Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Under Construction! Breast reconstruction expanders/implants exchange tomorrow.
Before I begin this post, I'd like to give fair warning that I do plan to go into some details about tomorrow's surgery. Some of you may or may not be comfortable with the details - but the purpose of starting this whole blog site for me, aside from keeping family and friends informed of my progress, was to provide information that other women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer can easily find for information/reference.
With that being said... tomorrow I go in for my 2nd phase of breast reconstruction. At the time of my double mastectomy I had tissue expanders put in the space where my natural breast tissue was removed. The purpose of the expanders is to fill the pocket and basically act as a place holder for breast implants to be put in once the tissue has been stretched and can hold the implant. When the doctor initially put in the expanders, they were filled with a small amount of saline solution to begin the process. Over the past 5 months I have had two expansions where the doctor injected more saline solution into the expanders to stretch the skin out enough to hold the implant. The doctors will typically wait until all chemotherapy and radiation (if any is needed) before performing the 2nd phase where the expanders are swapped out for breast implants. This is where I am now.
This afternoon I will head to the doctor for my markings prior to surgery. He will draw onto my body the diagrams of where he will be cutting, etc. Tomorrow morning I go in about 2 hours prior to the scheduled surgery time to be prepped (I.V.'s, pain meds, etc.). The surgery is expected to take about 4.5 hours to complete and will be done in an out-patient surgery center. This operation does not require hospitalization. The surgery that I am undergoing is removal of the tissue expanders, breast implants with tissue matrix material inserted and some fat transfer from my thigh area to the breast area. The reason for the fat transfer is because with no natural breast tissue, there is not any excess tissue mass to make the breast implants appear as natural as they possibly can. Therefore, removing fat from another part of the body and injecting it around the implants gives a softer, more natural appearance (along with the tissue matrix material that will also surround the implant).
After being prepped and put to sleep, the doctor will begin the liposuction to remove the fat from both my inner and outer thighs. The fat is then processed in some way - which I understand takes a good deal of time - to reduce it down to the good fat cells that have the best chance of surviving the transfer. The fat that takes is permanent once injected. While waiting for the fat to process appropriately, the doctor will finish suturing/dressing the wounds on the legs and will then begin the operation on the breasts. The tissue expanders will be removed. The doctor may have to do a little work to enlarge or reduce the pocket size that the implant will be placed in. The dermal tissue matrix is then sewn into place and the implant inserted. The breast area will then be sutured and then the fat gets injected around the breasts as the doctor deems necessary to create a natural look. Everything is then dressed and bound - and after recovery time I will be able to go home.
The recovery for this surgery is anywhere from 4-6 weeks total. I will have to wear special compression garments for the legs for 3 weeks as I recover from that part of the surgery. I will be able to do light walking after 10 days, floor exercises after 3 weeks and no restrictions at all at 6 weeks.
I've been told that there will be a significant amount of discomfort, mostly from the liposuction, and have been given pain medications to help control this. I am anxious to get all of this behind me and am not looking forward to more recovery time as I am feeling so good at this point of being past chemo. I have been off of all medications for a few weeks now and hate the thought of putting more meds back into my system - but, I know this is temporary and hopefully the last part of recovery for me.
So, there you have it. I'll post during recovery and let you know how things are progressing. Until then - stay healthy and take good care of yourselves.
With that being said... tomorrow I go in for my 2nd phase of breast reconstruction. At the time of my double mastectomy I had tissue expanders put in the space where my natural breast tissue was removed. The purpose of the expanders is to fill the pocket and basically act as a place holder for breast implants to be put in once the tissue has been stretched and can hold the implant. When the doctor initially put in the expanders, they were filled with a small amount of saline solution to begin the process. Over the past 5 months I have had two expansions where the doctor injected more saline solution into the expanders to stretch the skin out enough to hold the implant. The doctors will typically wait until all chemotherapy and radiation (if any is needed) before performing the 2nd phase where the expanders are swapped out for breast implants. This is where I am now.
This afternoon I will head to the doctor for my markings prior to surgery. He will draw onto my body the diagrams of where he will be cutting, etc. Tomorrow morning I go in about 2 hours prior to the scheduled surgery time to be prepped (I.V.'s, pain meds, etc.). The surgery is expected to take about 4.5 hours to complete and will be done in an out-patient surgery center. This operation does not require hospitalization. The surgery that I am undergoing is removal of the tissue expanders, breast implants with tissue matrix material inserted and some fat transfer from my thigh area to the breast area. The reason for the fat transfer is because with no natural breast tissue, there is not any excess tissue mass to make the breast implants appear as natural as they possibly can. Therefore, removing fat from another part of the body and injecting it around the implants gives a softer, more natural appearance (along with the tissue matrix material that will also surround the implant).
