One year ago today I was sitting in my living room recovering from my Double Mastectomy. I didn’t really think about being Cancer Free that day. I was just thinking about the fact that I no longer had a part of my body. It was months later that I began to recognize August 31st as my Cancer Free Anniversary. I was pretty drugged up that weekend so I don’t remember much. Here’s what I do remember about the days leading up to it. I know some pretty amazing people. I had friends scheduling meal trains. I had family and friends texting me telling me that everything was going to be okay and that they loved me. I had family and friends constantly asking me what they could do. And the days that followed I had family and friends bring meals, flowers, gifts, come to visit, text me and call me, […]
Category: Mastectomy
So Much in My Head…..
I have all this stuff in my head that I wanna say, so I’m just going to start talking. I’m blogging via voice on my phone so seriously…… I’m just going to babble on about what’s been happening over here, then do a baby edit. Please expect errors and babbling…. First, lets enjoy the pics of these two!! I finally can share these two engagement photos!! Yay! This is my daughter Tess and her fiancé Manuel. They will be married March 30, 2019 and this momma can hardly wait! I had a couple of pics from their engagement party, but nothing this beautiful, so I’ll just share these. So sweet. I can’t pick a favorite, but I love both of these for certain!! Monday I went in for my physical therapy on my breast. Every appointment, Dani (she is awesome!) basically kneads my scar tissue/fat necrosis with this hard plastic […]
Finally Feeling Cancer Free
July 21st, Breast Cancer Diagnosis. Surgery 1. August 31st, Double Mastectomy. Surgery 2. December 14th, Died Flap Breast Reconstruction. Surgery 3. March 21st, Total Hysterectomy and Breast Revisions. That’s three surgeries with six weeks each of recovery. That’s like four months of recovery and healing! I still have some breast revisions (just touch ups), but they will be minor and they will be outpatient. These revisions are no surprise as they were expected as a part of the DIEP flap breast reconstruction process. It’s a complicated breast reconstruction, but I knew that going into it. These revisions will not require me to take any time off work, other than maybe a day or two, but taking 6 weeks off after a surgery is now OVER! I had my last big surgery on Wednesday, March 21st, and came home the following day. My daughter Tess came in from Dallas for a week […]
Good Morning!
Just checking in to say Good Morning! I’m one week post op a full hysterectomy and revisions on my breast reconstruction. Other than feeling tired, I’m doing great! After reading so much about these two surgeries combined, I was prepared to be in a lot of pain for the first week, and I haven’t been at all! Yay! Tess came in the day before surgery and stayed with us for a week. She just went home on Tuesday and it was hard to let her go. Tess and Mike have become this great team when it comes to taking care of Mom and I’m not sure what I would do without them. I was feeling so good 4 days after surgery, that I even went to Palm Sunday at my In-Laws! (Our annual tradition so our kids and grandkids don’t have to stress on Easter trying to visit everyone) I […]
Where Have I Been?
I kind of fell apart. Since finding out that I had an Iliac Aneurysm a few weeks ago (an aneurysm located in the abdomen) I let my mind go to the worst place that it could have gone. All that I could think about were the drastic measures that I had taken after my breast cancer diagnosis. Have a Double Mastectomy. No Implants! Go through a 10 hour surgery, have my entire torso cut open and have my belly fat transferred to my breast area and make new breast. Schedule a hysterectomy to remove Ovaries since my Breast Cancer is estrogen positive and eliminate the ovaries to eliminate any extra estrogen and to eliminate the chance of Ovarian Cancer since it runs in my family. Take my Uterus too. One of the drugs that I will now be taking to reduce the risk of a Breast Cancer reoccurrence can cause […]
Don’t Forget to Feel It on the First!
This is your friendly reminder! Feel It on the First! Men too! Know your body. Be your own advocate. Doing a monthly self breast check will familiarize you with our own body. Check for any unusual lumps, bumps, dimples or changes. You just might save your own life! Okay, lot’s going on in my head. The reality of everything that my body has gone through and what is to come is apparently just starting to sink in. The hormone changes are not making anything any easier to deal with. My entire torso looks like it belongs to someone else. Yes, my tummy is gone and that is nice, I now have breast and that is amazing and the cancer is out of my body and that is the BEST news, but there are many changes that look and feel very strange. I am covered in scars with more […]
The Jokes on YOU, Cancer!
Happy Friday! I’m excited to share that the last week has gone surprisingly well! I came out of a 10 1/2 hour surgery to the news that the surgery was a success and I now had a tummy tuck and new boobs! Of course I don’t remember that at all, but Tess and Mike tell me that when I woke up, I knew the good news. I spent four adventurous nights in the hospital and came home on Monday. Friends and family came to visit at the hospital, and while I feel like I was completely alert at all times, I vaguely remember those first few days. I’m working on a post for a later date with pictures, but for now I just wanted to let you know that I am home, I am happy. The Jokes on YOU, Cancer! Because of you…. I feel more loved than ever from family […]
It’s a DIEP Subject
Surgery is in three days and I so wish that I was sitting here writing my 2 week post-op update. I am nervous, ready and admittedly a bit scared. I had a pre-op appointment with the plastic surgeon on Friday for my surgery this week. Before reading the rest of this post, please know that I am truly grateful that I am alive and that I found my cancer early. I know there are many women that have traveled this road and their road has been longer and much more challenging than mine. That being said, the last 5 months have been filled with appointments, phone calls, test, results and more decisions than I ever thought possible. In case you didn’t know…… On August 31st, six weeks after being diagnosed with breast cancer, I had a double mastectomy. I am scheduled for DIEP Flap breast reconstruction on December 14th. You can […]
In Limbo
I feel In Limbo right now and I’m trying really hard not to feel that way. This time in between surgery one and surgery two is uncomfortable, full of overwhelming information and at times mentally draining. That being said, I am doing my best to stay positive and take one day at a time. The last few days have included walks, a little Yoga, I’ve enjoyed being back at work and I’ve tracked my food. The weather has been great for walks outside! It’s been nice to count steps too! Routine has felt good, and I even got a short visit from my daughter Tess. On Thursdays I have an early morning WW meeting and a lunchtime WW meeting. In between the two, I picked up Tess at the airport and she came to my lunchtime meeting with me! It was nice to have her there with me and also […]
Breast Cancer Awareness, Weight Watchers
I crossed that line of “I feel like crap” to” I feel like myself and I think I got my spunk back!” in the last few days. I’m four weeks post op of my double mastectomy and finally feeling like myself. It has been a very busy five days, but I feel really good physically and mentally and I’m looking forward to these next two and a half months before my reconstruction surgery in December. I went to my girlfriends farm Tuesday through Thursday. We sipped on coffee, sipped on wine, ate yummy food, hunted bittersweet, snuggled up around the fire outside, listened to music, shared stories and got a little sleep in there too. I’m never ready to come home when I go there. This is the only picture that I took…..but it sums up my two days of peace and quiet and enjoying being outside. Chemo? Nope. […]