good news

The good news is my MRI showed no bone involvement.  I believe that after the bilateral mastectomies, radiation and chemotherapy, I will be cancer free. The next few months will be gruesome, I actually come home with two drainage tubes from each surgical site that I have to empty and measure the fluid that comes out. (am I including too many details?) My country doctor has advised me to be very careful before and after surgery. There will be no hugging and no kissing because I will be very vulnerable to infections as I am now.

I will describe the plastic surgery I am having: as soon as the operating surgeon is finished taking off the breasts, the plastic surgeon makes a small incision and inserts an expander which gets expanded over the course of a few weeks. Then I return for outpatient implant of silicone or saline, whichever I want.  The infection rate is 20-30% for what I have chosen but antibiotics will be part of my regimen. I have a compromised immune system so I have to make very sure all physical contacts I have are minimal. I just know the entire community is going to take long hard looks at my breasts to see how they look after my recovery. btw: high volume breasts with tosis in medical speak means big sagging boobs. The other alternative for reconstruction involves more surgery removing skin from other parts of my body, etc. I chose to have this kind of reconstruction or none at all.

Speaking of the community, I have conflicting feelings about all the information I am giving out. Some people think I already had surgery because the preliminaries are taking so long. I have to blame Rigdon for sending around his first e-mail so soon after the first diagnosis, and this blog is my response to people really wanting to know what is going on. I hope my postings are helpful to other women who may get breast cancer.

A friend asked me today, how did I find the tumor? I had a mammogram 10/08 and all was clear according to the films. However, I have lobular cancer in my right breast and it only showed up on the sonogram that Dr. Gleber ordered immediately when I showed her how my breast had changed shape. The second tumor was found only because one of the MRI's happened to include both breasts and the second tumor was seen. It is a different kind of cancer, it is ductal. I still haven't gotten the HER-2 positive or negative stuff down yet, I am overwhelmed with information.

I read parts of Susan Love's breast cancer book and some of it freaked me out. When I saw how much is actually cut away, I had another good screaming, crying fit and Rigdon and Prudence suggested I not read any more about the actual surgery. 

Christopher will be here for the surgery and hospitalization, I am hoping to teach him how to put my make up on so if Rigdon starts snapping photos and sending them out to his friends, I will look decent. Tomorrow is pre-op tests, blood, EKG, chest x-ray and appointments with the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. 

I am saving all the cards to reread after surgery on the 20th. I now have the Presbyterians praying for me as well as the Sacred Heart community. Many thanks and feel free to comment on the post.