Putting the Girls out there!

Implant surgery went just fine. I was able to go home the same day and was back at work Monday morning. Got my stitches out yesterday and will see the plastic surgeon in a month for a follow-up and to discuss the nipple issue. Mike really wants me to have one - I still think a Seahawk logo would be cool!

Anyway, I no longer have Barbie boob and saggy boob - yay! They are fairly even, but Lefty is a little bigger and Righty is a little higher. Oh well, I'm not posing for Playboy, I just want to wear v-necks again. I think they look fairly natural, definitely not stripper boobs. Now, on to the ultimate test - low cut tops! I'll be busting those out (pun intended!) in Vegas in a couple of months.

Hope you are all well!

upcoming fun!

wow, it's been forever since I posted on this blog. I have just been l-i-v-i-n
livin! When I was last on here, I had just gotten the expander. Since then I have finished herceptin. No infusions since January, woo hoo. Supposedly, once herceptin is done my hair is supposed to grow a bit faster. It's certainly poofy. I am in the inbetween stage of deciding whether to grow it or chop it all off again. I was kinda liking it super short - so easy to take care of. Mike, of course, would like it to be long again. We'll compromise and go for chin length, maybe:)

Anyway, next Friday, April 16th, is my implant surgery - yay for new boobies! My pre-op appt was Monday and here's the scoop:

It was pretty much the same as my expander pre-op. No ibuprofen, vitamin E, or Omega 3s 2 weeks before surgery. No eating after midnight. No lifting heavy items for 2 weeks after surgery; bed rest for 48 hours after. Sponge baths only the week after - blech! However, I will be going home the same day and I can lift my arms above my head - yay! She's gonna take my port out during surgery, which is nice. She can't guarantee me absolute symmetry and she hopes I'll be okay if my boobs are higher and bigger than they were before - ha ha ha! I assured her I am perfectly okay with perky ones!

Hope all is well with you, dear readers!

Barbie boob!

Hey All,

I had the expander surgery almost two weeks ago. It went just fine. I stayed overnight which was a good thing since I got really nauseous and a nurse got to clean me up when I tossed my cookies instead of Mike! Anyway, the first week was annoying because I could only do sponge baths and couldn't drive. I got my sutures out this week, can shower (yay!) and drive, so that's something. The expander is not painful anymore, but it does feel like I have an orange taped to my body. It really does look like I have a Barbie Doll boob on one side too. It's very perky and smooth. Poor Lefty, she's looking a bit droopy in comparison. Thank goodness for underwire bras, at least I look symmetrical in clothes. I get my first fill next week, which means they'll add more saline to my expander. I will be getting two or three of these and then in 3 months or so, I'll be ready for my implant. That's the skinny for now. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

NEW BOOT PART I

I am off for surgery today to get my tissue expander. wish me luck! I'll write again as soon as I am able - probably in a week.

MRI FUN!

You all know I hated the last MRI I had, so I got a prescription for sedatives for the one I had on the 16th. Mmmm, sedatives! They sure did the trick. I slept through the whole thing. However, I probably should have taken one tablet instead of two, since I was a drugged up mess afterwards. My aunt and sister had to help me get dressed and walk to the car. Aunt Deb said I was making strange faces while I was eating my orange in the back seat, but I don't remember eating an orange! Also don't remember talking to my brother-in-law on the phone later that day. Luckily, my co-worker, Jamie, picked up Connor from daycare for me, but the poor kid had to sit on the bed and watch movies with me, because I was too tired to move much! Lesson learned - one pill should be enough!

The results came in last Friday and they didn't find anything. Yay me!

CANCERVERSARY

It's been one year since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Wow, time just flew by. I just had my yearly mammogram and got the letter saying they couldn't detect any cancer in lefty - yay! I still have to have a breast MRI this coming Friday (bring on the sedatives!), reconstruction, and herceptin until January, but it's beginning to feel like this chapter is closing and I couldn't be happier.