After being prepped and put to sleep, the doctor will begin the liposuction to remove the fat from both my inner and outer thighs. The fat is then processed in some way - which I understand takes a good deal of time - to reduce it down to the good fat cells that have the best chance of surviving the transfer. The fat that takes is permanent once injected. While waiting for the fat to process appropriately, the doctor will finish suturing/dressing the wounds on the legs and will then begin the operation on the breasts. The tissue expanders will be removed. The doctor may have to do a little work to enlarge or reduce the pocket size that the implant will be placed in. The dermal tissue matrix is then sewn into place and the implant inserted. The breast area will then be sutured and then the fat gets injected around the breasts as the doctor deems necessary to create a natural look. Everything is then dressed and bound - and after recovery time I will be able to go home.
The recovery for this surgery is anywhere from 4-6 weeks total. I will have to wear special compression garments for the legs for 3 weeks as I recover from that part of the surgery. I will be able to do light walking after 10 days, floor exercises after 3 weeks and no restrictions at all at 6 weeks.
I've been told that there will be a significant amount of discomfort, mostly from the liposuction, and have been given pain medications to help control this. I am anxious to get all of this behind me and am not looking forward to more recovery time as I am feeling so good at this point of being past chemo. I have been off of all medications for a few weeks now and hate the thought of putting more meds back into my system - but, I know this is temporary and hopefully the last part of recovery for me.
So, there you have it. I'll post during recovery and let you know how things are progressing. Until then - stay healthy and take good care of yourselves.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Just over a month since last chemo!
It's been just over a month since my last chemo. I must say, I'm feeling pretty darned good. My energy level has returned to almost normal and my stamina is much better. We went for a walk yesterday that just two weeks ago I had to stop three times to catch my breath. We made the walk yesterday with no stops and I felt fine...yay! My muscles still hurt quite a bit though - but getting better. Chemo really does a number on your muscles and it takes them quite a while to recover. I am still very patiently waiting for some hair to sprout on my head. Getting very tired of the bald look and very tired of wearing caps all of the time. Patience...
The next step for me is the second phase of the reconstruction. This surgery will take place on January 30th with about a 4 week recovery process. I had tissue expanders put in at the time of my double mastectomy. It is now time for the expanders to be removed and implants with some fat transfer to take their place. I am not looking forward to another surgery and more down time - especially since I am just now feeling more myself. But...it has to be done and I might as well get it over with. Hopefully, this will be the last surgery that I will have to endure.
Fortunately, my hubby whisked me away to the Oregon coast for a few days in between chemo recovery and next surgery and it really revitalized me in many ways. It was wonderful to have time away from recovery and cancer talk. I don't think we really brought the subject up the entire time we were gone, except to talk about good nutrition choices as we were eating out a lot. I felt alive and stress-free as we explored the coast, went for long walks and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. I forgot how much I missed that place and it was good to go back.
Well, I'm off now for a healthy lunch and a nice hike to soak in the sun and fresh air. Tomorrow, venturing into the big City for another day out before all of the pre-op festivities start next week.
Enjoy the weekend :)
The next step for me is the second phase of the reconstruction. This surgery will take place on January 30th with about a 4 week recovery process. I had tissue expanders put in at the time of my double mastectomy. It is now time for the expanders to be removed and implants with some fat transfer to take their place. I am not looking forward to another surgery and more down time - especially since I am just now feeling more myself. But...it has to be done and I might as well get it over with. Hopefully, this will be the last surgery that I will have to endure.
Fortunately, my hubby whisked me away to the Oregon coast for a few days in between chemo recovery and next surgery and it really revitalized me in many ways. It was wonderful to have time away from recovery and cancer talk. I don't think we really brought the subject up the entire time we were gone, except to talk about good nutrition choices as we were eating out a lot. I felt alive and stress-free as we explored the coast, went for long walks and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. I forgot how much I missed that place and it was good to go back.
Well, I'm off now for a healthy lunch and a nice hike to soak in the sun and fresh air. Tomorrow, venturing into the big City for another day out before all of the pre-op festivities start next week.
Enjoy the weekend :)
Friday, January 24, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Chemotherapy Overview
I thought I'd blog today with an outline of how the entire chemotherapy process went for me in hopes that the information may prove helpful to someone else going through the same thing. I want to start by saying that everyone is different and the experience will also be different for everyone based on the drugs given and the duration of the treatments. My chemotherapy drugs were Taxotere and Cytoxan and I was given infusions every 21 days for a total of 4 rounds. I will not list or talk about the specific prescriptions that I was given to treat the side effects of chemo as again it will be different for everyone. So here goes...
#1 -
Again, I post this as an overview for those curious about the process of chemo treatments. I will post in the future as I progress and begin to move away from the side effects that still remain 3 weeks post treatments. My next step in this journey will be the reconstruction which will take place in the next few weeks.
