December 2016 Surgeries

To each her own but noreconstruction for me.

I'm having Bilateral surgery Dec 13th...scared also!

Absolutely. I kept trying to remind myself that during chemo.

Yeah, I did neoadjuvant. Which didn't work as well as hoped, unfortunately.

Last chemo was Oct. 24th. I'd felt some heaviness in the bad breast this past week but this morning I noticed that it's starting to look wonky again. I feel like I did the chemo for nothing.

I also wanted to post some things that I have done that have been SUPER helpful!! Maybe helpful ideas for you all.

1. I created a closed group for family and friends on FB so that I can keep them up to date and put more specific progress and treatment info out there to those that are really invested, and its not all over FB.

2. I created an Amazon wishlist with many of the recovery things on the shopping list included above, plus gift cards. You can adjust the priority of each item, and how much of them you want. I put everything from the Brobe, to foam wedges for sleeping, to compression sleeves and bras, to vitamins, plus many other things on there and within a couple days it had all been purchased. I receive boxes each day (my mailman really has to wonder what I am up to!), and as gifts come in I send a thank you note on FB or write a card and stick it in the mail, and then enter the info into an excel spreadsheet so I can keep track of who sent what, mark off that I sent them a thank you, and keep track of their addresses. Here is a link to my wishlist - you can see what I put on there - sort by purchased/unpurchased. http://a.co/g5SsR9M

3. A couple of weeks ago I bought tons (literally like 4 cases) of wide mouth ball pint jars and plastic lids for them, and asked for help cooking on FB with my dietary restrictions. I put many of the jars on my back patio, and people came and picked up empty jars and then dropped them off full of food. I have an extra freezer full of food now and don't have to worry for quite a while. I also asked for fresh canned goods (I have tons of friends that have farms or gardens), and offered to barter - all declined the need for a barter. I just keep track of who's jars are who's as I use them so I can return them when this is all over. (I also keep track of this on a spreadsheet - there is no way I will remember everyone who helped when this is all over, and any bit of help matters - big or small!)

4. I am finding the desire to ensure I still feel feminine as I move through this -especially with no reconstruction, so I have been working hard to find little things that will help with that so I don't feel so gross with drains and what not. These are a gem! - http://brilliantcontours.com/ and the lady that makes them is awesome - great customer service and you can put them on your amazon wishlist, they carry them! I put two pretty ones on my wishlist and two different friends got them for me. I already have received them and they are soft and comfy and will be great after the first couple days or so after surgery.

5. Here is a great surgical bra site: http://www.gentlet.com/

6. Here is the Brobe: http://a.co/1G38HSj

Happy prepping ladies!

TKS: I second MJs input. That's a long time to be in pain that could hopefully be eliminated w/some pain meds. Were any suggested? Or are they wanting you to avoid them prior to surgery?

MJs: Great question. I've purchased very little. I've purchased 1 flannel, buttoned shirt, a few zip-up jackets that could be worn as tops w/a cami underneath, a front-fastening bra, a couple pairs of sweat pants, and my husband bought me a cape (don't think Wonder Woman, lol) so I won't need to slip my arms into coat sleeves if I go out. I don't have anything for drains and come to think of it, I don't know if I bought the cami I was eyeing online. Hmmm. Gotta check that.

No pain meds for me. Ugh. I am also on call in case there is an opening before my date - so I have been staying off everything. I most likely will reject a new date if offered one at this point as I have scheduled my mom and son to come in around my dec 14 date. They said tylenol only for me, and that is nasty stuff, so I am just stretching as much as possible, and oddly also being rather aware of the pain so that I can really and truly appreciate it when it is gone! lol.

Oh, glad to find this forum. My surgery is Dec 21st. I have done nothing really to prepare as of now...arghh...but I am reading up now. I have posted on another forum so just pasting below.

I am very confused regarding my upcoming surgery. My cancer is very aggressive and I am mostly concerned about that at the moment so reconstructions is so far away from my mind.

They suggested to have an immediate expander placed during the removal of my breast. I have large breast and my tumor size is 6,5 x 4 cm and has grown that size during 2 years It has not noticeably shrunk during the neoadjuvant treatment so they are planing to remove the entire breast. I will start radiation beginning January, every day for 2 months as well as hormonal treatment, which kind I am not sure as of yet. I have a friend of a friend whom is a professor of breast cancer, she strongly advice me against placing the expander and using silicon at this point and instead just focus on getting rid of the cancer. She also said chances of complications of the implant might make the breast very hard and not comfortable at all. I will have the opportunity to speak with her on the phone tonight to ask more questions. I am more interested in reducing the size of my healthy breast, keeping the nipple to just make it more bearable for the years I have to wait for reconstruction, they said approx. 2 years since my treatment herceptin ends next September.

Any thoughts here would be very appreciated. I understand it would be great to immediately get a breast even if hard but I am more worried about the cancer spreading and complications with the silicon. From what I understand now a flap is softer and more comfortable in the long run.