I must say I don't find the "October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month" as annoying as I did last year. I still think selling pink scrub brushes, frying pans, etc. is strange, but I can appreciate the sentiment behind it and if it pays for research that can prolong someone's life, then bring on the pink waffle irons, spatulas, and ribbons. Just don't buy one for me:)

new hairdo

Told ya I wasn't gonna keep the salt and pepper! It's bright yellow, but I'll have to give my head a rest before I lighten it more. In a couple weeks I should have the shade I am looking for - fingers crossed. Meanwhile, I am having fun with the new color and I feel 10 years younger!

Expanding my horizons

Hello all,

just a quick note to update you. my hair is growing - yay! but it's coming in salt and pepper- boo! so I'm gonna dye it soon. Next time you see me, I hope I will be a platinum blonde.
I also have the busiest plastic surgeon on the planet, so my expander won't be put in until November 13th. This means my implant won't be going in until well after the holidays. I think I am going to look on the bright side - I can enjoy the fall and Halloween without painkillers and I'll be used to my expander by the time Thanksgiving rolls around. It's all good.

This has been a great summer so far! Hope you are all well!

muga and more

I had a follow up MUGA (heart test) on Friday, plus blood work and herceptin. Yippee, my hematocrit is within one point of normal range! Bye, bye chemo-induced anemia. The MUGA went well and the rest of my blood tests came back great, so I don't have to see my doctor for 9 weeks. I will still do herceptin every three and I am going to schedule my reconstruction for the fall, but I feel like I am getting back to normal. What a wonderful feeling! Hope you are all enjoying your summer so far. I am having a blast.

good news

I got a call from my doctor yesterday and it looks like my margins are fine and I won't have to have radiation - yay!! Also, my vitamin D level looks good too. Getting out in the sunshine probably helps.

Follow-up visit with Dr. Rinn

I went with my peeps to get my 3week dose of herceptin and to see my oncologist Dr. Rinn yesterday. She is still trying to figure out if my margins were clean enough to forego radiation. I really, really hope I don't have to. It's not that it's hard or anything like the all day chemo thing, but it does involve daily trips to NW Hospital and that sounds like a drag to me. So anyway, she will talk to my breast surgeon next week and get back to me. On a good note, my white blood count is back to normal - yay! My hematocrit, which is tied to anemia, is still low but up 3 points, so I gotta keep eating my Total with Raisin bran and clams - what a hardship! I am going to get a MUGA (heart test) in 6 weeks, but other than that I don't have any testing for 6 months. At that time, I will have the dreaded MRI. Bring on the valium!

On a fun note, we had a lovely camping trip to Lincoln Rock. The weather was nice, but the water was freeeeeeeezing!! Next up - Michelle's Iron Man in Coeur D'Alene. We'll be taking a side trip to Silverwood, so that should be fun. This is a busy, busy summer.

Peach Fuzz!

Well, I am getting some hair back - yay! The wigs are stifling in this heat, so I've been wearing my baseball cap or bandannas. Yesterday we walked to Golden Gardens and a little girl asked me why I had no hair. I told her I lost it. She asked me if I have a garage and I told her no, but I have a carport. She said "maybe you should look in your carport for your hair because you look like a boy!" She gave me a good laugh! So, if you seeing me rooting around in my carport....

Done with Chemo - Yahoo!

I finished chemo on Friday the 8th and I feel pretty good going into my second week. I still have to have herceptin every three weeks until January, but that's a piece of cake compared to chemo. I have decided to just enjoy the summer and not worry about getting a new boob until fall. Who wants to be in pain when the weather is nice and there's so much fun stuff going on? My hair should start growing back soon, but be prepared to see "GI Jane" all summer because these wigs I am wearing are getting too hot. I really need to invest in a few straw hats. Anyway, I will post pics and keep you all updated when I get testing done to see if the cancer is gone.

Also, I want to say congratulations to my cousin Lesa, who had a baby girl on May 11th - Mommy and Bristol are both doing well.

Chemo 5 and I'm Alive!

This Friday I had my 5th chemo and a visit from my pal, Michelle. Aunt Deb and Jen were there as usual, but she just adds a little sizzle to the day! My peeps were worried they were going to get thrown out of the chemo lounge, but I think the nurses appreciate that having a good time while you're there is instrumental in getting through the day. Thanks, Michelle! Also, thanks for the fun new wigs - since they are black and dark brown, they are more alter ego than everyday, but I look forward to creating a great look for each one! That was really nice of you your mom-in-law to give them up, especially since they are brand new and human hair!

