Breast Reconstruction - Part 2

Today I met with a plastic surgeon at Mayo Clinic to discuss some specifics of options available to me for breast reconstruction.  I have researched this quite a bit in the past - kinda keep pulling this package of the shelf to check on, get a little overwhelmed and decide to put it back.

About six months ago I met with my breast surgeon and she actually made the appointment for me, just to answer some questions I had.  You see it is really weird, hard, confusing, and a variety of other descriptive words - you feel like life is moving along, your feeling pretty good about things, thinking you can maybe handle doing this; I mean after all it would be nice to have breasts again, I think. Then you think some more and well me, I talk myself right out of doing anything (maybe not you).  So it was a good thing I just had to show up and ask questions.

My options were for the most part the same, however my radiated skin was looking pretty good and he felt as though it could be successful to do an expander followed by an implant.  This was big news!  Up to this point I didn't have this option.  Of course I was warned that the skin could be difficult, could form an infection, then everything would have to come out, wait to heel up and start all over. So that just sounds super appealing, but compared to 10 hours of surgery, 3-5 days in the hospital, and a lot of scaring - maybe it wasn't sounding awful.

Seriously though, I had a very good surgeon who listened to my concerns, asked me questions about my lifestyle - what I did and didn't do; all to help determine which would be the best option for me.  When I expressed my fear of another major surgery, he completely understood.  I finally feel like I am able to live my life pretty similar to what I had before my cancer - to start over or limit my abilities to do things I enjoy for 8 months or even the rest of my life is really a tough decision. I know it may seem like a no brainer, but not really.  I think the hardest part of the experience is the emotional heeling that has to take place in your life.

Sometimes I feel very frustrated with my options, and then I am reminded like today..."We don't have a lot of women (with my advanced stage of cancer) in your situation, most of them don't make it this far." 

Then I am quickly reminded of just how blessed I am!

Here are a few links that you may find helpful when looking at breast reconstruction as well as what to talk to your plastic surgeon about.

American Cancer Society - Breast Reconstruction
Breast Reconstruction.org
American Society of Plastic Surgeons

First Things First

I must say - I feel as though I have failed my readers who may be experiencing cancer themselves by one important issue.  That is to say I have shared my experiences with you very randomly, 

but if you are starting out on your own journey with cancer

you need to know what is most important and how to put...

FIRST THINGS FIRST

I am approaching my third year since all of this cancer stuff began and I must say parts of it have been a serious learning curve - while other aspects where simply by the grace of God I was placed in the right place at the right time AND with the right doctors. 

I was given books, bought books, and read, read, read...

In all of those books the most important thing it discusses is setting up your medical team.

It is the FIRST thing you need to do!

After all, these are the people who you are going to get to know really well.

AND better yet should know you really well.

A lot of books and websites give you wonderful information about cancer, pathology reports, various treatments available, but they don't always tell you who to be talking to about the information.

It is important to know that if you have just found out you have cancer you most likely figured it out through your general physician or gynecologist.  They will help get you set up with the right people to run the various test you may need.  A biopsy being one of them - so a surgeon will most likely be one of the first people you are sent to.  

However I have found it rather surprising that that is as far as some people get.  

Your team of doctors will most likely consist of:

Surgeon

Medical Oncologist

Pathologist

Plastic Surgeon

Radiation Oncologist

Your list may also include a nutritionist, various support groups, and possibly a psyhcologist.

Personally I feel like at the time you select your surgeon you should also select an oncologist - whether this is the oncologist you stay with or not. An oncologist is a cancer doctor.  They will be the person who will best interpret your pathology report for you (which is key in determining what your medical treatment should be), they are the doctor who will create a treatment plan for you and make sure it is administered correctly.  They will become your best friend for a minimum of five years.  

You need to choose doctors who you like, trust, and are comfortable with.

Ask yourself:

Are they considerate of me?

Are they up to date on medical treatment options?

Do they view me as an individual with cancer and look for what is best for my type of cancer?

Are they informative and talk to me so that I understand?

