A little update...

 If you are in my Facebook group you've already seen this...

On the 26th, I had the air in my expanders replaced with saline today. I feel like I have breasts again! Yay team, I’m no longer flat!!!

Oncologist Visit – 3/25/2024

 

I saw the oncologist this morning. They scheduled me for another injection 3 weeks after the one this Wednesday with labs and a doctor visit Monday of that week. Some of the labwork they drew this morning was hormone tests to see if I’m pre or post menopausal. It will decide which maintenance meds I take. Those results should be ready in a few days.

My anemia is getting better, slowly but improving. She looked at my drain sites and said they looked good. She also took the steri-strips off my incisions because they hadn’t fallen off like we thought they would and they were turning into glue.

I will be getting labwork drawn every 3 weeks until about August or September. So, I decided to leave my port in for now. I’ll get it removed before my reconstruction surgery because it will be in the surgical field (according to my breast surgeon).

She said I can go back to my old skin care routine. I’ve been using Cetaphil wash and lotion because I had eczema on my face. She said it was the chemo that dried out my skin so bad and I’m well past that. So, I’ll just finish what I have and then go back to the Oil of Olay.

And, finally, yes, I am
CANCER FREE!!!!

It's official!

 

We just had my post-op appointment with the breast surgeon. We went over my pathology report and she said I am officially NED (no evidence of disease). Woohoo!! I will follow up with her every 6 months for 2 years, then we’ll go to once per year.

I see the oncologist next Monday and the plastic surgeon next Tuesday. At the plastic surgeon’s appointment, we’ll exchange the air in my expanders for saline.

Not so hairless anymore, plus more news!

 

And....
   Got my drains out yesterday!! Now I have more choice of what to wear, yay! And there was no pain.

Reconstruction Surgery Scheduled

 

My breast reconstruction surgery is scheduled for September 16th. It will be done by my plastic surgeon and will take 12-14 hours. I will spend 3-5 days in the hospital. He will be doing a DIEP flap surgery. Here is the description from the Mayo Clinic page about the types of reconstruction.

DIEP flap

During a deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap procedure, the surgeon removes a section of abdominal skin and fat, along with the associated blood vessels. Using complex microsurgical techniques, the blood vessels are attached to the ones in your chest and the skin and fat are used to create a breast. copyright Mayo Clinic

Recovery is much longer than my double mastectomy and I will be out of work for several weeks, maybe more than a month. My mom plans to come out and help for for a week or two, giving Kenn a break and letting him get back to work. And yes, there will be drains – again!

And again, thank you everyone for all your support and help.

Ups and Downs ~ Yes and No

 

My big YES was getting to take a shower yesterday AND sleep in my bed instead of the recliner downstairs. Heaven!

My big NO was getting the two drains out today. I just spoke with the nurse and, as I suspected, there’s still too much drainage (80 on one side, 70 on the other, in 24 hours) to remove the drains. It needs to be 30cc in 24 hours. Thinking Monday for sure.

Plastic Surgeon Visit – 3/6/2024

Just saw the plastic surgeon on Wednesday. The drains didn’t come out because they’re still draining too much fluid. The nurse is going to call me Friday morning to see if they are draining less and if I am in the right range, she will take them out at the office Friday. They gave me a compression bra to help get the fluid out. I see them again in 3 weeks to exchange the air in the expanders for saline.

They took off the bandages and put on steri-strips. I can now shower I just have to be careful not to get any water on the drain site. I can also sleep in the bed rather than the recliner, yay! She said that depending on the oncologist’s choice they can do the next surgery in 4-6 months.

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey!!! 

Dropping mom off at the airport

Oncologist Visit – 3/5/2024

Just got done at the oncologist’s. My surgical results were fantastic!! No remaining cancer and no cancer in the lymph nodes. So, I do not need to do radiation. That’s a huge weight off of me!! I will resume my targeted therapy of Herceptin & Perjeta starting today. That will continue till August or September. Then in three weeks we will get labs drawn to see if I am pre or post menopausal. Those results will determine what maintenance therapy I go on at that point. Tomorrow I see the plastic surgeon and hope to get my drains removed.

Out of the house!

Kenn and I went out and about running errands today. We were out for about 5-6 hours and I only had a few twinges of pain. I have plenty of energy and am adjusting to my post-op restrictions (no lifting >15 pounds, no stretching to reach things, etc). I’ve been adjusting to sleeping in the recliner. I see the oncologist on Tuesday and the plastic surgeon on Wednesday. I should have my pathology report by Wednesday. Thank you all for your support!!! It is greatly appreciated!!

Mitzi helping me work on the computer