Breast Reconstruction Begins

April 3, 2007 at 9:30 am I had my appointment with Dr Rhee Plastic Surgeon to begin the reconstruction process. Today he took measurements to determine what size implants that would look best on my frame. We discussed it and it was determined that I would have a C cup or about 700 cc's. At this appointment it was determined that my incision from my mastectomies were not up to my Dr Rhee's specifications. So, on April18, 2007, I had scar revision surgery at Banner Baywood. It would be several weeks before I had anymore reconstructive surgery, as my Plastic Surgeon wanted these incisions to heal completely before moving forward.

May 30, 2007, I checked into Banner Baywood Hospital at 9:00 am to have the expanders implanted. The surgery was uneventful and I have very little discomfort. I was expecting a lot of pain, but to my surprise I didn't. I had the expanders in for quite some time before the inflating process began.

June 19, 2007, Dr Rhee began the expanding process. This was my first inflation. Each breast received 200 cc's.

June 26, 2007, the second inflation. Each breast received 150 cc's.

July 3, 2007, the third inflation. Each breast received 200 cc's. After this inflation I could feel the tightness in my chest. My inflated breasts were getting harder. I never realized how hard they get. They are like those hard balls that are in the kids bouncy houses. You know what I'm talking about! Your natural breast has some "give" to it, but not these babies! Getting comfortable in bed was another issue. Again, they don't move.

July 17, 2007, my fourth inflation. The left breast received 150 cc's and the right breast received 175 cc's. Immediately after this inflation, Doug and I left for our summer vacation to Utah. I was so glad to get out of town and away from the doctors and I knew my chest needed time to adjust to this last inflation.

August 7, 2007, my last inflation. The left breast received 100 cc's and the right breast 150 cc's The final inflation. My left breast: 800 cc's My right breast: 875 cc's

Bilateral Mastectomies

March 1, 2007, 9:15 am appointment with Dr Bachrach. He's pleased that the treatment has been favorable. At this time I need blood work every three months to check my CA125, which has to do with ovarian cancer. You probably are asking yourself, "Why does she need that test when she has no ovaries?" And you know what, that's a good question, because I didn't know the reason either.

Dr Bachrach asked me, "Do you know Glida Radner?" "Yes", I said, "She died of ovarian cancer". "No, she didn't", was his reply. I was stumped as that is what the media announced when she died. Dr Bachrach proceeded to tell me that she died of paratneium (not sure if I spelled it correctly) cancer. This tissue is in the abdomen and is attached to many organs, one of which is the ovaries. So, sometimes when people are diagnosed with ovarian cancer it's actually paratneium cancer instead. The CA125 is the cancer marker for both ovarian and parathneium cancer, thus the reason I have this test every three months.

March 7,2007, today is the day I will have my bilateral mastectomies. I'm at peace with the decision. I have no worries, no concerns. I know it is the right decision and Dr Johnson has always taken the best care of me. I arrive at the hospital at 7:30 am. I check in and wait for the volunteer to call my name to take me to Pre-Op. I believe we only waited about 10 minutes when my name was called along with 2 other patients. I was weighted. They took my temperature and checked my blood sugars. The nurse had a hard time getting my IV, she tried 4 times, then another nurse tried a few more times. After that many tries I was beginning to feel funny and I told them that I was starting to feel light headed. BOOM! Down went the bed. It was that fast, I was flat. Evidently, that was a sign that I was beginning to pass out. After all those sticks trying to get the IV started they finally called another nurse to bring an ultra sound machine to find a vein. This was something totally new to me. One nurse had to locate a vein, then hold the ultra sound device on my arm while another nurse took the needle while watching the monitor to get the IV needle in. The needle was put in the oddest spot, on the backside of my forearm. But it worked! After all that drama with the IV, I decided we needed some laughter, so I asked the nurse to mark my breasts with a Smiley Face for the doctor, gotta have a sense of humor!

The surgery went well, both Doug and, my dearest friend, Robin were there with me. No other family was there to support me, kind of disappointing that I didn't even have my sister there with me. I think people do better when they have their loved ones around them, but I guess she thought differently. She even told me that she didn't understand why Doug needed someone with him while I was in surgery. She even made snide remarks, why I don't know. Maybe she just dislikes Doug so much that she cannot have any compassion for him at all. She gives me the impression that it's a sign of weakness to need support when a loved one in surgery. Where she gets that from, I have no idea.

I remember being in my room, Doug and Robin were watching a video. It was comforting to have them with me. As the evening began to set in, I felt good and decided I wanted to go home. I called the nurse and asked her to contact the doctor to make arrangements for me to go home. I surprised myself, I didn't have to stay in the hospital over night after all.