Great news on the family front - Aunt Deb is gonna be a great grandma! That means cousin Mike is going to be a grandpa - wow, what an old guy! Congratulations to Drew and Justine!

Counting the weeks until chemo 6 and my summer can begin!

Chemo #4 - The end is in sight!

Had chemo #4 on Friday, the 27th and I am so excited that there are only 2 more to go! Today, I have decided to focus on positive things and not talk about my side effects, or how poopy this week is. It will pass and that's that.

A friend of mine who has gone through the chemo thing already, Tracy, came to visit while I was there. It was really nice to see you, Tracy - you look great and you make me realize that this is just a temporary situation - I will get my hair back and I will feel really good soon!

I also had my loyal chemo peeps, Aunt Deb and Jen - you guys are the wind beneath my wings! I can always count on Auntie to have baby oranges for me to eat and my darling sis for warm blanket retrieval. I am so grateful to have you guys there - you take my mind off infusions and put it where it should be - Vegas, baby! I am so looking forward to all the good things that will happen once this chemo is done. Fleetwood Mac in May; camping at Lincoln Rock in June, Gram's 80th birthday party and Vegas in July, Seahawks games in Sept, Halloween in October (already thinking about Connor's costume!) and Elton John and Billy Joel in Nov. - this is what keeps me going. It's not about how quickly my hair grows in or whether I'll have a great new boob this year, it's just about how much fun I'm going to have when I don't have to be poisoned every three weeks. I am counting the days!

Congratulations to Lesa and Neil!

Wow, I just got done kvetching on this blog about my icky day and I decided to check my lovely cousin Lesa's blog. Her news has just totally turned around my day. She and Neil got married on Feb. 28th in a very small ceremony! I am so happy for them. I am sure Kaeden and Baby Bristol (coming in May!) are very happy their parents have become a legal unit. Can't wait for the reception in August!

Chemo #3 - Halfway done!

Hi All,

I had my third chemo on the 6th of March. I am so happy to be at the halfway point. However, this is day 4, which is my yuck day, so I really wish I was just done with this whole thing. My added intake of iron rich foods doesn't seem to have helped my anemia; my counts actually went down - boo! Oh well, bring on the supplements, I guess. So, I am having a pity party today. My whole body aches and my face and hands are red and swollen and I want my blankie - wah! wah! Okay, that's enough whining for now. I am sure tomorrow will be better and I'll be peachy keen by Friday, when I go in for my weekly Herceptin. It's really nice to be able to do the Herceptin at Ballard. I can just walk over from work and walk back. If only everything was this easy.

Chemo #2 and Shana's hair adventures

I had my second chemo on the 13th of February and it's been going the same as the first. The 4th day has turned out to be the yucky one and the dizziness seems to be still with me today on Day 7, but it's getting better. I tried a Diet Coke this morning and it still tastes a little off, so hopefully tomorrow or the next my tastebuds will be back on line. As you can all see, I shaved my head as the shedding was driving me completely nuts. I find it hilarious that Mike and I share the same hairstyle. Of course, at work I've been parading a variety of looks around the office. My alter-egos so far: Biker Babs (Do-rag, no wig), Shar (reddish wig- don't know why that name, but it seems to fit for this look), Posh (Mike's favorite, the short, sassy blonde wig), Penelope Pitstop (the black hat and blonde wig together or just black hat. It was Daphne, but I like Penelope better.) I was calling my long blonde hair and pink hat concoction Hannah Montana, but the guys at work call me Georgy, as they don't really relate to the pre-teen stuff and it looks kinda mod 60's. I am sure as I try out different combos, I'll have more names. Everyone knows I love dressing up, so this has been a hoot for me so far. Now, if I could get my beer drinkin' persona back, I'd be in hog heaven.

more head pics

Taking the Plunge

Well, the hair was falling out in earnest this weekend and I wore a hat to work today. My lovely friend, Erika, came over and buzzed me. Glad that's over! Now it's on to rocking the bald or wigs and hats! Connor prefers me with a hat:)