Boxhorn Gun Club Third Annual Breast Cancer Shoot

Boxhorn Gun Club located in Muskego,WI and owners Rick and Debbie Schim are pleased to be hosting its third annual Boxhorn Gun Club Breast Cancer Shoot on Sunday, October 5. This event was the biggest event of the club last year and raised and dontated more than $9,700.00 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization.

Sunday, October 5th
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
3rd Annual Boxhorn Breast Cancer Shoot
We had over 200 entries in 2007!
~Leather Shooting bags for Winners.
~Thousands of $$$$ in donated prizes
~Great Silent Auction Items for men, women and children
~Shooting Venues for all level shooters
~16 yard,double and handicap traps
~Sporting Clays
~All events 50 target and multiple entries welcome
~$35 for your first event and $20 for each subsequent event. A portion of each entry goes to the Susan G. Komen Fund.
~Free food and music for all shooters
~Two for one drinks 4-6 pm

This is the third year Rick and Debbie have hosted this event at their gun club. Breast cancer research has always been near and dear to Debbie's heart. Ironically,the shoot holds a new meaning for our family this year since my diagnosis.
If you are a shooter or even if you are not, please join us on Sunday for some food, drink and fun and help support a cause that is just too important not to take part in. I will be there working, stop by and say hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mixed mood today

I am in a mixed mood tonight. I did have one drain removed today (actually the one drain that was bugging the crap out of me) so that is a good thing. On the other hand, my discussion with Dr. John about where we go from here leaves me with mixed emotions. I won't get too graphic as I know of some followers of my blog that get a bit queasy with graphics LOL The area of tissue that has died was "larger than what is usually seen" according to the doc. What that means for me is my reconstruction will take approximately 6 months until finished, much longer than we had originally planned. My only other option is to have a skin graft (which is another major surgery) which will cut my reconstruction time in half and I would be finished 3 months earlier. I am not at all thrilled about another surgery and really do not think mentally or physically I can go through another surgery and chemotherapy at the same time. I am also thinking what if the skin graft does not work? What then? I don't think that is an option for me at this time. I will see him again in one week. He promises me that the remaining drain will come out then. If it doesn't I will be more than crabby!!! LOL

You gotta laugh

I am not quite sure what is going on with our family these days. Besides me and my medical issues, Billy came home from his football game Saturday night all beat up again (he is running for his life from these darn big boys), Natalie had to go to the Quick Care nurse because she has a sinus infection (AGAIN) and John fell/slid off a ladder yesterday in the garage (don't worry, he is fine, he skinned his arm and leg and landed on his feet). What the heck??? Just another boring day at the Schim house. You gotta laugh! What next??!!!

Plastic Surgeon appointment today

I have a followup appointment with Dr. John this afternoon at 2 pm. I am SO hoping he takes these drains out. I am getting crabby about them! I just want to be able to wear normal clothes again. I will update later when I return.

Susan G. Komen Milwaukee Race for the Cure®
Sunday, September 28, 2008 ... With your help, someday this will only be a Race!

This year, Komen Milwaukee celebrates its 10th anniversary — a decade of saving lives! We couldn't have reached this milestone without the tremendous support of the Southeastern Wisconsin community, and we hope that Race veterans and first-timers alike will join us September 28th for our best event to date.
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My goal after my first surgery was to walk in this event with my book club ladies who are walking in my honor. Unfortunately with this added surgery I am unable to this year. I will be there in spirit as they walk!

Saturday afternoon

I felt like an old woman getting up this morning! I don't think my body moved an inch last night. Or maybe I was scared to death to move because I didn't want to feel that sharp stabbing pain again. LOL I took a pain pill before bed and slept until about 5 am. I just took some Tylenol today. The revision surgery went well yesterday, as well as could be expected. It sets back my final reconstruction by about 4 months. I am not too thrilled about that, but I don't have much choice in the matter. I just have to keep telling myself those brand new perky boobs will all be worth it in the end.
Happy Saturday everyone, enjoy the weekend!

Fearless

I haven't cried since the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Until last night. My sweet niece, Melissa, gave me this beautiful silver necklace with the word "fearless" on it. When I stop and think about it I guess maybe I am fearless. I have taken this disease, plunged head first into it, and have taken charge when I can. Obviously, I can't take charge of everything, but I do have some power over how cancer affects me mentally. I have to be fearless because if I'm not that means that cancer will win, and that won't happen. This little necklace will remain around my neck until the last day of treatment as a reminder that someone has the belief in me that I am fearless and as a reminder to myself to stay strong no matter what happens along the way. I love you Melly, and thank you!!

