Pre-Surgery….Addressing Reconstruction Surgery

FB Post from this morning...

I’m leaving home this morning with a strange feeling of deja vú. Another early morning trip to Dallas for medical procedure...that was the norm in 2016/2017. The great thing about God is that I don’t remember those early early mornings in great detail which is my reason for documenting all of this...I have to practice so deep breathing (and deep prayer) from time to time to help when the anxiety creeps up. Back to the topics I previously said I would discuss...

Earlier this year I went to one of my many doctors and she questioned why I still had my expanders in and how long I was planning to keep them in. The expanders are meant to be temporary implants that are in to keep your skin stretched prior to reconstruction surgery. In early 2018, I was planning to get the type of reconstruction surgery that I wanted (DIEP Flap, https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/breast-reconstruction-flap/about/pac-20384937 and I lost my job the week before. There was preparation that went into getting ready for that (physical and mental)...it’s a beast of a surgery and I hear it could last about 15 hours. To say I was disappointed would be a huge understatement. I didn’t sit in the disappointment for too long but I used it as an opportunity to get in an even better place when it was time to complete this surgery at a later date. So back to 2019, me and the expanders are doing just fine...until we weren’t. I look at myself every day but one day I looked and I was thinking that one looks deflated. So of course I go and show Mother and she confirmed what I was seeing. I took a little time but emailed another doctor and they initially said I could come in the next month on this issue due to the doctor’s travel schedule. I was bummed...I was thinking who is supposed to live like this for weeks! Again, didn’t stay there - just said a silent prayer and then they came back and said they had a cancellation for the next day. Went in and discussed my options and it was decided to move forward with the other reconstruction option for now and then when I’m ready I can go the other option. I had no idea that was available and I probably would have gone this route sooner...so here we are. Also! I’m getting the port removed that was implanted to deliver chemo. I think it’s time to part with it at this time and I can trust this doctor that’s doing this surgery to keep the crazy scars to a minimum.

For recovery, I’m not expecting it to be too bad. I have a lot of good meds so I think I’m all set on that front. I feel like it won’t be as bad as previous surgeries (especially since drains are not involved). I think I’ll need a couple days to get used to any major tightness/limited mobility.


I’m feeling really great this morning. I didn’t sleep the best because I knew I would be getting up early. I’m ready to get this done and move on to NEXT! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Game time is 7 AM-ish...nurse says they are heavy on the ish! I’m the first one of the day. Glad I’m getting everyone fresh!

Bye 2017! Welcome 2018!

I'm reposting my 2018 New Years message from Facebook below. Since you all are following me in the "Here Comes The Sun" group on FB I have some bonus info for you all. This last time I wrote, I said I had BIG plans for HCTS. Since "8" is the number for new beginnings - in 2018 I would like to get my story out to more people. I am exploring many options but I know a webpage is coming soon. If people have only seen the dark side of cancer I want them to be inspired and see the other side - light, hope and rebirth! I will be launching a GoFundMe soon and I'll be accepting all gifts BUT let's make it fun...let's have your donation be a dollar amount that ends in the number 8 ($8, $18, $108, etc). I went for my last Herceptin treatment of 2017 on 12/26/17 and I found out through all of the chemo, surgery and other procedures that I have a ZERO balance with Texas Oncology. God is so good! I know that everyone is not as fortunate and blessed as I have been. It is my desire that any gifts provided through GoFundMe will be a blessing to someone else - not to me! In 2017, I was able to join a couple groups that will assist my aspirations of sharing my story to a wider audience. In 2018, I plan on joining a few more. I can't wait to share all the good we can do - I hope you all are ready, I know I am!

Posted this morning on Facebook:

2017…glad to see it gone. In 2017, I learned how strong I am. I already know I’ve been through plenty “life” but 2017…I’m so glad I don’t look like what I’ve been through. Many of you already know - in the fall of 2016, started chemo for the first time. I wanted to get it done ASAP because cancer was not on the to-do list and I was told it was going to shrink the tumor that was growing inside of me. The tumor was initially to large to remove and the shrinking process was necessary before they could remove it. Week after week I was feeling this tumor and it was not getting smaller. At times, I thought it was maybe getting larger. I am thankful for my medical team that did not delay when I spoke up and this was confirmed. A surgery that I was supposed to have in March 2017 was expedited to January 2017. I was finally getting the tumor removed that I wanted removed 5 months before with a bilateral mastectomy. Mastectomy - that’s another post for another day but, I will say I have never dwelled on that surgery. Cancer can have a piece of me but not all of me. Soon after that surgery, I was back on chemo. The previous chemo that I was on for 3 months did nothing for me. When I was told this news, I didn’t panic or lash out. I learned the true capacity of my patience (it's deep y'all). Recently, I was told that 7 is the number of completion. In 2017, (on my mother’s birthday) I completed chemo and God willing I will never have to revisit that again. Also, 8 is the number of new beginnings. In the Spring 2018, I am planning to have my long overdue (highly anticipated) reconstruction surgery. I will never share this much on my public page - I do not believe it’s the correct medium for my story. This is probably the most you will see about what I have been going through and what’s to come. I thought it was important to put this on here because recently I have been sharing my story with the general public. If you want to follow along, send me a PM and I’ll direct you where you can learn more about the journey. For those of you that have been with me since the beginning, there are no words that can express my gratefulness and appreciation....and for those of you that have learned of what is going on along the way the compassion that you have showed has been immeasurable. Thank you!