I think it is also very important to point out that, although your general physician, family, and friends (as well as yourself) will want things to move as quickly as possible. Once you have a pathology report - You NEED to take the time to prepare your team of doctors and not just jump into a lumpectomy, mastectomy or any other surgery.  Once something has been done; often times too quickly and before you have fully prepared yourself with the right doctors, you loose options that may have been available to you but no longer are.

I also want to remind you that you have most likely had cancer longer than you think.  Waiting that extra week or two to have interviews with your doctors, ask them questions, get the answers you feel most comfortable with, and set up a team for you to spend the next several months, possibly years - is well worth the wait.  Never hesitate to ask for second opinions - your doctor should welcome that.  This is your body and most importantly your life.  After your surgery your doctor will return to his normal everyday routine.  You on the other hand will be living with it daily.

Do not allow someone who is only a small part of your cancer journey tell you what is best for you!

I was very blessed in this area - my doctors suggested an oncologist right from the start and together my oncologist and surgeon both agreed I needed treatment options that were not available to me with them.  BUT I was a very advanced stage III invasive cancer. 

 A lot of women who have stage I cancer are not sent onto an oncologist and therefore many of them don't really understand their pathology report.  They are scared of what the future may hold because they don't know enough about their cancer. Become your best advocate - read, learn!

Here are a couple of books I have found helpful information on forming a medical team:

Moments of Reflection

Today I sat down to check my emails and found I had a facebook link added to my timeline by one of my aunts.  I was of course curious and went straight way to the link.  

I was touched and overwhelmed with her sweet entry on her blog

 Knee Deep in Grace.  

As I read her post I couldn't help but remember the first time that I met her...she is married to my husband's uncle.  I am not even sure if I was married yet, but I do remember it was the first time I had met my husband's uncle and his family.  We were at another aunt's home with quite a few of us gathered for a family event.  My Aunt Penny had her brother with her and I remember how tentative she was to him and kind.  He was clearly in the process of his cancer treatment; tall, thin, and very comfortable with the mass of people.  I remember the thought crossing my mind that he was so young - really not much older than my husband and myself at the time.

I'm not sure why, but I even think of cancer as an illness you get when you are old.  When you see someone young it always has a significant impact on you.  It seems so out of order with the way we feel things should be.

So as I read I could not help but reflect on the many people who I have had in my life who have been effected by cancer.  Sadly there were quite a few.  Some old and some quite young, but all have become connected to me in a new way.

Finding cancer early is our best hope for successful outcomes.  

The best way to find it early is to know about it.

Take time to check it out...

The Loss of a Good Friend

Last week was, well a little overwhelming.  After a little more than 2 years I lost what had became my best friend.  No, I didn’t lose an actual real live friend, but I did lose something that had become very important to me – my port.  

Shortly after my mastectomy I received a power port prior to my chemo treatments.  I was horribly anxious about the procedure.  Even afterwards, I could simply think of the thing and physically get ill.  It seemed so strange and foreign - this small thing just under my skin that protruded up like a tracking device.  I remember the disturbing way it felt when I would put lotion on – I would hurry so as not to feel the little nubs. 

I never forgot it was there because with every shower, every change of clothes, or car ride it would inevitably get bumped, touched, or rubbed on.  But somehow the weirdness faded and I truly came to appreciate it as a precious gift. 
 This became the blessed spot for all my chemo injections, blood draws, die injections, anything that needed to come out or go in me for tests or treatments went via my port.  No more pricks and pokes trying to find a good vein.  No more bruised arms (or should I say arm, as I can only use my left arm for such things).  No more cold sweats trying not to pass out as the tech was trying to insert a small catheter in my arm.  (I do not have cooperative veins – at all!) Not to mention I had numbing cream to put on my skin – beautiful!  If anything was a blessing to me – this port was.

 But alas, last week I went in for some routine tests and my doctors discovered I had developed a blood clot at the end of my port catheter.  Needless to say, they scheduled surgery to have it removed immediately.  The next day I laid in the hospital using my port for the very last time as I had a blood thinner run through for two hours.  With a very kind surgeon (and Ativan and lots of Lidocaine), 5 hours later, my port was sitting on the table beside me.  I was all good to go – no additional blood thinners needed.

