Hoping I did not wait too long

I like your analogy, you are right, picking and choosing what to do in a day is definitely the new challenge.  I am still trying to work, it is a little hard right after treatment, I got 2 hours in on Sunday when I was suppose to work 8, but I had been busier on Saturday than I thought and by Sunday I was totally exhausted so I only made 2 hours.  I will work 6 today, but that is because I have a doctors appt and I know I will not have the energy after my appt to go back to work.  My job is a very detailed oriented and patient lives are to be considered so when I am really tired it really is not safe to do my job.  Plus if I have to take pain medications I do not trust I think clear enough to do it so I try to hold off on the pain meds.  However, it is nice to work when I can to keep busy so I am going to keep plugging away when I can.  I think it is smart to wait until you are at least done with your chemo, I am having an issue with my incisions.  My port incision started with a little pin hole that has opened even further.  It is surface and I keep a band aide on it but it isn't healing.  Then last night I had another incision, one of my laparoscopy scars, open a little, it is red and bleeding a little so I cleaned it with hibiclens and put a band aide on it.  Hopefully that will not get infected.  I had asked my surgeon about the salpingo-oophorectomy (tubes and ovaries) being removed at the same time as my BMX and it was absolutely no problem.  Actually the surgery was simple and did not bother me much at all, I am really glad I got it all done at once.  My implants were put in the same time my mastectomy was done.  I do not keep going back for expansions and I do not have to go back for another surgery to have the final ones put in.  I really like that.  I am not a fan of surgery. Well if you have any questions on a BMX I would be happy to answer.  There are advantages and disadvantages to doing both.  I would opt for the BMX myself and have the tubes and ovaries removed for safety sake.  It is scary, but you will do great.  You are healthy and strong so you will be able to do what needs to be done.  Just got to keep moving your arms after surgery and remember it takes longer than you expect for them to feel normal and you may have to postpone running for a bit after surgery, but hopefully not too long.  

I have not heard from aff lately, I wonder how she is doing.

Aff, I had immediate reconstruction with silicone implants, one and done.  I was going to do the DIEP, but I did not have enough abdominal fat to get the size I wanted.  It sounds like you are going to have a great weekend, as you should.  Don't worry about your surgery, I am sure you are in excellent hands and they will take good care of you.  Your body will heal just the way it is suppose to and you will be fine.  Have a wonderful weekend and no worries.

Hey Genny,

I was wondering how you are doing?  I get my fourth treatment today.  My third was pretty rough, I was wondering how your fourth was going?  I am anemic so it is not helping with feeling fatigued and I think chemo brain is setting in.  My brain is usually sharp as a tack, but lately I can't seem to remember if I have taken my pills for the day or not and I made an error at work the other day that I never would have made before.  That part is a little scary.  I get really frustrated with the fatigue aspect of all of this, but trying to go with the flow.  Hope you are making out better.

I am glad you are having minimal SE.  Yea the fatigue bites, but learning to manage it is the key.  It sounds like you have made a good decision. I hope you find a plastic surgeon you like.  I love my plastic surgeon, he is such a nice, compassionate man and funny.  I just asked him about nipples because I wanted to know my options and he gave me the same response as the last time I asked him.  There is a man in Baltimore, Maryland named Vinnie Myers who does a 3-D tattoo nipple that looks real.  You should pull up his website and check them out.  My plastic surgeon said he was just at a conference and most of the plastic surgeons there are recommending the tattoo because it looks so real and is noninvasive.  Vinnie is becoming internationally known, women fly in from all over.  I am glad they are removing your nipples, ILC can hide in them because they have milk ducts.  Personally, I love not having them because I can wear a shirt without a bra and never have to worry.  My boobs are healing, they are still tight at times and do not look very pretty yet.  My tissue is thinning, I have some ripples and some of my scars have broken open because they are so thin. However, when I wear a bra they look nice.  My one is still smaller because they had to remove 16 lymph nodes and he had a hard time making them equal.  You can feel my implant because I have lost so much tissue because of the chemo.  After I am done with chemo I will see how much comes back, I may have to have them touched up.  Then after that I will be getting my tattoos done.  Please keep me updated on how you are doing.  Let me know when your surgery is.  You will not have these problems because you went through your chemo already.  However, are you doing radiation?  If so they say you should not get implants before going through radiation, radiation can mess them up. 