In closing, one year ago today, I was prayed over before the first procedure that I had before the mastectomy on January 5, 2017 and I am in no doubt that it directed my year. In that prayer she said “…and though things looks a certain way [it] doesn't mean she will not be victorious!!” I have been nothing but victorious so far - to the point that I do not expect anything less. But if less comes - I know I am strong enough conquer it. Be blessed!

Guess who's back! Where do we go from here?

So...now that I have officially ended chemotherapy common questions that are asked are 1. How are you feeling? AND 2. What's next? I really didn’t observe the days that changed my life as an anniversary. I was very reflective but I mainly treated them as a typical days. So...

1. I'm feeling great!
Going through this process has changed my thoughts and my life. When I told my family about my diagnosis I said that this was going to be very "revealing". I remember it like it was yesterday. When I said it, I was ready for it to reveal more about others but mostly it has revealed more about me. My strength and power - even I was amazed. Since it's unexplained, I'll just put it in the category of "It's a God thing." I know that some things are not for us to know so I'll be thankful and proceed. I want to be on this side for as long as I can (with happiness and joy) so I've been working on being improving me. (This will probably be another post later).

2. These are the things occuping my thoughts and time…
First, I still go to Texas Oncology every 3 weeks for Herceptin infusion. http://www.herceptin.com/breast/herceptin
This is given to me through my port. For about 2.5 months before the chemo treatments ended I was taking it with the chemo. This will go on until February 14, 2018 (one year from when I started the medication). I have not had and obvious side-effects from this treatment but I continue having regular appointments with my oncologist and echocardiograms so I can keep tabs on that. Every 3 week Herceptin and the occasional Echocardiograms are the only reminders that I have been through what I have been through. I’m thankful that the treat ment is avaliable to me (because there was a time when it was not) and I’m thankful that this very expensive therapy has not caused me any financial burden. In 2012, thr cost of one year Herceptin was $70,000.

Also, I need to make an appointment to go and see my fertility doctor. Hopefully, I’ll get that set before the end of the week. She told me to set my next appointment in August and since there was so much going on we are in September and I sill have not set this appointment. I’ll probably have a dedcated post to the fertility topic after that appointment.

Oh there’s more, I still need to finish my reconstruction surgery. I would like to have this done before the end of the year and I know that the surgery times fill up toward the end of the year. My extra cautious surgeon (who I am very thankful for) told me the deal last year when we first got started on this. I would need to lose 50 lbs prior to the surgery. I’m down about 25-30 and I just have a little more to go. Most days I feel I’m so close but yet so far! I think it’s time to refocus and get this done. Please continue to pray for me because I think it would be best to get this surgery done in 2017 and not take that with me into 2018. I’ll probably seek more advice on this and decide very soon. I’ve been keeping up a very intense work/activity schedule and I know I will have to take time out for this. Finding the best time for this next stage is what I’m struggling with at the moment….but I'm sure it will all be worked out.

Chemo #4 in 2017…in the books, bye Nurse C, you’ll be missed!

Sorry for the delay in this post but this is what is on my mind at the moment.

I felt like writing because it’s crazy how quick a space can turn into a second home. When I go to the chemo center I like to sit in the same chair every single time I go. Creature of habit I guess…when I was whiney about being isolated the other week they moved me one chair away from my chair so I would not be next to anyone. Just territorial..hmm. I also learned my nurse that I’ve had since week 2 of 2016 chemo is leaving to another hospital for a new opportunity. If I knew she was going to an infusion center would I follow her I could? She has just been the best nurse for me and I’m bummed to see her go - but so happy for her new opportunities. I knew Nurse C was my nurse when I had an episode of my one and only nausea and she cleaned it up and didn’t make me feel bad about it or anything. She always comes to check in on me during those terribly boring sessions and if I want the TV changed she’s quick to help me out with that as well. I’ll get to see her one more time before her last day (next Monday) and I’ll send her a link to the blog and to the Facebook page because many times people in those professsions go underapprciated way too much for way too long. She has definatly made an impression on me and Mother for being a true professional!