Now I have to adjust to being just normal (as you were treated very special by the chemo nurses who were the only ones allowed to access your port) and going to the general lab for blood draws.  Praying my veins will be cooperative, wondering if I can completely cover my arm in numbing cream, and trying to be brave for my upcoming scans.

I will admit, after the initial sadness, there is a part of me that feels like I have hit another milestone with the removal of my port.  For that I am happy.  Now if I can just get through September with what feels like a month full of tests and scans – all alone.

Stem Cell Breast Reconstruction

I wanted to share this short video with you... A few reasons; 1. I think this procedure is just amazing. 2. They share some important information regarding who is eligible. and 3. It mentions something important to know ahead of time - to request a skin and nipple sparing mastectomy WHEN & IF your skin is cancer free.

I was not able to have a skin sparing mastectomy, but a lot of women are.  I know sometimes Dr.'s as well as the patient are just so eager to get rid of any chance of cancer that they choose to remove everything.  Often times that is the best choice you have, but sometimes it might not be.  Take time to research your particular situation; tumor size, treatments required, reconstruction options, genetic testing, and talk frankly with your oncologist and surgeon.  More than likely, you have had your cancer for some time and waiting a week or two to take the time to make a decision you will be happy with for the long haul is more important than you can imagine.

Breaking Ground on Something Amazing

Wouldn't it be amazing if medical treatments could be as unique as each of us are? Well soon that could be a reality for cancer patients.  Some of you may have heard and even read about genetic fingerprinting.  Genetic fingerprinting takes into account that 1% of our DNA that makes us, well, who we are - separating us from everybody else.  Recently a study on breast cancer was released with regard to the genetic makeup of cancer cells.

In the study they found that breast cancer is really just an umbrella name to cover what they say can easily be divided into 10 different forms of cancer.   Professor Carlos Caldas, senior group leader at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute and the Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, said: “Our results will pave the way for doctors in the future to diagnose the type of breast cancer a woman has, the types of drugs that will work, and those that won’t, in a much more precise way than is currently possible.  This research won’t affect women diagnosed with breast cancer today. But in the future, breast cancer patients will receive treatment targeted to the genetic fingerprint of their tumour." Source below in Scientists Re-Write...

If you'd like to read more here are two links to the study:

Study: Breast cancer not one disease, but 10 distinct diseases

Scientists Re-Write Rule Book on Breast Cancer in Landmark Global Study

Breast Reconstruction

I must say to you all - I have put off writing this particular post for quite some time.  I want to stay fairly positive with my blog, and breast reconstruction is a really hard subject for me.  But as I am moving forward with my checkpoints - it is the next thing down the line.

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer I began to research every facet of the disease and the various procedures I would most likely have to undergo.  I still remember sitting at the computer and reading the descriptions of the various types of reconstruction.  As I reviewed a few of them I even told my husband I could not imagine why anyone would ever choose to do that.  Not that I didn't understand their desire to have the breast reconstruction, but why would you choose such a difficult surgery.  Little did I know at the time that it wasn't really their choice.

You see there are a few different options available; you can have immediate breast reconstruction with a skin sparing mastectomy, you can have implants with an expander during a later reconstruction, or there are FLAP procedures where the surgeon removes muscle and skin from other parts of your body and builds a new breast with it.   I have to say I have always been afraid of plastic surgery and had long told myself that I would just have to grow old gracefully because I could not bring myself to inflict pain upon myself.  Did I say I was a little afraid - I mean seriously scared.

Prior to my mastectomy my husband and I met with my oncologist, surgeon, and plastic surgeon.  I must say I was a bit naive when I went to see the plastic surgeon - I just wasn't aware of how naive.  As he began to explain various procedures and show pictures he kept indicating that that wasn't an option for me and would flip on to the next one.  For a brief moment I couldn't hear him as he spoke. I could only recall the images I had seen online, and a voice in my head telling me "it's going to be that awful procedure isn't it".  When my head cleared and I again joined the conversation, I heard just what I thought I would.  Because of the size of my tumor and my need for radiation - I would have to select a FLAP procedure. 