I came home with two lovely hand grenades, drains to those of you that don't know what I'm talking about, hanging from under where my breasts used to be. These appendages had to be drained and fluid measured several times throughout the day. They were kind of annoying, yet I knew they had a purpose.

I thought the hardest part would be seeing myself in the mirror for the first time with no breasts and totally flat chested. I was actually surprised at how I felt. Of course, I did look physically different, but I was at peace. I was at peace with the decision because I knew it was the right thing to do. The hardest part was that I could not take a shower while I had these drains. For 1 week I had to take bird bathes, sponge bathes to most of you. You know, you do what you have to do. That's all I could do. It was part of the process.

March 14, 2007, Time to take the drains out. Let me tell you, I was a nervous wreck when he was getting ready to remove the drains and I'll tell you why. In 1993, I had gall bladder surgery and I had a drain then too. Well, when the surgeon came in to remove the drain I started to ask him, "Please let me know when you're going to remove...", before I could finish my sentence he pulled the drain from my body. I felt like I had been punched and the wind knocked out of me. All I wanted to ask him was, "Please let me know when you're going to remove the drain, so I can take a deep breath and relax while you do it." He didn't give me the courtesy to finish speaking with him before he so rudely yanked the drain out. So, I took this moment with Dr Johnson and I explained my concerns to him. He was so understanding and removed the drains with care. What a relief to get rid of those things! The following week, March 21,2007 I saw Dr Johnson again. I had some fluid in my chest cavity that needed to be drained. He used a needle to aspirate the fluid from my chest. I was very nervous, to say the least. I don't particularly like needles and to have one going into the chest to remove fluid wasn't my idea of fun. To my amazement it didn't hurt. I had some numbness caused by the incision, which is normal, so the procedure was virtually pain free. I had two more visits to aspirate fluid and April 16, 2007 was my last visit with Dr Johnson.

A New Year ~ 2007

The past 6 months have been a roller coaster ride. Now what can I expect this year? I know there will be more surgeries and, thank heaven no more chemotherapy.

January 4, 2007, 9:30 am appointment with Dr Richmond. Due to me being positive for BRCA1 Dr Bachrach and I agree that I must have bilateral mastectomies. Doug knows it is the right decision and has come to terms with it. The doctor told me since I'm having both breasts removed that I do not need radiation therapy, however, he wants to take my case before a medical board for consensus.

January 16, 2007 I met with Dr Colleen the Gynecological Doctor. After examining me, Dr Colleen referred me to his partner Dr Rowland. Part of my treatment is to remove my ovaries. I had one salpingo oopherectomy in 1993, on the right side. This procedure is for the left. Because I'm genetically positive for BRCA1 and at high risk for Ovarian Cancer, I must have this procedure to reduce the risk. My appointment was to schedule the surgery and Dr Rowland will preforming the procedure. Later in the afternoon, I met with my Dr Rhee my Plastic Surgeon regarding breast re-construction surgery. Now that I do not have to do radiation therapy, I am a prime candidate to go through the expander process. This appointment was to discuss the process and how it works. I'll explain the process later.

January 24, 2007, I had a diagnostic mammogram in preparation for my mastectomies. This is to see that I'm clear of any abnormalities before the procedure. All is good!

February 5, 2007, I had a 9:30 am appointment with Dr Johnson to discuss my bilateral mastectomies. He explained that he would be doing a procedure that was skin sparing, so there would be enough skin tissue for the expansion process. He told me my procedure would be out-patient. "Out patient?", I said, "You have got to be kidding me?". I think he was a little surprised at my reaction, but come on you are taking off my chest and I'm going home right after the surgery. No Way! My face said it all. He could tell by my reaction that I was very uncomfortable with going home, so he told me, "We'll schedule you for a 23 hour stay." Thank heavens, what a relief that was. He said to me, "It is an emotional time isn't it?" All I could do was shake my head. He was totally understanding and knew that this moment was a lot to process.

February 15, 2007, I had outpatient surgery at Banner Baywood Medical Center. The procedure was the salpingo oopherectomy of the right side. Everything went well and no abnormalities.

February 21, 2007, I had a check x-ray needed for my upcoming surgery.

February 23, 2007, Blood draw for surgery.

February 26, 2007 I called my Dr Richmond,the Radiation Oncologist for the results of the medical board regarding me having radiation therapy. It was unanimous that I did not need radiation. I am so glad. This changes everything for me. I know now I can do reconstructive surgery. This is a good day!

All of these tests are making it more and more real. Surgery is emanate and I'm surprisingly calm. I'm ready, it's been a long time coming. I know this is the right decision for me and because of this decision my chances of being cured of breast cancer are greatly increased.

