Road Block

Just over a week ago, I went in for my 9 week post op appointment. The purpose of this appointment was so the doc could see how I was healing and discuss our next step, Phase 2 of the DIEP surgery and talk scheduling so the OB can do the hysterectomy at the same time. Yay. Progress.

I was happy to learn that during the next phase of this surgery, the doc will be able to give my new breast a much needed lift and a reduction and clean up a few things around my ab incision. He will also do some “fat grafting” where he will take fat from my hip area and fill in the top of my breast where there are still some empty spaces from where the breast tissue was removed with the mastectomy. This appointment is really a discussion of how he will make things look pretty and more natural.

What I haven’t yet shared from that appointment is what we talked about first. I’ve been trying to process it and figure out exactly what it means.

When the doc walked in the room, he told us that before talking phase 2 he had something else to talk about.

I had a CT scan back in October to make sure that my blood vessels in my abdomen were viable for the DIEP flap surgery. If you were reading back then, you may remember that 5 days before surgery, I was told that my veins were questionable, and I was worried like crazy knowing that the surgery may not be a success. Doc did some serious microscopic “vein work” and the 10 1/2 hour surgery was a success. All good. Right?

Well, apparently also visible in the CT scan, (and I’m still very confused as to why I am just finding this out, but I’m thinking it was an oversight) is an Iliac Aneurysm. When I first heard aneurysm, I realized that I didn’t know exactly what that was, but I was fairly sure it had something to do with blood and I didn’t like the way it sounded.

Know I now what an aneurysm is.

An aneurysm is a weak spot in the wall of a blood vessel.. Where the vein wall is weak, the vein bulges like a balloon. 

Some aneurysms are small and only need to be monitored, others require surgery.

My aneurysm is deep in my pelvic area. My plastic surgeon doesn’t want to schedule any further surgeries until after I see a Vascular Surgeon and find out more details about my aneurysm. 

I’m going to assume that this should have been looked at prior to my last surgery, but was overlooked?

Remember, I love my doc, so I’m trying my best to not be frustrated with him and just focus on the fact that it was discovered and now we can look at the size of it.

I have an appointment on March 9th with a vascular surgeon. Obviously, I am hoping it is not large and it is not serious, but honestly, a part of me wants the doc to say that it is large enough that he wants to go in there and fix it so I don’t have to walk around thinking about it!

I just made a really difficult decision to have both breast removed to reduce the reoocurance of breast cancer, I sure as hell don’t want to walk around wondering if my aneurysm is going to burst!

So many Eye Roll Emoji’s here!!!

I’m frustrated that I’m just finding this out. I’m confused as to why I’m just finding this out. I’m not real sure of what level of activity I should or should not be doing right now. I’m irritated that phase 2 and the hysterectomy can’t be put on the schedule right now. I”m trying as hard as I can to just think about other things, but  I’m not doing a very good job of it. 

Therefore, I am sucking at blogging about Weight Watchers and Food and Yoga and all of the great things that are happening with my family right now and I’m a tad cranky that I’m letting it get to me.

That is all for now.

Signed,

Cranky,

 

2018 Goals
Make time each week to Meal Plan
Drink 100 ounces of water each day
Exercise 5 days a week
Eat three meals and one snack daily
Fitbit 10,000 Daily Steps

“love the life you live, live the life you love”