January Mastectomy

Hi Ladies! Sounds like a lot of us have our emotions out there and raw. Sally your story touched me. This BC is a horrible thing but the process of it has opened up a kinship, sisterhood which has a lifelong membership.  And Kat, {{hugs}}  I think its like you have put up with so much this last year that a flippant non answer is not only disrespectful but down right unprofessional. I would have wanted to walk out but would have probably stayed, stewed and cried all the way through.

I had my surgery the 8th. I honestly do not have a lot to tell you about it because the person who drove me there is the one who talked to the doctor and I really have no idea what was said. I have my stitches out on Friday the 17th. I will just see the nurse and not the doctor. The doctor did not talk to me before the surgery. Its weird. The surgery was supposed to be 45 mins to an hour and go home that afternoon. It was at 10:30 and I woke up in a hospital room at 4pm and was spending the night! I was pretty loopy so I didn't mind. I didn't have the open incision but there was a larger than normal incision on one side of my abdomen. The assisting physician was the one who released me the next day and she said they had some trouble getting the bleeding to stop. I also had several cysts, one as large as a small orange but they didn't have the pathology back. I am not worried. I am glad to have it out of there. I am just really tired so I am resting hoping to be back to work by Thursday.

It is snowing here. We have wrecks all over town, its a mess outside so I am glad I don't have to be anywhere. Robin and Gina, are you getting all this snow?  Paula I hope you are feeling better too girlie {{{hugs}}}

Love you Team January!

Happy Birthday Dearest Debbie!

May you have a day as lovely as you are! Love ya girlie {{hugs}}

Happy Birthday Debbie !!!!!

I am back from the PS with my new nips - Merry Christmas to me :0)    I will have to wait a few days for the unveiling, so I can't really say how they look yet.  Everything seemed to go well.  It is very weird to be awake through a procedure like that !    I am so glad to have it done.  Only tats left now

Cathy,  It wasn't really a concious decision to wait for my nips, I just kept putting it off.  I think I needed a little time to adjust to everything and get into the right frame of mind.  Also, with all of the padding and such that everyone talked about having to wear, I didn't want to have them added in the summer.  I figure it will be easier to hide any bumps with sweaters and sweatshirts.

{{Hugs Team January}}

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the well wishes.  I started back to work part-time this week  Sleeping in the afternoons.  One thing I forgot to mention is that the surgeon asked me who my PS was because he thought he did a great job.  Makes me feel a little better about how I actually look since I still struggle with that sometimes about not being "normal".

Kat, I agree, that person should definitely not be a nurse!  How terrible!  How awful they are infected!    And Happy Birthday!

Sally, how are you doing after your reconstruction?

Robin, how are you?

Debbie, Happy Birthday.

It seems there are several of us who have December birthdays too!  I'm the 24th.

Paula

{{{{Cathy}}}} Did he give you an idea of how long you would have to wait for your results?

Hi All,

 (((((((Cathy)))))), I  I went through the same a few months ago. I got a bad result from my PAP and had to do a follow up biopsy. I could not believe it was happening to me!

Thank god every thing came back ok. I'm sure it will be the same for you.

Happy Birthday to all of you celebrating.

Clari

Happy Birthday Kat!

Cathy - I've had 2 vaginal ultrasounds and a couple of biopsies.  It's not fun and it's really not fun to have to wait for results.  My total sympathy is definitely with you.

Elaine 

Hello Team,

Kat - wish I had been there with you; I probably would have punched her....what kind of an answer is "long enough"; according to whom?  Makes me wonder what she had to hide.  You should report the little charmer to her supervisor.  Anyway, glad the tatoo's were ok and sorry to hear about the infection.  Happy 48th birthday!!! to someone who is 48 and fabulous!!

I actually had my tatoo done yesterday.  Fortunately my PS's nurse was very kind.  She was mixing colors and I seriously felt like she was a cosmetologist looking for just the right shade of foundation.  My PS is wonderful and he came in and did the tatoo and we, of course, chatted through the whole procedure.  He said just think, one more follow up appointment and then I'll only be seeing you every 6 months or once a year.  That sort of made me sad.  I will seriously miss him.  He is not only an amazing PS, he is an amazing, compassionate man.  I actually enjoy visits to his office.

