to sit up. I just had a pea size clump of something in my Right divot evaluated before the tattoos and he's certain it's a fat necrosis which is a byproduct of the fat grafting.  It seems sometimes that procedure takes well and sometimes it doesn't.  I'm not sure I would do it again, but never say never...ask me again before the calendar year is up and I have one last shot at no deductible!

Been thinking about you Kim and I hope you're feeling ok. If you're not feeling immediate yippe squishey don't panic....they will soften up in a while. Isn't it nice though to get those rocks out of there?  I hope it is for you. 

My tattoos continue to look good...I was a little skeptical this morning, but later today I'm back to loving them.  I'll definitely need another touch up to darken them a bit (maybe a month or so I'm not sure) and one edge is feathering ever so slightly but the whole concept of them being there changes everything and certainly changes the way you look at barbie boobs.  Now when I'm standing in front of the mirror with a camera it's so different to me.  I'm taking actual nudie pictures!  HA!    

Well, I hope everyone has a good sleep tonight and a great day tomorrow! 

Strength and healing to us all! 
Kat 

BC - Yeah for the clear mammo !

Kat, I was shocked also.  When he told me they took a piece of rib out, I had to have him repeat it.  I almost thought he was joking.  Now that I know this, I am so surprised that I did not have a lot of pain in my chest area during recovery.  Seems like that should have really hurt

Kim, I hope things went well yesterday.  We are all anxiously awaiting your return.

I am off to the PS this morning.  Time to get all the bandages off (I hope).

Surgery went well-no problems at all.  And they let me keep my bandana on-yea.

I can feel that they're squishy-there's a small gap in my big bandage so I stuck my finger in and felt-lol.  They are definitely smaller than I was anticipating.  She had warned me about that, saying I didn't have any extra skin.  Bummer!  I'm hoping for the "drop and fluff" in a couple of weeks, for sure.  Thanks for all the well wishes : )

Kat-did they put you out for the tattoos?  I have a tattoo, so I experienced the pain of it (terribly painful, ugh), but I'm wondering if it wasn't very painful for you because your boobs are still numb?

Oh, and I keep forgetting to ask gals-were your nipples done in the hospital?  Did you have a local, or did they put you out completely?  Just curious what to expect next.

January Sisters! Can you believe it is 7 months.. Today is exactly 7 for me... Boy to think what we went through. I am thinking of everyone and their family's all the happy times and sad times... I pray for all of you that are doing exchanges, surgeries and the others that are having troubles... I don't know where I would be without you all.

I have been busy getting DD ready for her move up to college.. She is in a house this year so she needed more then I had originally thought. Oh well what's another bill...

I haven't really decided on the date of my hysterectomy. I just learned after my visit with the oncologist that I need medicine that is giving through IV called Zomadia... It is given every 3 months and they need to check your kidney functions before you can get another dose.. It cause dental pain.. Anyone else have to have this done?

On the hair front.. VERY SLOW........I keep tugging it.....

I miss keeping in touch with you, but read all your post.....

I'm praying for all of us and our families...

Donna

January Sisters! Can you believe it is 7 months.. Today is exactly 7 for me... Boy to think what we went through. I am thinking of everyone and their family's all the happy times and sad times... I pray for all of you that are doing exchanges, surgeries and the others that are having troubles... I don't know where I would be without you all.

I have been busy getting DD ready for her move up to college.. She is in a house this year so she needed more then I had originally thought. Oh well what's another bill...

I haven't really decided on the date of my hysterectomy. I just learned after my visit with the oncologist that I need medicine that is giving through IV called Zomadia... It is given every 3 months and they need to check your kidney functions before you can get another dose.. It cause dental pain.. Anyone else have to have this done?

On the hair front.. VERY SLOW........I keep tugging it.....

I miss keeping in touch with you, but read all your post.....

I'm praying for all of us and our families...

Donna

Kim, I think my PS said he does the nipples with general, and the tats are done in office later.

Donna, Kat, Laura .... Today is 7 months for us.  Amazing.  It seems like a lifetime ago, and yet like yesterday.  I am glad to have had all of you as my 'surgery day buddies', and so very glad to have our Team January !

Hello, January sisters. It has been ages since I've been on the site but with talk of anniversaries I had to respond. I am so grateful for each and every one of you and continue to pray for you nightly for all of life's challenges. Since I last posted my son graduated from Cornell and my daughter has decided to live home next year and complete her general ed courses at the local community college. She would return to her 4-year college the following Fall. I am so happy to have her back, if only temporarily. My 93 year old Dad spent most of the spring and summer with me but is staying with my sister for a few weeks. God has truly blessed us all throughout this ordeal.I had my exchange surgery yesterday and am soooo pleased to report how much easier this is so far. Minimal pain and discomfort. My head and balance is still a little woozy from anaesthesia. My plastic surgeon was amazed with how well I stretched with the tissue expanders and was able to put in Allergan Style 45 650 cc's. I'm still in a compression bra but he had me touch them to notice how much softer they are! What a wonderful surprise. No more weird looks after hugging someone again! As much as I had become accustomed to the rocks in my chest I think it was a touch harder for my loved ones. Just want to add much love, hope and prayers for all my January sisters.

CLEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So good to see you!! Thanks for checking in with an update.

Kim, sounds like progress.

I'm closing in on the finish line of my project!! This is the one that I've literally been working on for over five years. Hopefully, we'll cross the finish line this weekend. Then I'm off to Wakegon, IL to give a one day event to launch a Head Start program's new year. All good things.

p.s. the news on my niece is positive, but the second surgery so quickly following the first has her laid pretty low. Thank you for your continued prayers.