I can tell you that I had to put a lid on that package and hide it on the shelf for quite some time because of my intense fear of this procedure.  It is hard to find stories of people in my particular situation and my research brought me little or no comfort.  Yet I am optimistic with the new studies and advancements in breast reconstruction, and am sure at some point I will make a choice I feel good about.

For now I have my prosthesis and wear it occasionally - mostly in my swimsuit.  They are hot and the band of the bra still bothers my radiated skin. A lot of people choose to never have reconstruction, I may not.  But, I will tell you that of all the aspects of moving forward it is emotionally very hard to know that a part of you is missing that truly seems to embody what we think of as feminine and defines us as women.  I don't always miss my breasts, but it is pretty odd to not have nipples.

There are several informative sites on breast reconstruction which I will share with you as well as a beautiful photo journal I would like to share.  I'm hoping that it will not offend you, but will instead help you to better understand a woman with breast cancer.

The Scar Project

Breast Reconstruction 

I also found this video very informative, but it is a very long one;

Radiation

I can remember almost to date when I finished my chemo and radiation.  Not so much because they were so significant, although they were, but because I seemed to finish up on holidays.

I finished my last radiation treatment one year ago today.  I can hardly believe it.  Radiation for me was, well a little scary.  I still remember the first day.  I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but as the male technician came in to get me set up in my mold, I knew it wasn't that.  I remember holding back tears of nervousness and embarrassment as I lay as still as I could.  It wasn't long though that I came to love my two technicians, Gene and Bonita.  They were so very kind and that made all the difference in the world.

After my surgery and chemotherapy, I had to have 33 treatments of radiation to the right side of my chest and shoulder area.  By the end some areas were pretty burnt, but I was surprised at how well it healed.

There are different types and reasons people have radiation.  Here is a link that explains them in better detail - Types of Radiation.

I found a few things that helped me a lot during my treatment - one was of course Aloe.  Fresh aloe that I kept in the refrigerator was wonderful as was Aloe 99.

Another skin saver was Lindi Skin Cooler Roll. This was a gel like sheet that you cut to fit the size you needed and applied directly to the skin.  I kept this in the refrigerator as well, so it was nice and cool.  I was amazed at the amount of heat it would pull from the radiated area.

I also had a prescription for biofene - I loved this stuff.

I would take naps every day and drank cold water constantly.

My skin is pretty sensitive to begin with, but during radiation your skin becomes very sensitive to touch and the rubbing of fabric.  I hunted all over for soft cotton shirts that didn't have side seams or seams that hit on my collar bone. For me I found it more comfortable to have a snug fitting tank under my shirt.  I didn't like when my skin would rest on skin (underneath your arm).  It seemed to produce heat and want to stick together.

I can also tell you from experience that as the burns begin to heal, they are much like any other serious burn - your skin will peel.  Be very careful, your clothes can stick to it and pull the skin off - not good!  I had to keep a sterile gauze over mine at the very end and sometimes would have to let water run over it to soften and release it without pulling away the skin.

Testing...

I am very happy to share that my report went well.  I had a variety of tests this past week and so far it is looking pretty good.  My tumor markers were well within range and my PET scan did not indicate any recurrence.  My CT scan did find a couple of things, one of which was on my last scan and then a new one.

It is a mixed feeling of relief - when everything looks good, but a test finds "spots".  OK, so what are the spots?  Are they going to develop into something at some point? Then you have to tell yourself; "Just enjoy this and stop looking so far ahead!" And really I do tell myself that, but then my curiosity gets the better of me and I start to research my tests results.  I use the phrase knowledge is power from time to time on my postings, and I believe that.  But I can also tell you that sometimes too much information can just plain freak you out - or at least me.

While I was researching my test results I found it very interesting that tumor markers are different for different types of cancers.  So I thought I would share the link;  Specific Tumor Markers

I also am on a routine schedule of having a PET/CT scan every four months for my first year out of treatment.  So, I will have my next scan in March of 2012.  There is a lot of debate about having the scans too frequently and I am happy that my oncologist takes that into consideration, but being a high risk cancer patient, it is important to monitor any changes.  I am just fine with that.