Home Sweet Home again

Surgery went well. I was home by 3:30 this afternoon. Besides the fact that it feels as if I have an arrow sticking out of my side, I feel pretty good. I had a great anesthesiologist who probably gave me a quadruple dose of anti-nausea meds. I woke up feeling good. Not one bit nauseous or dizzy. I am on some pain meds for now. I will write more tomorrow.

Headed to the hospital/update

I just got a call from the surgery department and apparently they made a scheduling error and I should have been there this morning, so...... I am now headed in and will have surgery sooner than we thought.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my baby's birthday. He is now 14 and taller than me. His voice is low and he has to shave once a week. He loves girls and sports! I remember how happy John was when he was born that he was a boy!! His actions as a newborn and young child definitely proved to us what he would be like as a teenager. He cried, he never slept, he was cranky, he was stubborn, he had major temper tantrums,he was difficult. LOL As a teenager he has changed somewhat. He is still stubborn (damn stubborn) but does not have temper tantrums, he is still cranky, but he does sleep. He is still difficult but is the most kind hearted boy!!!! He was my child that would always ask me when I was not feeling well "are you okay mommy" and climb up in my lap to sit with me.
He is the humor in our house and the reason we have gray hair. He was the reason that John started drinking coffee in the mornings. We could not function as we never slept when he was young. He was the one who texted me in the hospital and asked me how I was after surgery last Friday. Happy Birthday Billy! I love you with all my heart!

Ughhhhh!

I just got a call from the surgery department and my outpatient procedure won't be done until the afternoon. I am to arrive at the hospital at 12:30 pm so don't be concerned if there are no updates until later.

Just another day

I am back at work today for a few hours. I got scolded for working (and driving) by my daughter, Natalie, yesterday when she found out. LOL It is nice to know she is concerned. I am feeling really good today, so I am planning on going to Natalie's swim meet tonight. It is the conference relay meet and usually a fun time for the girls. I hardly EVER miss one of my kids sporting events so I am feeling a bit guilty for not being there to cheer her on for the past 2 meets. Enjoy the beatutiful weather for those of you in Wisconsin.

Tommorrow is my outpatient surgery scheduled for around 8:30 a.m. Please send good thoughts that this goes well. I have the utmost confidence in my plastic surgeon. I am hoping this is the last surgery for me for awhile.

Working today!

Hey I am at work today for a few hours this morning. It was kind of weird to get in the car and drive after being holed up in my house for 12 days. I will head home after work and probably take a nap this afternoon. I am making Natalie's homecoming "theme" dress this year as she could not find anything in the store. It is a cute little purple sparkly sequin dress for the "space" theme this year. I have a sample dress made to check the fit and hopefuly I can get the pattern layed out today and maybe cut tonight. I know what you are all thinking??? What the heck??? It is an easy project and will look so cute when it is done. I am up for it, I need to do something, can't be sitting around waiting for my ass to get bigger during all of this recovery. LOL

Books

I love my book club and my book club gals! We always have the best food,wine and good times when we get together.
Below are some of my favorite books that I thought I would share in light of all this heavy conversation today. :)
Loving Frank-(currently reading, so far I really like the writing and the story)
Someone Knows My Name- Lawrence Hill-Historical fiction.
The Stolen Child-Keith Donahue-Fantasy.
The Pillars of the Earth-Keith Follett-Historical fiction
The Sparrow-Mary Doria Russell-Science fiction.
Memoirs of a Geisha-Arthur Golden-historical fiction. All time favorite!
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan-Lisa See-Historical Fiction
The Shadow of the Wind-Carlos Ruiz Zafron-Mystery-Another all time favorite!
The Birth of Venus-Sarh Dunant-Historical fiction.
Water for Elephants-Sara Gruen-story of a circus family
The Space Between Us-Thrity Umriger-Fiction.

Feel free to leave any good book recommendations!!!

No Port/ A little update

My oncologist called me this morning and discussed my case with his senior colleague who felt that due to the minimal lymph node removal (one on one side and two on the other) and only 4 cycles of chemo, that a port was unnecessary for me. He felt that the veins in my arm would be fine to use during this time, so at this point we will not be putting the port in on Friday. If we do decide that we may need onethere is still time to put it in as chemo will not be until the end of October. Sounds logical to me.