Hernia Surgery

Dr Johnson noticed a lump near my navel. I've had it for years, but never really thought anything of it. He thought it might be a hernia. Since I've had so many procedures this year, it was to my advantage to do this procedure before the end of the year. One thing that always comes to mind, especially when you're a cancer patient is, "Could this be cancer?" It's a normal reaction.

December 27, 2006, I was scheduled for outpatient surgery at Banner Baywood Medical Center. The procedure went well, and it was discovered that it wasn't a hernia at all. It was a abdominal wall lipoma, or in plain English, a "lump of fat".

Round 5 and 6

Thursday, November 30, 2006 I arrived at 9:45 am for Round 5 of my treatments. Blood work still looking good and ready for chemo. Thank heavens I have my port again. I love my port! I'm trying my best to keep it as long as I can because I don't like getting stuck all the time. Treatment went well and I'm coping well with the drugs that I'm receiving every three weeks.

December 12, 2006 is my first appointment with Dr Rhee, my plastic surgeon. I really like him but I don't like what he has to say. If I have radiation, I do not qualify to go through the expander process, and because of scar tissue in my abdomen I cannot use that area, and the only option is to take the tissue from my back and move it to the front. YIKES! That's not what I wanted to hear. Honestly, if this is my only option, I would much rather be flat chested than go through that procedure.

Round 6, December 21, 2006, my last chemo treatment. I cannot believe it. Here I finally reached my last one and I did it! My blood work is perfect. So, here I am literally beaming. I'm ready let's get this show on the road. Treatment is uneventful, no problems. Afterwards, the nurses give me a "Certificate of Achievement" and ring a bell! I feel like I've graduated. This is a joyous day!

Round 4 & Thanksgiving

Wednesday, November 8, 2006 (Doug's 54th birthday) I go to the Dr Bachrach's office for my routine blood draw before chemotherapy. The nurse calls me back to do the blood draw. First, she gives me a saline solution to flush the port, but it feels funny. I told her, "This doesn't feel right!" She tries it again. I said, "There's something wrong, it doesn't feel right." The nurse goes and gets another nurse. A third time she tries to flush the port. Again I said, "This doesn't feel right!" She looks at my skin and there's a huge lump because the saline solution is going under my skin and not into the port. So, they had to draw out of my arm instead.

After what had happened with the port, the doctors office sent me to the hospital to have a test to see what was wrong with the port. I went to the radiology department. They had to give me an IV and put a dye into my veins. I went into this room where a machine was taking images of the port. After the test I was told that the port was, "broken" and that the "wires are all twisted up" and "do not use it".

Ok, the port is broken, what can I do about it? Absolutely nothing. How the hospital acted gave me the impression that it wasn't important. So, I called Dr Johnson and told his office about the "broken" port. Since I was on chemo, the window of opportunity to remove and implant a new port is very narrow. The procedure to remove the port and implant a new one was scheduled for Wednesday, November 22, 2006, the day before Thanksgiving.

November 9, 2006 I had round 4 of my chemo regime. Unfortunately, I had to use a vein because my chemo port was broken. I didn't like seeing the IV in my hand. This is the reason I wanted a port, I didn't want to have to do it this way. Yet, I had no options. I had to suck it up and just do it. Actually, my chemotherapy hasn't been too bad. I have had very little nausea and no vomiting. That's a good thing. Up to this point I've only had two instances that I did feel nauseous but I meditated my way through it. The first occasion, was when Doug was warming up his dinner. The smell hit me like a brick wall. I ran to the bedroom and shut the door. I laid on the bed and just meditated. The other time I was laying on the couch. I was home alone and all of a sudden I felt "ick". Once again, I laid there and closed my eyes. That's all I had to do. This truly was a blessing, no vomiting! On my way home, from chemo, I usually went to Ned's Crazy Sub for a sub sandwich. Ned's became my sub of choice and helped me to survive through my treatments! Thanks Ned's!

Here it is the day before Thanksgiving. I begin preparation for Thanksgiving dinner. I wash the turkey, salt and pepper it, and place it in a baking bag then put it in the refrigerator. It should be okay, especially since I didn't stuff it. I peeled potatoes and put them in salt water in pan, one less thing to do Thanksgiving morning. When I come home later today, I'll be on schedule in my preparation for Thanksgiving. It will be very intimate, just me, Doug and my Dad for Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006, Doug and I arrive at the hospital at 1:30 in the afternoon for an outpatient procedure. This is supposed to be a simple procedure, remove the broken port and implant a new one. After the surgery, I see Doug's face, sick with worry, and the Dr Hamberg, the anesthesiologist stroking my arm with just as much of a worried look as Doug. Now, keep in mind, I just came out of surgery. I'm still drugged up, not really absorbing everything. Dr Johnson comes and tells me that during the procedure he cannot locate part of the Bard chemo port and that I need a CT Scan to see where it might be located. I'm telling Doug to calm down, because he's upset with worry, again I don't realize the severity of the situation.