Here is a good link that explains the test and what the difference is, as you can have one without the other.  PET/CT Scan

Triple Negative

If I were playing the slots, three in a row could be a good thing – right? What are the odds of that!  Pretty exciting, no?

Well alright, obviously I am not talking about casino games and sadly in this case, it’s not such a good thing.

Triple negative has to do with the type of breast cancer you have.  It refers to the part of your pathology report that indicates if you are PR, ER or HER2 positive or negative.  And for those of you who may not have read my post on pathology reports, it has to do with what makes your cancer grow.  The ER is the Estrogen Receptor, PR is the Progesterone Receptor, and the HER2 receptor is a protein found on the surface of certain cancer cells.  

All three of these indicate what makes (and how) your cancer grow.  If you know what makes your cancer grow, you can find successful ways to treat it.

Triple Negative refers to all three ER, PR, and HER2 being negative and it is probably a breast cancer patient’s worst nightmare.  10-20 % of breast cancers are triple negative, so that’s about 1 out of 10. BUT triple negative is most commonly found in younger women under 40 or 50.  And according to various research for women in the USA, women under 40 have a 1 in 233 or .43% chance of developing breast cancer.  So that 1 out of 10 just became a little more prevalent.

This was a small miracle for me.  I did not have triple negative breast cancer.  For awhile reports indicated I was triple positive, but again small miracle here, I was not.  My husband’s step mother however did.  It can be a pretty scary thing. Triple negative is a faster growing and typically a higher grade cancer than most.  As well, it does not respond to some traditional treatment methods.

For many young women this can be a devastating reality.  I don’t know what is the right option for screening and early detection in women under 40, but surely learning all we can to recognize our risk and what those are is a good step.

Here are a few good links that better explain.

How Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Behaves and Looks 
You CAN Survive Triple-Negative  

Breast Thermography

I have to say I have heard more on thermal imaging at airports than I have about breast thermography.  I think something could be wrong here!  Recently I came across breast thermography while thumbing through Think Healthy last month (The whole issue is on my blog post I'm So Proud!).  That was the first time I had ever heard of it.

I couldn’t help but feel a little sad as I read about what it is and how successful it is at early detection in women with dense breast tissue; typically the age range of 30 – 50 years old.  I could spend a lot of time wondering “What if I knew about this? Maybe I could be in a different place than I am now.”  There is certainly no sense to “what if” for me, but for those of you reading this blog it may be very important.

Knowledge is power and this is a perfect example.  If we know what is available to us, we can know what to ask our physicians for.  If they are unfamiliar or hesitant to refer you to something, you have the ability to research and decide for yourself. 

I am a firm believer that we know our bodies better than anyone else, but that comes with some age and experience.  When I first went in to my primary doctor with a lump, I was a little nervous, and unprepared to ask questions.  We ended the appointment feeling somewhat satisfied with our assumptions that is was a fibroid cyst.  I agreed to watch it and return if there were changes.  I did notice the lump over the next few years, but it would come and go, so I thought no change.  Once the lump was consistently noticeable, I knew what it really was.  

If I would have known the things I do now, I could have asked for screening or sought it out myself, if for nothing more than to ease my mind.

Here are a couple of links about breast thermography.

What is Breast Thermography? 

The Correct Role for Thermal Imaging  *Be sure to read this article completely.  Very good.

What's Important?

Over the last few days I have thought very hard about the message I have been asked to share at our local Making Strides Walk.  They give you a guideline; 2-3 minutes max, share your story, and tell what the pink bra means to you.  Sounds easy right?  Well finding the version of my story that fits into 2 minutes isn’t that easy.  And of course I want to share what I feel is the most important thing I’ve learned.

I’m not really sure what that is.  There are so many things I’ve learned and they all seem important to me, but the two things that stand out in my mind are knowledge and early detection.  I know both of these things are mentioned quite often.  Yet for some reason most women are completely blindsided when they hear the news that they have breast cancer.