#1 -
- I felt fine until day 3 when I began to feel very tired and had a strange metal taste in my mouth.
- Days 4-8 my energy was very low, I experienced bone pain, dry mouth, stomach cramps and headaches.
- Days 9-10 the pain level began to become more tolerable and my energy was a bit better but my muscles began to feel very fatigued.
- Day 11 I was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and was prescribed antibiotics.
- Days 12-15 headaches continued with an increase in fatigue and muscle aches.
- Days 16-21 my energy was better each day with less aches and pains.
#2 -
- I felt pretty good until day 3 when nausea, headaches, stomach cramps and low energy began. This lasted and progressively got worse until day 13.
- Days 13-21 the symptoms progressively got better with energy increasing as each day passed with the exception of the muscle fatigue and some shortness of breath.
- During this chemo cycle I began to experience a lot of backache from too much lying and sitting as well as neuropathy in my fingers and toes.
- Hair loss - bald.
#3 -
- Day 1 lab work indicated that I was anemic (which explains the muscle fatigue and shortness of breath).
- Day 4 the fatigue set in very hard - I literally had no energy. The neuropathy in fingers and toes became much worse.
- Days 6-10 the bone pain was pretty bad along with headaches, mouth sores and extreme fatigue. I began physical therapy for back pain.
- Days 11-21 the bone pain decreased, low energy remained along with large muscle fatigue.
#4 -
- Day 1 lab work indicated that the anemia had gotten significantly worse since #3. The doctor put me on weekly injections to stimulate my red blood cell production. I continued to have muscle fatigue, extremely low energy, nausea, stomach cramps, bone pain, headaches and back pain.
- Day 4-6 I developed a high fever that we could not determine the cause of. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic.
- This round brought a lot more insomnia and night sweats. I began to feel more energy by day 14 and the muscle fatigue and energy levels have gotten better each day since.
Some overall symptoms that I experienced throughout the entire course of treatment were (and in some cases still are) insomnia, hot flashes and night sweats and being very emotional. My appetite was only mildly disrupted when I had bouts of nausea but remained mostly intact. I gained a total of 7 lbs. during treatments but have already lost 4 now that I am 3 weeks out from my last chemo. The physical therapy has helped somewhat with the back pain and I am hopeful that as I get back into exercising and moving around more that it will get much better. I began walking further distances and took a yoga class this week :)
Again, I post this as an overview for those curious about the process of chemo treatments. I will post in the future as I progress and begin to move away from the side effects that still remain 3 weeks post treatments. My next step in this journey will be the reconstruction which will take place in the next few weeks.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Touched by an angel...
You always hear about angels that roam the earth and make differences in people's lives. Do we always know when we encounter such an angel? It probably happens more often than we can imagine.
Today, Guy and I decided to take a drive to Monterey to have lunch and, of course, for me to get my ocean fix. We had a lovely lunch overlooking the Bay and proceeded to walk around the cannery area. The weather could not have been better - a typical 70 degree winter's day on the coast of California. We walked a good distance up one end of the tourist area and then back in the other direction to end up at a beach cove area where there were some diver's just off of the coast. We stopped there and stood for a moment looking out onto the water and the beach. It was then that I noticed some nice benches to our left where we could sit and rest for a little bit. There was a woman sitting alone on the first bench; I took notice of her but did not pay too much attention as we passed her by to sit on the bench to her left. We sat for a while, taking in the sounds of the surf and watching divers and kayakers do their thing. Very relaxing...
After a short time, the woman who was on the first bench walked over and stood in front of us stating that she hoped we didn't mind her coming over to talk to us. She said that she could not help but notice my pink cap and wondered if I was either going through or just finished with chemotherapy. I told her that I had just had my last chemo 2 weeks ago. She shared with us that she had also been diagnosed with breast cancer and had gone through chemotherapy. She proceeded to take my hand in hers as she looked me in the eye and said "you are going to be just fine. I want you to know that you are going to be fine". I asked her how far out she was in her process and she replied that it has been 2-1/2 years for her. She reassured me that my endurance and strength would return in a short amount of time and that yes, my hair would grow back just fine. She said that by just looking at me she could tell that I had been in good physical shape before the cancer diagnosis as was she and that gave us "the edge" in good outcomes in recovery. We shared with each other a bit more about our diagnosis, the surgeries we had, the reconstruction process and our chemotherapy journeys. I asked her how she felt today and with a huge smile, she said that she felt great!
This lady was, I'm guessing to be in her early 60's. She sported a natural grey short haircut which she proudly stated that she and her husband both loved (she had always worn her hair long before cancer and chemo left her bald). She had lovely wrinkles on her face, a bit deep but very soft, which I have no doubt settled in from years of smiling and laughing and bright lively eyes. The genuineness and warmth of her spirit flowed from her. After a few minutes of exchanging experiences and her answering some of my questions, she went on her way. As we said goodbye and as she walked away, tears started flowing from my eyes; I was overcome with emotion.