Long Day!/Very Long Post

Yesterday was a long day for me as I had three doctor appointments. I missed my nap, darn it! LOL so I was too tired last night to blog.

My first appointment was with John(we are on a first name basis now haha), Dr. Hijjawi, the plastic surgeon. He removed the final drain from one side but not the other. The reason being,,,,,, unfortunately, I have some necrotic(dying) tissue on one side that does not look as if it will live. What that means is he needs to go in and get rid of that dead tissue and connect healthy tissues together. It is a simple 30-minute procedure done in day surgery. It is a fixable problem, a complication that can occur when doing this kind of surgery. We were aware of that going into this. The problem is the tissue is kind of a large area,so this will set back my reconstruction several months because we are basically starting from scratch and expanding my skin from scratch. Not what I had hoped,but hey, it could be worse,right? I am REALLY not looking forward to anesthesia AT ALL, but hoping that because it is so short I won't have the same side effects as I did during initial surgery. I even asked if I could be awake,and he kind of chuckled and said "welllll, if you really want to to, but I think you should be sleeping." This is scheduled for this Friday morning.

My second visit was with the surgeons nurse practitioner. This was just a short follow-up visit, no big deal. She briefly went over the pathology report.

My third visit was with oncology. Dr.Charlson is my oncologist, whom I immediately liked. I also met with a Dr. Hake, who I also really like. We discussed my pathology report and options available to me for chemotherapy treatment.
My tumor turned out to be larger than what was seen on any of the imaging (a good lesson in that imaging does not always show what is really there). I am very fortunate to not have any lymph node involvement, but because of the tumor size, chemotherapy was recommended for me, and looking at the statistics of having chemo versus not having chemo, it really is a no brainer. With chemotherapy and hormone therapy (more on hormone therapy later) my chance of recurrence goes dramatically down.
The good news about the treatment they have recommended to me is that I will only need 4 cycles of drugs. (chemo can be anywhere from 4-8 cycles). Four doesn't sound too bad. I will have chemo 1 time every 3 weeks. The usual regimen includes 3 drugs. For me, one of the drugs has no benefit versus risk, meaning the risk and the benefit wash each other out, it really is not going to make a difference if I have it or not. It was a nasty drug anyway, from what I have read.
The two drugs they are using are Taxotere and Cytoxan, very common chemotherapy breast cancer fighting drugs. Because of this little extra reconstruction on Friday, chemo will not be started until 3-4 weeks after this surgery (end of October). I will also need a port line placed for lab work and chemo administration. That is a permanent line that stays in and is easily accessible for any kind of lab draws or injections. I now have limited access for veins. Because of the bilateral mastectomy and the removal of lymph nodes, they can not use either of my arms for intravenous lines or lab draws. My feet and neck are the only options. We are hoping that that line will be placed during my reconstruction on Friday. One less trip to the OR with anesthesia is the thought.
Whew! Told you it was a long post. I had a ton of information thrown at me yesterday, I was pretty prepared for what I heard (of course I had heard all these drug names and researched chemotherapy before going in). Poor John looked kind of lost in the sea with all the information they were talking about. He did pretty well though, and got the jist of what was going on. LOL It was good to have two sets of ears to hear all this information. When talking later he remembered things that I couldn't and vice versa.

That's it for today, I have a little sewing project I need to work on this morning (I will tell you about that another time) before the Young and the Restless. :)
On a side note, honeycrisp apples are in season right now. They are the best!!!

Thanks to all of you for the meals, cards, gifts, phone calls, emails, texts, rides, voicemails, visits, coffee, etc. I am a little overwhelmed with all of the kindness and generosity right now. Our family really appreciates everything that everyone has done for us. You guys are the best!!!!!

Reconstruction with soft tissue expanders

Good morning!