 The majority of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer had no family history of the disease – those are not my words, but I have read them several times in various articles (none of which I can recall to paste the link – sorry).  Because of my own experience, I feel the need to find out as much as I can for early detection in younger women. 

If you are under 40 years old with no family history, and are like most women, you probably don’t even think of breast cancer on a personal level. Over the next week or two, I am going to concentrate my posts to information available for this group of women.  

But remember, gumption, may just be the best defense.

*Found "About 70-80% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer." BreastCancer.org

Live Strong!

How do you do something when your body just won’t cooperate?  That is my dilemma.  I know some things just take time and other things take work on my part to get my body healthy again.  And apparently some things take both! 

Pretty much since the end of my radiation treatments, I have been trying to lose the weight I gained during chemo.  I have worked pretty hard to achieve that goal, but with little results.  I have always been a fairly healthy person and don’t have a lot of food vices to give up.  So I tried adding more exercise.  After all exercise is a very important part of staying healthy after cancer. But this too just wasn’t helping in the weight department. I wasn’t ready to give up though. 

After talking with a friend, I decided to give something new a try, and I wanted to share it with you.  I decided I would use the livestrong.com website.  I’m not getting crazy results like 7 – 8 pounds in two weeks or anything.  Some weeks I haven’t lost anything, but overall it has helped me to lose a few pounds and keep them off.

I use the website’s free program.  There I can track all the food I eat, as well as the exercises I do.  It calculates the amount of calories I consume as well as the amount I burn against the amount I am allotted (which is based on my age, weight, and weight loss goal). 

It is very easy to use and if I ever successfully figure out how to post it to my blog, I will share my progress with you.

Wow, I'm Tired! Am I Anemic?

Some days I just can't seem to get with the program, mentally or physically, and my body feels like it wants to shut down.  I could say this was all an adverse effect of the chemo, but in my case that isn't entirely true.  I have always been border line anemic.  My mother and sister both suffer from Iron Deficieny Anemia, so I guess it's partly bad genes.

It is very common for women who have went through treatments for breast cancer to feel tired, sometimes more to the point of true fatigue.  For women with breast cancer, having blood tests is pretty routine, and our oncologists check these levels regularly.  In my case, my iron levels just wouldn't come up, actually they decreased (but that has to do with the chemo making the red blood cells slightly larger during treatment).  My oncologist decided to run a variety of extra tests trying to determine what was going on.  Finally we decided that I have an iron deficiency. 

This is pretty common in women, cancer or not. The only difference is that most women just think they are over worked, over stressed, or simply tired and don't pursue it any further.

I take an iron supplement, but vitamins and I don't mix well.  They tend to bother my stomach.  So I try really hard to eat food that is high in iron.  I also found it interesting that it is important to take vitamin C to help our bodies better absorb the iron.  Here are a few links that better explain Iron Deficiency Anemia as well as give a list of foods high in iron.

Mayo - Iron Deficiency Anemia

Be sure to check out the different tabs at the top of the article.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

I'm So Proud!

Yesterday I received an email about someone who is very dear to me and I couldn't help but share it with you all.  Last year was quite a crazy time for our family and just as I was finishing up my chemo, my husband's step mother was starting her journey with breast cancer.  She was officially diagnosed on December 27, 2010.

Her story was featured in this month's issue of Think Healthy, a magazine I was not familiar with, but now have read from cover to cover. Below is the link to their website as well as an online version of the issue for you to take a peek at..  Hope you enjoy it!

Think Healthy Magazine

Spuradic Reading

I go in spurts, sometimes I read all I can get my hands on while other times I have absolutely no interest in reading another thing about breast cancer. However if you tantalize me with a headline I can be persuaded into reading about something even when I otherwise wouldn't be interested.  Today was one of those days!

Somewhere along the line I came across WebMD.  This is an online site that has quite a lot of information on a variety of issues.  Instead of reading through the entire site, I had them send me email updates for breast cancer. I have enjoyed many of their articles, but I don't always link to the site. That's what I like about this feature.  If I am interested in an article I can link to it and read more, but if I don't have time or I'm just not into it that day, I can skip it.  Today I received and email from them with several good articles, but one in particular stood out to me.