I hope you have minimal SE from your 5th round, gosh only 1 more round to go and you will have made it...That is awesome.  The surgery is not bad at all, I was uncomfortable, but I took very little pain pills and just really worked at moving my arms and reaching for things as much as I could.  I have full motion of my arms and when I am through chemo plan on doing push ups and lift weights to build up my chest and arms again.  I have tried to do it already, but it made my boobs swell and feel really tight.  My plastic surgeon said it will not hurt them so I just have to get use to the feeling.  However, after work 8 hours, doing dinner and any running I have I am too exhausted to do a push up.  I am trying to walk as much as I can, but I cannot walk for a long distance, maybe a mile at the most. 

Hope you have a great weekend.  Take care.

I emailed him, he is so compassionate and nice.  It costs $600.00 for both.  Insurance may pay for it you would have to check with your insurance company.  I know I am going to try to submit mine.  I am waiting though until I am sure I am done with breast surgery so my nipples do not end up pointing to the ceiling or something, LOL.  I contacted him when I was first diagnosed to see how long his wait list was.  Back them it was 5-6 months and he sent me a very nice note back himself.  You can email him and ask him any questions.  I also know someone who went to him for another type of tattoo, when she tried to go back he is no longer doing other tattoos just the nipples.  She said he was very, very nice.  I can't wait to meet him.  He got into this because his sister was diagnosed with breast cancer.  He said the day he was going to stop doing the nipple tattoos because they were taking up all of his time and they are not as interesting to do as other tattoos he got a call from his sister and she had just been diagnosed with breast cancer so he knew he had to make this his focus.  How weird right. 

I am thinking about having a vine or something aside of the nipple to cover my scar, but not sure yet on that.  I am not sure when I am done with chemo.  He said something after my second tmt that maybe I would only need 4; however, when I saw him last week he said we would talk after my 4th treatment to see where I am at.  Although, he wrote a prescription for steroids to cover 6 treatments.  I am going to call him next week after my SEs kick in and just see where we stand because I do not see him again until right before my 6th tmt, I see someone else according to my schedule they print out for me. My last treatment if I do all 6 is July 24th, the day before my birthday.  If my body holds up I will probably try to go to 6 not just for me, but because all you other strong women are doing it and I do not want to sell myself short; however, if it is taking too much of a toll on my body I will stop at 4.  Wish I had stats on how much difference those last 2 treatments make.

You will do fine, I did not even mind the drains, I thought I would.  That part freaked me out the most when I thought about it, but I only had 2, one on each side.  I was able to do most of the drain care myself because of where they were positioned.  My husband helped me too from time to time.  He had stronger hands so he could milk them a little better.  I was nervous when they had to be pulled, but I did not feel a thing and I had heard horror stories.  Just be calm, don't fight what your body is doing and follow your instructions.  If you have a good plastic surgeon that you are confident with that makes all the difference.  Mine is very gentle. He likes to laugh and I feel very comfortable around him.  That is very important, if you do not have that with the ones you meet you should keep looking.  A friend of mine is so unhappy with her PS.  She has no bedside manners.  She does not get told anything about the procedure or process.  Make sure you have a good rapport with whomever you pick.

Hope you are feeling good today.  What SE are you having?  How is your folliculitis?  I have been using the salicylic acid every time I shower followed by moisturizer for the dryness and it has really help so far to keep mine under control. 

Aff, congratulations, no nodes... Awesome... The hard part is over, it sounds like you are doing great.  Your drains came out quick.  Glad you are doing well.

Hi Genny,

How was your sixth and final treatment? yeah for you. How are you doing?  I get my fifth treatment on Thursday and am already nervous, but just keep telling myself it will be over soon.  Hope you are doing okay.