Two more chemo treatments to go and I will be ringing the bell and remembering all the people that have kept me uplifted during my season of chemo.

Ecclesiastes 2:26 - 3:1 (CEB) A season for everything
1 There's a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens:

YouNow! Part 1 and 2

LONG chemo day in the Lay-Z-Boy. Let’s do this!

Part 1:

https://www.younow.com/HCTSCC/154587580/35805438/d204394x/b

Part 2:

https://www.younow.com/HCTSCC/154587667/35805438/578478qt/b

“No Mamm to Gram” and other glorious news!

My title is a direct quote from my medical oncologist/breast surgeon yesterday at my first official post op appointment. It made me chuckle and that’s why I wanted to start this post on a funny note. I was going through my mental check list of everything I wanted to ask her and things I needed ask since my surgery on January 5th. I’ve heard from her but since but usually I was not in the right mind place to ask the questions I needed to ask yesterday. I was asking her the items I needed to follow up on now that the first surgery has taken place and I’m healing. It’s crazy to me that the one and only mammogram I will have in my life confirmed a cancerous tumor and saved my life…and another one is never needed. They now recommend that women at average risk of breast cancer start mammography at 45, that they undergo annual mammograms from 45-54, and continue to undergo mammography every other year after that. If I would have waited until age 45 – I could be dead. If you feel something, say something and get it checked out ASAP (more to come about this on a later post). 

Let’s go back to where I left off on the last post…

• The results from the Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy reported that there was NO cancer found in the lymph nodes. Even though we found out that result before my surgery on January 5thit was confirmed in the pathology report that a received yesterday.

• When I went to the plastic surgeon (who is over part 2 of this surgery journey) he informed me that I was going to have radiation after the initial surgery. I received different information from my surgical oncologist so I was taken aback by this information. I thought I was told that if I got the double mastectomy that there would probably be little/nothing to radiate. This was a big reason why I decided to go with such an invasive surgery. So, I was prepared after six months of radiation – I would also need to prepare my body for part 2 of the surgery. This would be to help reduce the risk from the surgery by reducing my BMI (more to come about that on a later post).

• Yesterday, I went for the first post-op appointment with my surgical oncologist and I found out that from the results of the pathology report that RADIATION IS NOT NEEDED. I REPEAT – NO RADIATION! When she told me this, I was truly elated and I felt so blessed. The one thing I did not want was radiation. I’ve heard stories and read about the side effects. The margins were negative, the lymph nodes were clear, the size of the tumor all indicate NO RADIATION. This wasn’t just one doctor’s decision – it went to conference and for my instance radiation is not dictated at this time.

What’s next…

• I’ll be returning to work next week – working from home (since I still can not drive). No worries, I’m one of the weird ones that enjoys working…the routine helps!

• Appointment with the plastic surgeon on Tuesday, January 24th to see if I can get the 2 JP drains removed. Here is a link about the drains https://www.verywell.com/surgical-drain-locations-after-a-mastectomy-430399. Once they are removed then I can ease back into driving since it’s been almost a month of no driving.

• On Tuesday, January 24th, I’ll also have my first follow-up appointment with my medical oncologist. She will probably go over the pathology report and tell me the next steps for treatment. There is a chance I may have to take chemo in a pill form but I do not know about the specific duration or dose. I know that God is in control and I’m thankful because the weekly visits to the infusion room at the Cancer Center should be behind me.

That’s all for now but I’m sure I’ll have an update sometime next week after my two appointments. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the positive thoughts, prayers, cards, flowers, food and etc. I love you all!

The countdown has started…

This morning I got up around 3:15 AM since I had to check into Margot Perot Day Surgery at 5:30 AM for a Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy. My last water was at 11:50 PM last night and my last food was around 7:30 PM last night. This is going to be a long day…the biopsy does not start until 1:30 PM. You’re probably wondering why I had come so early today. Before this procedure I had to go to nuclear medicine to get dye injected near the tumor to help my surgeon and pathology see possible cancer cells in the lymph nodes. Here is a link about this procedure. 

What’s next…

• We will stay in the hotel at Presbyterian Dallas the night before the surgery on Thursday. That will give me an extra hour or so of sleep since I’ll just go downstairs to report for surgery.

• Double-Mastectomy…what a big surgery. Praying for a swift recovery!

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/staging/sentinel-node-biopsy-fact-sheet