I wish I could just paste the email for you, but instead I will link you to a few of the articles.  Maybe one will be on something just for you.

Understanding Hormone Therapy

11 Questions for the Oncologist

When to Get a Screening Mammogram

Chemotherapy and Weight Gain

Chemotherapy is what I consider one of those necessary evils.  No one would purposely do something to make themselves crazy sick, unless the end result outweighed the side effects.  In my case I could follow the treatment plan of my oncologist and come out with a fairly decent chance of survival.  Or I could skip Chemo and have an 85% chance of recurrence within five years and only a 57% chance of living five years. I was 38 and had a young son at home.  The chemo was looking pretty good to me at this point.

As I contemplated chemotherapy I never in my wildest dreams imagined gaining weight.  I always pictured someone thin and frail.  But, for women with breast cancer, going through chemotherapy more often than not, causes weight gain.  Myself I gained 30 lbs.  There are several reasons why women can gain weight.  One is the amount of steroids.  Steroids help to keep the nausea at bay, and I was happy to have them. Another reason is the sudden shift in your metabolism.  Chemo can, and usually does, stop your cycles, putting you in what can be (or not) temporary menopause. Along with these add the fact that most foods don’t taste the same and if you are like me, all I wanted (or could eat) was comfort food.  Not to mention I didn’t feel well enough to keep up with any type of regular physical activity.

Sadly the weight gain can add more than just unwanted pounds.  Let’s face it, at this point one's self-image can be in a pretty fragile state.  I just had surgery to remove both of my breasts, I now had no hair (eyebrows or eyelashes), and to top it off, I couldn’t fit into any of my clothes.  I could talk myself out of feeling to sorry for myself here, because after all my body had just went through a pretty traumatic experience.  It might take it awhile to get back to my old normal. But the lingering weight can cause more than just self esteem issues, it actually increases my risk of recurrence. And, that doesn't appeal to me on any level.

Here are a few good links to better explain the connection with weight and cancer.

Body Weight and Weight Gain 
Weight Gain During Chemotherapy Treatment 
Why Do Some People With Breast Cancer Gain Weight? 

Doing Something

With October just a couple days away, I know everyone has probably been blasted with emails and links for various breast cancer awareness events.  And, if you've been reading my blog then you know Pretty Pink Packages is participating in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides for Breast Cancer .  I chose this event because I was so impressed by the lovely volunteers at Mayo.

The 8th floor of the Davis building at Mayo (I call it the Penthouse because it's the very top floor) is the Hematology/Oncology floor.  The American Cancer Society has a small room at one end of the lobby where patients can get various forms of help - free.  From wigs, scarfs, to the use of their computers and library.  I was fortunate enough to have a variety of those items gifted to me so I never used that service.  But each time I went for my chemo treatment a very sweet volunteer would bring me an array of food and snacks all of which were provided for the patients by the American Cancer Society.

I have to admit, I don't always know what is going on in my own community, but our area is already in full swing.  A couple of weeks ago they had their first annual Bosom Buddy Auction downtown, and there are a few other events going on or upcoming.  I thought I would share a few links for those of you in my area.

The Dixie Swim Club

14th Annual Breast Cancer Fashion Show

This Event Also has a Facebook Page

7th Annual Upbeat Pink

I am sure there could be more happening that I am not aware of.  Feel free to share events.  The more people who know, the better the event.

I also wanted to share a few links to some fun fashion sites, along with a couple others, that are participating in raising funds for Breast Cancer. I know here too, there are probably more, but these are the ones that I thought had good links to helpful information about breast cancer.

Oakley Sunglasses & Young Survivors Coalition 

ReeBelieve (Reebok)

Ralph Lauren's Pink Pony Fund

Betsey Johnson

Ford Warriors in Pink

Getting Ready for Surgery

There are times in life when, no matter how well you have prepared, you still aren’t ready for what lies ahead.  Once I made my decision to have a double mastectomy, my surgeon discussed how things would play out.  I went home researched a little more, just to make sure I hadn’t missed some key piece of information, and prayed really hard. 

