One year later.....

So, it had been over one year since my mastectomy. When I decided to have the surgery, I thought for sure that by this one year mark, I would have put all of this behind me and moved on with life. Unfortunately, it has not been that easy. This year has been very difficult. Emotionally, physically, financially.... This year has been very rough. I know that I should be happy that I have greatly reduced my chances of getting cancer. Don't get me wrong, I am VERY happy to have that on my side ! But it has been a struggle for me to try to stay positive and see the good in all of this mess.

Would I have the TRAM Flap surgery again ? That's a tough question. I know that what has happened to me this year could not have been predicted. No one could look at me and say "Your muscles suck, don't do this." LOL So, rather than dwell on the negative, I try to see the positives of this situation.

1. I think that having the surgery has helped me to take better care of myself. I am never going to have another chance to get a tummy tuck, so I need to be more careful about what and how much I eat. I would love to exercise, but I have been afraid to do anything because I don't want to irritate the muscles or make them pop even worse.



2. My family is amazing. Of course, I already knew this, but you really depend on others when you are in this situation. You have no other choice. My husband was there with me every step of the way. Taking me to appointments, making me take pain meds when I tried to tough it out, keeping the kids quiet so that I could nap, urging me to go see the doctor when I didn't want to admit that there was something wrong. My kids are great too. They have really grown up and been a great help. Having my parents close was also a huge help. Picking kids up from school, babysitting during surgery and appointments- I couldn't have some it without them !

3. YOU are your own advocate. If you feel like something is wrong, do not let it go ! You know yourself better than anyone. If you feel like something is off or doesn't look right, talk to your doctor about it. If you don't get the answers that you are looking for, ask for another opinion. I learned that you can't be worried about hurting someone's feelings. This is your body, your health and you are in control. Don't let anyone talk you into doing something that you are not comfortable with and don't take no for an answer if you think that something is not right. You are important ! Don't diminish how you feel or your opinion.Trust your gut. If something is bothering you, tell someone or keep asking questions until you get an answer.


4. Do your research. I thought that I had done my homework before having the surgery. I had read just about everything on the internet about TRAM and basically thought that I could perform the surgery. Ask questions. Talk to others who have had the surgery. Read blogs and books by others who have been through this. A doctor or nurse can give you an idea of how recovery will go, but they have not lived through it.

5. Sometimes things will not go as planned. That's ok, you just have to figure out what's going on and make a plan to get through it. I was pretty naive to think that things were going to go 100% perfectly and I would be fine after a month. Everyone is different and recovery will vary, but expect some bumps in the road. If things go as planned, awesome. If not, you will not be so discouraged.

6. Maybe all of this happened for a reason. I am a true believer in this one. If my experience helps one person, that's a win for me. It makes all of this crap a little more bearable. I hope that someone, somewhere finds this information useful.

So, would I do it all over again ? Yes. I would. This cruddy one or two years of my life is worth knowing that I am safe. If I had not had the surgery, I would live in constant fear and that is no way to live. Would I have a TRAM ? That one is a little tougher to answer. I would have the surgery, but I would ask more questions and I would be more persistent when I thought that something was wrong. It's easy to see all of this now, not so much when you are living it.

Wow..... It's been a while !

I just realized that I haven't posted in quite a while. Did you miss me ? :) I am happy to say that everything turned out well with the biopsy. No cancer !!! I have just been busy with kids and work and everything else that life wants to throw at me.

While I am so happy that there was no cancer, my breast surgeon saw me for a recheck and referred me to one of her associated to take a look at my abdomen. It is still quite lumpy/bumpy. She also sent me for a CT scan to see if we could determine what exactly was going on. I met with the surgeon and liked him immediately. He explained that my lower bulge was likely due to all of the trauma caused by the constant opening and reopening of that area. The muscle may or may not bounce back. So basically. I am stuck and just need to wait and see if it will repair itself. He was more concerned about my upper abdomen. Remember how I had that bulge right under my ribs ? The ER doc said cellulitis. My PS told me that it was fat/fluid. The new doc said that it was more likely a muscular issue. He thinks that it is most likely a hernia inside that keeps popping out when I strain or use the muscle. So what does that mean ? Another surgery. Seriously.

The doc plans on going in my original incision and then they will go up and work on the upper issue. He is going to go in there to see exactly what the problem is and stretch the muscle back or add mesh across my upper abdomen to strengthen the area. He is also going to check out the lower area and see what's going on there.

I kind of knew that this might be coming, so I am not totally surprised. Did I want to avoid it, yes, but I do not want to look like this any longer. I feel like it is shallow to say that I am not happy with how I look, but the reality is if I don't fix it, it will get worse and this will have to be done eventually.

So, that's where I am at. Fun times :/

So, what is a biopsy exactly ?