I'm taken to do the CT Scan. I remember them telling me, "Breathe in, hold your breath, breathe", several times. The results of the test shows that the part is in my heart. This is a rare incident. It has been known to happen but very rarely. Well, I was the lucky one! Typically when the port breaks it goes one of two places; in your lungs or in your heart. The part went into my heart. I'm immediately admitted to the hospital and taken to a room. Still under the effects of anesthesia, I call LaDonna, my sister. Now keep in mind, LaDonna is out of town, in Tucson, for the Thanksgiving holiday. I tell her what's going on, like it's nothing! My advise to anyone, don't make phone calls when you come out of surgery.

Thanksgiving morning I'm in the hospital. I'm served a nice breakfast and told to stay in bed and not move around. I see a commode by the bed and I tell the nurse that I'm not going to use it when the bathroom is literally 10 steps from the commode. The nurse said that was the doctor's orders to use the commode because he didn't want me to exert too much energy or to get stressed due to the wires being in my heart. Don't they realize that using the commode would cause me more stress than using the toilet.

Dr Johnson came in to see me before the retrieval. I could see the concern on his face. He asked me, "When you had the test on your chemo port, didn't they tell you it was in your heart?" "No, they just told me it was broken and not to use it", was my reply. He shook his head and left. I can still see the look on his face! He wasn't very happy.

A young man took me to radiology for the procedure to have the part removed, and I was asked a few questions. One of the questions was, "When was the last time you ate?" Of course, I ate breakfast and evidently that became a problem because I wanted to be sedated. You know, I want to "see nothing", "hear nothing", and "feel nothing". Well, since I ate that wasn't possible so I began to cry and pray. Boy, did I pray!!! Now I'm frustrated. They knew I was having this procedure...why did they bring me breakfast? That's what I want to know! A little time later, they came back and told me they needed a special device to do the procedure and they had to go to another hospital to get it. Thank goodness, my prayers were answered. I was taken back to my room. I kept praying they would take a long time getting what they needed. Several hours later the young man came and took me back to radiology. They asked the doctor if I could have the sedation that I requested earlier and he said, "She can have whatever she wants!" The procedure to retrieve the part was to go through my femoral vein and pluck the wire from my heart and pull it out. All I remember is them showing me some blue wires in my hazy view.

After the procedure I was taken back to my room. The instructions were, that I had to remain still for the next 4 hours. That was a long 4 hours. I remember watching the clock and about 3 hours into my 4 hours of laying there, all I could think was, "I have to pee!" But there was no way I was going to use a bed pan. So, I just laid there and watched the clock. It was one of the longest hours of my life. About 5 minutes before my time was up, I called the nurse because I knew it might take that long for her to come. When she came in I told her, "My time is up and that I have to pee"." I also told her that she had to help me get up, because after laying there as still as can be, I was as stiff as a board and I could hardly move.

I was discharged about 5:00 pm, November 23rd, Thanksgiving Day. Thank heavens for the Washburn Family. Doug and I walked to the Washburn's house and we invited ourselves for dinner. They were so kind and gracious. I appreciate their friendship very much. They made Thanksgiving complete! This is a Thanksgiving I will never forget!

Friday, November 24th I cooked our Thanksgiving dinner.

Round 3

Thursday, October 19, 2006, 9:30 am, Round 3.  Blood drawn yesterday and everything is still looking good. We can move on to another round of chemo.

I love my chemo port! It's so much easier than having to use the veins in your arm, especially since my right arm is the only arm they can use. I had my lumpectomy and sentinel lymph nodes taken on my left side. Due to the removal of the lymph nodes, the left side is off limits to IV's, blood draws, and no blood pressure can be taken on that arm. When you have lymph nodes removed you are at high risk for lymphedema swelling of the effected area. In my case, it would be my left arm.

The nurse proceeded to start my chemo IV, everything went well. No problems and it took the usual 3 hours. At the end of my treatment, the nurse gives me heparin in the port to prevent blood clots. When she pushed it into the port I felt this bubbling gurgling sound go up the right side of my neck. I told her about it. She checked me for any leakage and asked me if I felt any of the chemicals on my skin. If the chemicals got on my skin, that would mean I would possibly have to have plastic surgery to repair any damage that the chemo drugs may have caused. However, it was a relief that no problems occurred. She did no further exam and she told me that every thing was alright. I went home, had my lunch and like clock work the Mack truck arrived!