The day before I had a follow up with my oncologist....and I had a lot of feelings about that.  I didn't like sitting in the waiting room at the cancer center.  I don't like seeing an oncologist.  Can we spell d-e-n-i-a-l???  Guess when I see the plastic surgeon, when I'm in his waiting room, no one really knows why I am there...they probably think I am there for a consultation on a face lift!  But there's no doubt why we sit in oncologist's waiting rooms.  Anyway the Onc said I am the kind of recon patient that they take photo's of....symmetry is perfect.  Amazing, no one ever wanted photo's of my former boobs!  Anyway, we talked about Arimidex and recurrence and I couldn't wait to leave.

On the good news front:  DH and I have been seeing a counselor, and something is working.  I feel like I am in love with my husband again (and haven't had that feeling for about a year----coincidence??). 

The holidays are always a mixed bag of emotions and especially for our Team with cancerversaries so close...

Debbie is right.  This whole journey, with all its ups and downs and sideways turns, is all about attitude.  Just like the nurse that Kat dealt with, we somehow have to not let them or any of this get to our core. 

We are strong; we are absolutely amazing (because we have each!)

Prayer for you Cathy -- we all know that waiting is the worst part. 

Sally, hope you love your nips.  I am still in awe that the PS can create a nipple!  It is all just too amazing. 

I know that even though I have been put back together (and the package is prettier than the original), it's the emotional scars that we carry and must get through.

I pray for all of us, all the time,

Love,

Marianne

Oh I know, I know!  It transports you to a time (for just a fleeting moment) when none of this ever happened!  It's a good thing...Yay for you Sally! 

Yay for benign results Lynbob !  I send out some positive thoughts for the infection to clear up soon.

Kat, did you nipple infection heal? 

No implants here Cat123 -- au natural/flat as a pancake by choice. Not sure if anyone here has the insight your seeking, but time will tell. Welcome to our campfire.

(((((((((((((((Lynbob))))))))))))))))

Thrilling to hear the benign results. Adding hopes that the infection resolve directly & that you can ring in the new year feeling bright & shiny new!!!

Yes, Marianne. So grateful that the work that you're investing, under guidance is showing such a positive benefit. I think it's so terrific of you to share the process with us in a candid manner. Honesty about what this first year entails is such a benefit to others who are adrift. Congrats on the progress and thanks.

Kat. Glad to hear that your day was feted by many. I'm so happy for your celebration. Your hubby was brilliant to gather up folks on your behalf.

Isn't it crazy what our bodies can 'go through' and yet keep on going? We have such strength collectively. Ever onward, team.

We are currently in the car -- headed up beyond Cleveland to say good by to hubby's family, before our departure for FL. We must be out of our house by tomorrow as the honey-mooners (the renters) will return tomorrow. A few nights at our daughters -- a couple more school appearances for me and then we start our official vagabond south. Augusta for Christmas (my parents/sister's family and both of our daughters/families) and then on to FL for real.

xx00xx00xx00xx

Hugs to all. Hoping to hear from some of the rest of our team, with a holiday report.

Marvelous image, Debbie.  Where in FL, btw?

Happy December 19th, everyone

Marianne...I wanted to put hearts on here for you and hubby, but this is the closest I could get

Kathy, or was it Kat?? and Lynbob...fight those infections, girls !

Sally....nippledoodles

Debbie...cross-country traveler!

Paula and Lynbob - fellow recoverers

Cathy...I just had the same biopsy, but my results came back within a week.  Wonder why it takes so much longer up there...it *does* hurt, doesn't it?!?!?  But now, my uterus is gone anyway.  I tell ya, this laparoscopic hysterectomy is THE way to go, leaving the cervix and ovaries.  Piece of cake compared to what we all went through last year.  

Sitting here, listening to the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, watching them come and go....oldest son refused to come with us.  He also came home from 1st semester of school and told us he had withdrawn.  This - our National Merit, valedictorian, AP Scholar with distiction child- stopped doing all work and didn't take his finals, has flunked out this semester and quit school, after three semesters of college.  We are heartbroken. He wants to get a job, and figure out his life.  sigh.....

I hope and pray 2011 is MUCH better for *all* of us....

blessings...robin