We have all heard of biopsy and know that it means that your doctor found something abnormal in your exam or mammogram. Scary, right ? Maybe it will be a little less scary if you know what to expect.

When I arrived for my biopsy, the nurse showed me the dressing room and instructed me to put on a gown, opening in the front. I then went to a waiting room for a short time. The nurse came back and showed me to an ultrasound room. She took my vitals and asked about my medical history as well as if I had any allergies. I signed a consent form and then we were ready to begin.

I hopped up on the bed and the nurse positioned me with my arm over my head. The radiologist and ultrasound tech felt my breast for the areas that we wanted to study. They marked the areas with a marker and then prepped the skin. I didn't watch what the doctor was doing with the needles because I think that I may have passed out ! The doctor began with a few small injections of Lidocaine, to numb the area. I did feel the pinch of the needle going in and then there was a slight burning sensation, but it only lasted for a few seconds. Once the area was numbed, the doctor began with the biopsy. Before he inserted the needle, he clicked the needle so that I would not be afraid when the first sample was taken. The sound reminded me of one of my son's toy guns. Each time he inserted the needle and it was in place, he told me that he was going to take the sample, then "Click". Immediately after, he explained that he was removing the needle and there would be a slight tugging feeling. I could not feel any pain, only the sensation of something moving. He did 3 samples in each of the questionable areas.

I was watching the ultrasound screen at first, but once I saw the needle on the screen, I had to look away ! Once we were finished with the samples, the doctor inserted small clips into the biopsied areas so that we would know that these areas had been tested. The nurse pressed down on the areas where the needles were inserted and then put a few steri-strips on. I was then taken to have a "gentle" mammogram to document the placement of the clips. This was a very quick one, only a few views were taken. When I returned to the room, the nurse redressed the area by putting some Bacitracin on the area as well as new steri-strips. She then covered these areas with a large, clear plastic covering (like the ones that they put over IVs).

We went over instructions about watching for heavy bleeding, showering, watching for infection and which meds were ok to take. The nurse told me that I should have my results in about 2 days. Overall, my appointment only took about 45 minutes. Now that I have been through it and know what to expect, it is not as scary as I thought. The most scary  thing is waiting for the results ! Horrible ! :(

Here is a great video about what to expect when you have a biopsy:

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Torture. Waiting to hear from the doctor is pure torture. Every time the phone rings, I get a pit in my stomach, jump up, run to the phone, and then it is only a telemarketer. Ugh. The nurse from the biopsy said that it usually takes 2-4 days for the results to come back from pathology. Of course, that puts me into next week. She said that I would probably hear something by Friday, so I am waiting on pins and needles. Trying to remain hopeful, but also trying to be realistic. I can't wait to get the phone call so that I can stop worrying about what might be, but will that turn into a whole new thing to worry about ? Feeling stressed, hopeful, hopeless, confused, nervous, sad, optimistic, and pessimistic. Hope that I can sleep tonight :/

The "B" Word

Biopsy. A few months ago, I noticed a small, hard area on the inside of my right breast. Since I was basically seeing my plastic surgeon every few weeks at that time, I just mentioned it to him. He just told me to "keep and eye on it and see if it got any bigger". Um.... my Mom and Grandma had breast cancer, I tested positive for BRCA AND had a mastectomy to reduce my chances...... Kind of freaking out ! I asked the nurse a few weeks later and she told me that it might be scar tissue that formed around where the flaps attach. Ok. That made more sense. I knew that I had an appointment with my breast surgeon soon, so I figured that I would just get her opinion when I saw her. I showed her the spot and she noted the size and shape of it. She told me that it was most likely fat necrosis- fatty tissue that has been bruised, injured, or has died. She also found a smaller spot, just around the bottom curve of the same breast. Just to be sure what we are dealing with, she sent me to have a mammogram or "Tramogram" and an ultrasound. This time, just of the right breast.

I arrived for this mammogram much more relaxed than previous ones because I knew what to expect. I also have kind of overcome my fear of being naked in front of people (kind of). Ok. Not overcome, but I am a bit more comfortable than I ever was before. I have flashed more people in the last 9 months than all of the co-eds in a "Girls Gone Wild" dvd. OK. Maybe not, but you get the idea. It was funny because the tech said that she remembered me from the last time that I was in. I guess that I am unforgettable :) (Either that or the fact that my last name is crazy, so everyone remembers me). Anyway, first the tech did a breast exam, then marked the questionable areas. We went into the screening room and did the usual stretching, pushing and pulling that occurs with a mammogram. She had me wait in the "holding area" while she had a doctor check the screening and make sure that they did not need anything else. I think that I made it through 3 magazines trying to keep busy, wondering what was taking so long and what they found. She returned and told me that the doctor was doing a procedure and it would just be a few more minutes. Phew. Crisis averted. A little bit after that, she came back and we went to have the ultrasound done.