At this point I remember things were still a blur to me.  I was going so quickly between tests and meeting with my doctors, that when it was time to get prepped, I realized nothing had prepared me for the reality of my surgery.  Up to this point I had walked many halls alone to meet my nurses or technicians.  But the afternoon before my surgery I had to have a particular dye injected into my breast tissue that would circulate through my lymph nodes and thus help indicate any cancer present there.  I wasn’t very familiar with this procedure.  I can still remember the sweet little woman waiting for me at the door at the end, of what seemed to be, a very long hallway.  With each step my anxiety grew.  By the time I reached the door, my whole body was trembling, and I tried hard to hold back the tears.

There we were, two people in a large, sterile room, and one huge machine.  She walked me through the procedure and I put in my earbuds, hoping I had something on my ipod that would settle my nerves. Sadly, it was to no avail.  I turned it off and my mind drifted in and out as I listened to the noise of the machine.  I’m not sure what I was thinking, but I know I felt very alone.  I was probably praying.  As tears began to fill my eyes I felt a warm calm come over me and I heard the voice of my sweet technician talking to me. I have no idea what she said, but I was thankful for her kindness. 
 
The next morning I arrived very early to the hospital, checked in and waited to be called.  Once I was called back, I was given the latest fashion in surgical attire straight down to special socks – 2 kinds.  My husband and I sat as I met my new nurse.  She was assigned to me and only me.  Then in came my surgeon and her team.  I had never seen my surgeon in scrubs and I must say she looked very young to me (or I was feeling old, not sure which). I think I remember going into the operating room because I slightly remember seeing their faces around me, and I remember the very cold room.  Luckily I don’t recall a thing after that.  I woke up at some point several hours later in tight bandages with several tubes attached to me.  I remember being relieved it was over and somewhat scared of what was underneath all that dressing.

Breast Cancer Treatment 

Options, Options, No Options

I’ve never considered myself as indecisive, but sometimes I get tired of making decisions.  At this point I can honestly say I have never made so many decisions in my life, and that my life depended on, as I have during my breast cancer.  One of the first decisions I had to make was what type of breast surgery was right for me.

You might think this was pretty cut and dry, but that really isn’t the case. Today women have so many more options than in previous years.  There are; Lumpectomy, Partial or Segmental Mastectomy or Quadrantectomy, Total Mastectomy, Modified Radical Mastectomy, and Radical Mastectomy. And that’s not all, there are also Skin Sparing Mastectomy or Nipple Sparing Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.  Even if you do not have cancer in both breasts, you have to decide if you are going to have a bilateral mastectomy or not. Are you BRCA1 or BRCA2 positive?

As I moved from one test to another it was like unwrapping a pretty package, each layer revealed something new.  And with each revelation, I had a tougher decision to make.  I can tell you that I read more, researched more, and prayed more during this time, than any other.  It was really hard. 

Looking at images of the surgeries was scary, but it brought some hope to me as well.  I knew I would have to have a mastectomy, so I began to research immediate reconstruction. At this point my local surgeon told us I was too young, and as my case was becoming more difficult he felt I needed to go somewhere else for my care.  This was an answer to our prayers. We really wanted a second opinion.  Not because we didn’t like what we were hearing, but because this was serious and we wanted to make sure we were making the right decision.  Through the help of my surgeon and local oncologist I was able to get into the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Here my pretty pink package continued to unwrap.  Really I should have said that if you are diagnosed early on, you have a lot of options available to you. In my case, many of the options, well, weren’t available anymore.  I had to have a bilateral Modified Radical Mastectomy.  I couldn’t have immediate reconstruction because the size of my tumor was too large and I would need radiation.  Not that this was my first choice, but it was the only choice I could make and feel good about.

Here are a few links that share a brief explanation on the various types of breast cancer surgeries:

What is a Mastectomy? 

Breast Cancer Surgery Options 

Surgery