A VISIT TO THE BOOBY BEAUTIFIER

I had my consultation with a plastic surgeon today to go over my options regarding lumpectomy and mastectomy.
First of all, I need to share something that before now only Mike and I knew. Yes people, my boobs are perfect! Jen will verify as she was there when the plastic surgeon measured me and told me so - ha ha!

Anyway, besides discussing my fabulousness, the nurse and the surgeon filled me with all sorts of information, which is flying around my head in crazy fashion. Jen again took notes for me, so I can give you the skinny:

I'm not a candidate for reconstruction that involves tissue from my back or stomach because I don't have enough fat - I thought it would be great to get a tummy tuck and a boob job, but the nurse said "it ain't no tummy tuck" . This can affect your core abdominal muscles and I can't have those compromised because I lift Connor all the time. So, should I decide on the mastectomy, it will be silicone city. Fine by me. I was encouraged to only think in terms of one side as they said they could make sure both sides look symmetrical. If I decide on lumpectomy, my breast may shrink or become misshapen due to radiation. I can have something done to fix this 6 months to a year after radiation is completed.

We saw lots of pictures of reconstructions and new nipples and nipple tattoos - overwhelming. Those of you who went to dinner with me a couple weeks ago will remember me talking about how they made nipples from labia skin. Well, you'll be happy to know that is old school. Now they usually use skin from your breast or eyelid skin. So, if you have droopy eyelids, you may find me looking at you enviously:) I don't have enough droop on mine yet.

So, now we wait until the 10th to see what the MRI results are and when surgery will happen.
If something comes up, I'll be sure to post.

SO THIS IS WHAT ALIEN ABDUCTION MUST FEE LIKE

Just got back from my first, and hopefully last, MRIs. Why was I so anxious to get one of these done? I don't like enclosed spaces and I have a hard time laying perfectly still. Add to that the lovely jackhammer noise and blue dye going through my veins and it's my idea of hell. I asked the tech about music, since people told me the best way to get through was to count the number of songs, but the music was broken! I toughed it out and made it through two, one on my back and one on my stomach, but I would gladly take a pap smear, mammogram, and teeth cleaning combo over that trauma. If there's a next time - Valium, baby.

MRI, What MRI?

aaargh!!

Well, I thought I was gonna have my MRI today after the consultation with the breast surgeon, but nooo, that was just a miscommunication. I am having the MRI this Wednesday. Oh well.

The breast surgeon was very nice. She called me young lady, which I thought was funny since we're about the same age. Anyway, Aunt Deb, Jen, and Mike got to be in the room with me, so at least one of us can remember some of the gobbleygook that was thrown out there. So here's the skinny so far:

My tumor is between 1 and 2cm . I have another small 5mm lump that may or may not be cancer, but the MRI will show that I guess. No cancer was seen in my lymph nodes, but they need to be investigated further. This will happen when I have the lumpectomy or mastectomy. I am hormone receptor negative, so won't be taking hormone blocking therapy, so I will have some sort of chemotherapy no matter what surgical course I take. Right now, without MRI, she is giving me a Stage of 1 - yay, me!

So, next step is an MRI on the 29th, a consultation with a plastic surgeon on the 30th, genetic testing (not sure when, they're supposed to call me), and then back to see my cancer surgeon on Nov. 10th.

Thanks for all the emails and phone calls, you guys! I feel really loved. Thanks Jen, for taking such good notes. I'm using them right now to do this.

So, Righty, the Bad Booby, is somewhat back in my good graces, but if she's gives me anymore trouble, it's curtains!

Will post again on the 29th.

Lovely Sentiment

I got this great email from Mike's cousin Cindy and I found it so inspiring I had to copy it.

"when Jesus asks a man, "do you want to be made well?" he explains that he has no one to help him down to the healing well. So Jesus tells him "stand up and take your mat" he was already well. You are too. You are already well, you just have to stand up, take your mat and walk to the well and get your treatments and then the whole process will be done. It was so happy for me to pass this on to you this morning. I think I read it just for you.Love,Cindy

So, I've got my "mat" and I'm going to the "well" today. I'm a little freaked about being in a tube - I don't like putting a tanning bed all the way down! I keep telling myself it's a big tube and I won't get stuck. Is it too early to start drinking?

Once upon a time...

This is the story of a bad booby named Righty. She was going along fine until her owner took her in for a mammogram. You see, Righty was hiding something and now Shana was gonna find out - yikes! Yes, dear reader, Righty had a little tumor. Like all boobs in trouble, she hid this for a long time, but knew one day it was going to come to light. Shana wasn't mad at Righty, but she was disappointed. "Okay, Righty, let's see how much trouble you're in" she said and took her in for a biopsy. The biopsy said cancer. "How could you do this to us, Righty!" Shana railed, " Why can't you be nice like Lefty?" That was Oct. 10th.
Don't worry, Shana's not mad at Righty anymore, and she promises not to talk in the third person or through her boob through this whole blog. Just thought I'd ease you into my whole 'woe is me' or 'hey, it's great to be alive' story, which I'm sure will go back and forth from time to time.

October 27th is my first MRI and they should be able to tell me what stage cancer I have. I know the tumor is a 9 out of 9 in aggressiveness, but that's a grade not a stage, so if it's still in one place - yay me!

So, tune in for the next installment of the Bad Booby Chronicles