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posted Monday, 26 May 2008

Apologies for the long hiatus -- between wedding planning and a return to full-time client work, life has been pretty hectic lately.

We've finally begun to make progress (aka make decisions) about the wedding. We'll be celebrating Labor Day Weekend 2008 in northeast PA at an old inn that Mike found. We've now got a photographer, a DJ, a florist, a videographer and tuxes decided on. The menu, invitations and dresses are nearly set.

Who would have ever thought that I would spend so much time thinking about whether victorian lilac looks better with white or with ivory? I just want a campfire the night before the wedding and to be surrounded by my friends and family on Sunday as Mike and I formalize our commitment to one another and celebrate our love with the people who have touched our lives!

Thank goodness Mike is still working from home and has a flexible schedule. He has done a LOT of the heavy lifting for the wedding. I am back to a fairly hectic work schedule (though not quite as bad as it was before all this craziness). I am trying to keep the stress low and the balance fair, while still delighting my clients and running successful project engagements. That's not an easy feat! We'll see how that all plays out!

Any news from you???

Nips and Nips

posted Thursday, 31 January 2008

I just wanted to let you know that I'm back at home - relaxing in the recliner, eating Nips (chocolate parfaits that Mike brought home from Walgreen's for me!), and enjoying my very own new nips (OK, maybe not... but I am pretty pleased with the fact that I may have just passed the finish line). The bandages will stay on until next week, so I don't know anything for sure, but gosh... this could be it!

We showed up to the hospital at 9:30am. I got changed into the Bair Paws hospital gown - this fancy disposable gown that plugs into a mini hose (like a vacuum hose) that pumps the gown full of warm air. It was quite lovely. The nurse didn't even try to get my IV started (she remembered how upset the IV nurse was in December - apparently, she never misses... and she missed on me 3 times!). They took me downstairs around 11:00 and I sat for quite a while down there. The worst part -- they were having a pizza party! So I'm sitting in my hospital bed, as I watch this guy wheel a cart stocked with 15 pizzas right in front of me. They set the pizza up in the room next door and every time someone walks by, they drag the delicious smell of pizza by us... as we sit there... fasting for surgery. Nice!

My veins are apparently getting worse (not sure how that can be). Even the anesthesiologist missed twice. At least they were using a local so I couldn't feel them digging - though I certainly have the bruises to show for it!

Anyways, once more, Dr Singer visited with me to "mark me" - he literally takes a sharpie marker and draws on me so that he has "guidelines" for surgery. It always gives me a flashback to the movie my mom made me watch before college "Dying to Belong" (about sororities who circle the fat on their pledges)...

I decided that since this was going to my last surgery (for a while at least), I was going to try to stay awake for as long as possible. Shoot - I can't even remember crawling over onto the operating table from the stretcher! Sometimes I remember them attaching those electric leg compressors and stick monitors all over me... but this time... nothing. They must have given me some good drugs when they started my IV!

Surgery was just short of an hour. Recovery was an hour or so and then back up to the individual rooms upstairs (to continue recovery). I felt quite good throughout the recovery and couldn't wait to get up and go home.

Thanks for all of the well-wishes. Even though this was a little surgery, it really does help to have such great support from all of you.

PS - For those of you wondering "is this really it"? Well, no... not really... but it is hopefully "it" for a while. I'll still have a few more surgeries coming up - a prophylactic oophorectomy (removal of ovaries) will happen sometime before I'm 40 (WHAT!?! Is 40 really my next milestone birthday!?!?!) and the implants will likely need to be replaced in another 9-10 years... But I can hope to enjoy a few years before heading back in for more surgery!

Comments:

1. Sharon Lane left...

Saturday, 2 February 2008 10:09 am :: http://gates-chili-high.org

Linda, I just wanted to let you know that I am also a breast cancer survivor. I wanted to tell you a personal story. Years after my BC, I had a large mass on my right ovary. I wanted a complete hysterectomy, including cervix (I had precancer there prior). The onco surgeon said no. He did an in-the-office and told me my uterus was clean and there was no reason for it.
I insisted and went to my gynecologist (also a surgeon) who removed everything for me. I am so glad I did that because I had a precancer in my right fallopian tube and in-situ cancer in my uterus. I am alive two years later because I was my own advocate.
Keep in mind, everyone has to make their own decisions, based on their own needs. My thought was - why go through multiple surgeries, if they are needed in the future. Keep in mind, it took me 6 surgeries to remove my original cancer and by the end of that, I was whipped!
I wish you the best. Take Care, Sharon

2. Charissa left...

Thursday, 14 February 2008 12:49 pm

Is breast cancer directly linked to this like ovarian cancer? I'm guessing thats why you will be getting the oophorectomy, but I had never heard that they were related before. Congratulations on your last surgery for a while, and also of course on your engagement!

to nip... or not to nip... that is the question...

posted Thursday, 24 January 2008

I have surgery scheduled for next Wed - Jan 30. This could very well be it. Though I don't think I could bear the disappointment if things don't go as planned, so for now, it is just one surgery closer to the end.

I keep flip flopping though - I am not totally convinced that I should go through with it. The surgery is a "very small procedure" to reconstruct nipples. For the procedure, the MD will raise a flap of skin on each breast, twist it and stitch it back. (The alternative methodology uses a skin graft from your groin - no thanks!). Ok, sounds pretty easy... but complications can include infection and bloody nipples (lovely).

What if I am pushing my luck? Should I stop while I'm ahead? I'm REALLY happy with where I've gotten to. My MD says that taking these last few steps will really make a difference in taking my "reconstructed lumps" and transforming them into "breasts". I can see why he says that - it makes sense. While I am happy with my shape and I look "normal" in clothes, the focal point of my breasts are the scars. And the scars symbolize all that's been lost. Will the nipples provide the necessary distraction to focus on what's been gained instead?

I trust my dr. But I'm scared. Irrational, I know - this surgery is probably 1/100th as complicated/risky as the lat flap or the mastectomy... I'm so close to the finish line. I hope I can keep pace and make it across (without having to deal with bloody nipples!).

Technical article about how they do it... emedicine.com