I have had quite a few ultrasounds done in my day, so when that tech also recognized me, I realized that she was the one who had done my daughter's ultrasound 4 years before. That thought kind of relaxed me and I took me back to when we found out that after two boys, we were going to have a little girl. It was such a happy day for me. Of course, I love my boys, but everyone wants a little shopping buddy and someone to buy dresses and dolls for. After a few minutes, the realization of why I was there returned, but being the optimist that I am, I didn't worry too much. This is just a precaution. No big deal. Get this over with and I can enjoy the rest of my day. But it was a big deal.

The tech told me that it would just be about 10 minutes and the radiologist would look at it and she would let me know either way. She said not to be alarmed if she came back in and did the ultrasound herself, just to get a better look. Well, 10 minutes became 20 and 20 became 30. At this point all kinds of thoughts were going through my head. What the heck is taking so long ? Did they find something ? Were they having an oncology doc to look at it ? Then I thought about before. Maybe they are just waiting for the doc to get out of a procedure. Just relax. I said a few prayers and tried to settle myself down. Then they came in.

The radiologist was very nice. She had me lay back down and she tried to take a look at the spots. She went over the first, larger area. I could see on the screen that it was a oval-shaped, empty-looking area. Then she went over the second, smaller spot. It didn't have the same smooth shape and it was not clear. That was when I started to worry.

I sat up and she explained that I had three options.
1. Wait 6 months and have another screening and see if anything had changed. Um. NO.
2. Have a biopsy of the areas in question and know for sure what they were.
3. Have my breast doctor remove the lumps.

I told her that I was not going to wait and that I wanted to do the biopsy, so we know what we are dealing with. She told me that I could schedule it for next week in our local hospital and then left. Then she came back in and told me that I might want to consider having it done at the larger hospital 40 miles away "just in case" they needed to do an MRI or something. Now I am really worried. Did she really think that it was something to be concerned about ? I held it together until I got to the car and then the tears fell.

When I got home, my husband hugged me while I cried and reassured me that everything was going to be ok. I really want to believe this and I do, but then that nasty doubt creeps in and makes me question why I am not more worried. I wasn't worried about being BRCA positive and I was. Maybe I have cancer and I am blowing it off because I think that it is all going to be ok. I know that I just had the surgery 8 months ago, so there wasn't anything there then and my tissue samples were good, so that makes me feel a little better, but this is still hanging over me. Why do these things always happen on a Friday ?

So, next week, I will have a biopsy done and hopefully have some answers.

The Aftermath...... 6 Months Later

So, I have done a lot of explaining what to expect before and just after a TRAM Flap surgery, but I haven't really covered how it feels. I am just over 6 months out from my surgery and all of my other issues aside, I feel great ! I am back to work, pretty much like nothing has happened. I have noticed  little bit that my stomach muscles are not quite what they used to be. For example, if I am going to sit down in a chair, it is more of a drop and less of a graceful motion. :) I am not sure if that is due to the hernia, lack of toning or if that is just how it is going to be. I think that once all of this other business is taken care of and I can exercise a bit, the muscle will (hurt) begin to tighten up and won't be so loosey-goosey. I still have the fluid build up going on, so my tummy is not as flat as I would like it to be. I might go back to the massage after this next surgery and see if that might get things moving. My stomach is still a little numb, mostly around my belly button. My surgeon fixed that area when he removed the scar tissue, so that may be due to the repair more than the TRAM surgery.

As far as my breasts go, they look AWESOME ! I literally have my "20 year-old" boobs back ! I am very pleased with how they look. The scars are fading quickly. I think that after another six months or so, they will be really hard to see. Not like I am going to be showing them off or anything, but they are looking more "normal". They are still a little bit numb in some areas, my right side more than my left. Overall, I am getting the feeling back in them, meaning that if I pinch myself or scratch myself, I feel it, but it is not painful. It is weird because sometimes I will feel an itch and I literally can't scratch it ! I try, but I can't really tell what I am scratching. There is no sensation in my breasts or nipples when they are touched. Not that I expected anything, just confirming that all of the info that you may have read is true.

What I have been through I *hope* is not typical. I think that most people would be feeling pretty close to 100% at this point. I had no issues, I think that I would be there too, just all of these pesky complications keep coming up and setting me back a little bit each time :)

Pink and Blue Movie

Recently, my family members were asked to participate in a documentary being filmed called Pink and Blue Movie.  BRCA affects both females and males. When we think of breast cancer, we mostly think of women, but men can develop breast cancer too. Please check out the movie's website and "Like" the Facebook page here to keep up with the progress of this awesome project !!!