This person could simply have noticed my pink hat and wondered to herself whether or not I had cancer and went on her way. But instead she took a moment from her day to come over to talk and provide me with comforting and reassuring words. I tell myself every day that I have beat this and I will be fine. Friends and family members tell me every day that they are so happy that I am going to be fine. While trying to remain positive and believe these things is a daily practice, I am scared as hell inside - knowing what I just went through and terrified that it could happen again. I believe that this lady having gone through all of this knew how scared a person is at the end of treatment, having experienced it herself - with all of the unanswered questions and worries about getting your life back.
It's possible that she walked away from our conversation, went on with her day and didn't think much of the impact that she had on another person's life. For me, I thought of little else as the day went on and will remember her kindness always. The experience seems such a small gesture on her part, but left me feeling that much more confident that yes, I am going to be fine.
I hope as I move forward through my journey that I too can make a positive difference and provide comfort to other's as a fellow survivor. Moreover, I will endeavor when I notice someone who may need comfort that I will not just wonder and keep walking - that I too might take the time to stop and share words with that person, if only to say hello and exchange a pleasant smile.
Angels come to us in mysterious ways. Or, perhaps they come to others through us.
Today, Guy and I decided to take a drive to Monterey to have lunch and, of course, for me to get my ocean fix. We had a lovely lunch overlooking the Bay and proceeded to walk around the cannery area. The weather could not have been better - a typical 70 degree winter's day on the coast of California. We walked a good distance up one end of the tourist area and then back in the other direction to end up at a beach cove area where there were some diver's just off of the coast. We stopped there and stood for a moment looking out onto the water and the beach. It was then that I noticed some nice benches to our left where we could sit and rest for a little bit. There was a woman sitting alone on the first bench; I took notice of her but did not pay too much attention as we passed her by to sit on the bench to her left. We sat for a while, taking in the sounds of the surf and watching divers and kayakers do their thing. Very relaxing...
After a short time, the woman who was on the first bench walked over and stood in front of us stating that she hoped we didn't mind her coming over to talk to us. She said that she could not help but notice my pink cap and wondered if I was either going through or just finished with chemotherapy. I told her that I had just had my last chemo 2 weeks ago. She shared with us that she had also been diagnosed with breast cancer and had gone through chemotherapy. She proceeded to take my hand in hers as she looked me in the eye and said "you are going to be just fine. I want you to know that you are going to be fine". I asked her how far out she was in her process and she replied that it has been 2-1/2 years for her. She reassured me that my endurance and strength would return in a short amount of time and that yes, my hair would grow back just fine. She said that by just looking at me she could tell that I had been in good physical shape before the cancer diagnosis as was she and that gave us "the edge" in good outcomes in recovery. We shared with each other a bit more about our diagnosis, the surgeries we had, the reconstruction process and our chemotherapy journeys. I asked her how she felt today and with a huge smile, she said that she felt great!
This lady was, I'm guessing to be in her early 60's. She sported a natural grey short haircut which she proudly stated that she and her husband both loved (she had always worn her hair long before cancer and chemo left her bald). She had lovely wrinkles on her face, a bit deep but very soft, which I have no doubt settled in from years of smiling and laughing and bright lively eyes. The genuineness and warmth of her spirit flowed from her. After a few minutes of exchanging experiences and her answering some of my questions, she went on her way. As we said goodbye and as she walked away, tears started flowing from my eyes; I was overcome with emotion.
This person could simply have noticed my pink hat and wondered to herself whether or not I had cancer and went on her way. But instead she took a moment from her day to come over to talk and provide me with comforting and reassuring words. I tell myself every day that I have beat this and I will be fine. Friends and family members tell me every day that they are so happy that I am going to be fine. While trying to remain positive and believe these things is a daily practice, I am scared as hell inside - knowing what I just went through and terrified that it could happen again. I believe that this lady having gone through all of this knew how scared a person is at the end of treatment, having experienced it herself - with all of the unanswered questions and worries about getting your life back.
It's possible that she walked away from our conversation, went on with her day and didn't think much of the impact that she had on another person's life. For me, I thought of little else as the day went on and will remember her kindness always. The experience seems such a small gesture on her part, but left me feeling that much more confident that yes, I am going to be fine.
I hope as I move forward through my journey that I too can make a positive difference and provide comfort to other's as a fellow survivor. Moreover, I will endeavor when I notice someone who may need comfort that I will not just wonder and keep walking - that I too might take the time to stop and share words with that person, if only to say hello and exchange a pleasant smile.
Angels come to us in mysterious ways. Or, perhaps they come to others through us.
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