Light at the End of the Tunnel

Yes, I am finally seeing the light! Only ONE more radiation to go on Monday and I am done. Crazy to think it's over already but it has been a very busy month and a half for us. When the appointment times change daily, it can really disrupt your day. One day after complaining about having to wait 3 hours in between an appointment and radiation, I was told, "Oh, you should have come in. We would have just fit you in--we do it all the time!" Since then, I haven't really been following my scheduled times, haha. It makes life a lot easier though so I can still drop off and pick up Aidan from school, save on parking, and most importantly, save on TIME. I've gotten to know the radiation therapists well and it was easy to see them everyday because they kept things light and cheerful. Aidan often came with me on non-school days and he was allowed to help push buttons on the radiation table and even speak to me through the mic. My skin is just starting to peel a little this week like a bad sunburn but all in all, I am considered lucky. I hardly took naps during the day and was able to power through the day as usual so there's not much to complain about.

This week I had 3 doctor's appointments! The first person I saw was my surgeon, Dr. D. Interesting points from that meeting: 1) She was pleased with the results of radiation and noticed considerable shrinkage of tumor and nodes, 2) She wanted to make sure the surgery was going to take place promptly, 3) She wanted me to have a less complicated reconstructive surgery option (4 hours vs. 8 hours). I told her I was more concerned about having a successful surgery than the reconstruction and that I would forgo the reconstruction if necessary. However, since most of the breast skin would have to be removed along with the tumor, reconstruction of some sort would have to take place because there wouldn't be enough skin left to close the wound. She strongly recommended that I get a different kind of reconstructive surgery that had less chance for complications due to my compromised immune system and past lengthy treatments. She said she would speak to the plastic surgeon to discuss the change in plans and schedule a date.

On Thursday, I saw my oncologist, Dr. S. She was also pleased with the outcome of the radiation. To let you know the kind of care I am getting, she asked me, "So, do you need anything from me now? Is there anything i need to advocate for you for surgery?" Amazing! She explained I would get another injection of hormones instead of starting on tamoxifen (the drug I would be on for 5 years after surgery) because there was a slight risk of the drug causing complications during surgery. The injected drug and the tamoxifen (which is a pill) does the same thing--shut of the production of estrogen, so it doesn't really matter what I use as long as I am getting something.

On Friday, I got a surprise call from my plastic surgeon, Dr. M who wanted to see me in the afternoon. She had spoken to Dr. D and wanted to go over other options with me. Luckily, one very yucky surgery that involves taking a flap of skin from my back was ruled out! Not enough back fat, thank goodness! So, we are going for the "pedicled tram flap" rather than the "diep flap". The main difference is 4 hours less surgery time and the removal of some muscle from the tummy which could hurt a bit more afterwards. The longer surgery has a better recovery but requires more skill which Dr. M definitely has. I think I will get a second opinion from my oncologist before a final decision is made. Either way, the date is set for June 30 at VGH. Another perk is on that day, Dr. M performs surgery with her colleague who is one of the best plastic surgeons in the lower mainland so I will have 3 awesome surgeons in the room. Strangely enough, he will be the first male doc on my team! I am in good hands and am not worried. If you dare to read more information on the surgery, this was a pretty good link I found: http://www.breastreconstruction.org/TypesOfReconstruction/diep_flap.html

We are still hoping to do a short getaway before surgery so if anyone has any ideas for a relaxing place that is nearby, let me know. We were actually trying to book a vacation to Cabo during the week of the surgery but it will have to wait until the fall now. It will be a better time anyway since I will be completely recovered and can actually sit in the sun.

Here's to more sun and less rain in June!

J