December 2011 Surgeries - want to wait together?

Dave Matthews is definitely worth pinning up those drains and going if you still have them!

I had 3 drains total.  #1 for 1 week; #2 for 4 weeks, #3 for 7 weeks.  However, the horrible, awful #3  was for the flap surgery.  It was a pain, but I still was somewhat active.  Attached to my bra and it was not really a problem. Strange..... Now it seems like it was no big deal, but at the time I was ready to rip the darn thing out myself.

Oh, no, cookie, I hope it goes away. Much love.

Cookie-hoping you woke up itch free!!!

Cookie - hope today is a good sign that the itchies are going away! Keep us posted!

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Optifast is going well.....last night was class, and I lost 4.8 pounds last week. The only glitch - my ALT (liver function) numbers have tripled. Somewhat worrisome....I had HepB in 1982 (almost died) and am very protective of my liver.

Doc says he is more interested in symptoms than numbers (I have none) but is sending me for an US on liver and gallbladder tonight at the hospital.

It was so weird - I mentioned it to a my friend in class who is a 3 year ovarian cancer survivor, and she asked "Are you worried about liver mets?" I just stared at her. Never crossed my mind. But there is a higher incidence of liver cancer in post HepB patients, so better safe than sorry, and run the tests now. I'll also have additional bloodwork.

Come to find out, several members of the class showed elevated ALT numbers in the beginning, which came down on their own. This is what I am hoping for.....that it's diet-related. There is some research showing that Optifast actually reduces the size of the liver, and causes it to release fats into the bloodstream. Hoping to get to the bottom of this mystery, and that I can stay in the program because it really does work!

I love the products, it's easy to stick to, and I'm never hungry. If I have to take a break I will, which just means the TEs will be in longer than I'd hoped. Got them in December, was hoping for exchange in September. The only issue I'm having now is that the smaller I get, the bigger (and harder) my 620cc TEs feel - especially at night - it's like rolling over onto a boulder!

Other than that, life is good.

Sending out hugs to all my December sisters!!!!

ah, weight loss.  Would love to drop my extra 20 but lack the motivation.  Plus, I love to eat!   DH traveling now and I end up eating less healthy when he is gone.  But I plan on making food changes for him due to high cholestrol so I will  make food changes for me.  Hope everyone is well.

Thanks, chrissilini - and congratulations to YOU! Slow and steady IS the way to go, and you're doing it the right way.

Hi, Kam -  I made the decision to do Optifast on my own, because I asked my plastic surgeon what would happen if he put in permanent saline implants that matched the size of my TEs before I lost weight, and he said "The implants would look bigger afterwards."

Well, I have in AMAZON sized expanders, and if he did match up the saline implants to the TEs I now have, and I did lose the weight later on, I would have stripper boobs. NOT what I want! I have about 40 more pounds to lose. My goal is 135 or 140.

The other reason is one I hadn't thought of. I had to get my MOs approval before being accepted into this program, and when she saw I had applied to it, she was THRILLED!!! She said that if I hadn't done it myself, she would have referred me.

She told me "The very best thing you can do for your overall health - AND your ER+ breast cancer - is to drop this weight, now!!!"

Estrogen is produced in body fat, of which I have plenty. After I get off Optifast, I'll be taking the Estrogen-sucking drug Arimidex for five years. Someone just reminded me that this drug alone can add the pounds.

So I'll be on the liquid diet for three more months, then slowly transition back to food. Most people on the plan continue to lose weight as they add regular meals to their days. Once I have been off the fast for three weeks, I can have surgery again, but I want to make sure I'm strong nutritionally, as well as physically, so I'm back at the gym. I'm expecting to have my exchange surgery in September.

Well, I have in AMAZON sized expanders, and if he did match up the saline implants to the TEs I now have, and I did lose the weight later on, I would havestripper boobs. NOT what I want! I have about 40 more pounds to lose. My goal is 135 or 140.

Blessings - I guess I don't understand why you have to match them?  Can't you use a size of implants that match your future would be weight and figure?  Are you saying "the visual" would be hard for the PS or are you saying the body fat actually creates an issue?  This is my dilemna...ideally I would be at a lower weight so I could see how my final foobs would look, but was told not to try and lose weight during chemo (though it's difficult not to lose some) and ofcourse 3 weeks after chemo done, my PS wants the exchange to be done.

Did the TE's every give you lower or mid back aches?

I believe my MO said the Anti-Hormone therapy would protect one from one's own body fat so theoretically "we" would have those 5 years to lose the weight. I"m going to double check on that! 

Cookie - hope you are feeling better. 

Cookie after 3 surgeries and allergic reaction I feel your pain. It happened to me again with this past one 2 weeks ago. You may get lucky this time, hope so!!



He didnt use Betadyne so now we know it's the surgitape and all adhesive tape, like a zillion ants biting me.. Keep the insicion aired out and for me dial soap and water worked the best to dry it out plain and simple. Done with capsular contracture surgery, only to find out from BS yesterday the other side I have breast or truncal lymphadema. Does it ever end!!



At the end of my rope and I've had only two fills in tissue expander. Ggrrrrrrr....

Hope everyone has a great week!

Sorry about the taste buds!  That sounds horrible.

Kam-so sorry, hope it subsides and you get your taste back soon.