By the time this is all over you will probably know more about breast cancer and reconstruction than you ever wanted to know! I promise I will not get too graphic for those who are squeamish. LOL

I have had a few questions regarding surgery and the soft tissue expanders and exactly how they work. For me, I had two surgeons the day of surgery. The surgeon removed all the breast tissue except the skin, and the plastic surgeon did the reconstruction. They did this all through a 3-4 inch incision directly across my nipple. I have no other incisions on my breast except this one. The surgeon basically takes out the lymph nodes he is looking at and the breast tissue. His job is then done. The plastic surgeon then does the reconstruction part of the surgery. In my case because I opted for double mastectomy the surgery was long (7 hours).
The whole process of achieving the final implants takes about 5-6 months following surgery. The expanders themselves feel like a rubber Tupperware lid. (They don't hurt but I can tell they are there). I can actually feel the edges of the rubber of the expanders. Upon waking from surgery there is saline in the expander, so you are not completely flat. Mine were already half filled. Every other week or so I will be going to the plastics department and they will then "fill" them with more saline until they are the desired size. After they are filled to the desired size, I then have to wait 12-14 weeks for the skin to retain that memory and then the final silicone implant is put in (simple day surgery).

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Article taken from breastcancer.org

Filled tissue expander

For most women, the skin that remains after mastectomy must be stretched or expanded to make room for an implant. To stretch the skin, the surgeon inserts a balloon-type device called a tissue expander under the chest muscle. The expander has a port (a metal or plastic plug, valve, or coil). The port allows the surgeon to add increasing amounts of liquid over time (about six months), without extra surgery.

Gradually, your skin and soft tissue are stretched to achieve your desired appearance. The tissue is actually stretched a little beyond your desired size, to create a natural droop. If the tissue is stretched too far, it can cause discomfort and occasionally flatten part of your rib cage. Final steps

When stretching is done and your other treatments (chemotherapy, radiation, or both) are completed, the expander is usually replaced with a permanent implant. Breast implants are filled with either saline or silicone gel.

Happy One Week Post Op to Me!

I got a text message from my friend Cathy late last night with the message Happy One Week Post-Op Surgery! I should have been out celebrating but instead I was actually already in my pajamas, in my nest on the couch,trying to keep my eyes open as I was reading a book (Wait! that actually sounds like a typical Friday for me. haha)

For those of you who know me, I do like my cocktails and wine. So have a cocktail (or maybe two for this event) in honor of me. I will be joining you shortly when I am able!

Cheers!

Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping

One of the first questions any breast cancer patient will ask after surgery is "was there any lymph node involvement?" Fortunately, for me there was not. That means in my case that cancer cells were only involved in the breast tissue and did not escape to any other parts of my body through the lymph system.

The day before surgery I went to the Nuclear Medicine department for a sentinel node mapping test. The first thing a surgeon does when he starts surgery is look for the sentinel node (the first node of the chain), takes it out and sends it to pathology to see if the lymph node has cancer cells in it. I had one sentinel node on one side and 2 on the other. In order for the surgeon to find that node a test is done in the Nuclear Medicine department that localizes that node. A radioisotope called technetium 99m sulfur colloid is injected in three different spots in each breast. The description the doctor used was "you may feel a burning sensation." Ok, I can handle that. That did not sound that bad. WRONG! Imagine a red hot poker being stabbed into your breast......yep, that is exactly how it felt, not gonna lie, it hurt like hell. I thought I was going to go through the roof. Once the first injection went in and you knew how it felt, there was the anticipation of how 5 others were going to feel. Fortunately, the pain lasted less than 2 minutes,and the rest of the test was just lying under their machine waiting for the sentinel node to pick up the radioisotope which could be seen on their films. They then X'd the spot with marker so the surgeon knew exactly where it was.

Lymph node involvement and the pathology of your tumor will determine what types of treatment options are available for you. I meet with the oncologist on Monday to go over the details of what is to come next.

Oprah show

I have been doing some TV watching lately and happened to tune in to Oprah this week when she had her show on internet predators and child exploitation. Her show was pretty shocking, and I guess I really did not know how prevalent the issue has become. I was pretty bothered by what was shown and she urged everyone to get involved in the cause. And I did! And you should too!

Please go to her website and support the Protect our Children Act by calling or emailing your state senators. There is a form letter you can copy and paste to your senators in your state. It took me about 10 minutes to fill out the form and submit to 2 senators.

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Hundreds of thousands of children are victims of sexual abuse each year. Due to the sheer lack of resources, law enforcement is unable to follow up on the majority of leads they have.

The PROTECT Our Children Act will:

* Authorize over $320 million over the next five years in desperately needed funding for law enforcement to investigate child exploitation.
* Mandate that child rescue be a top priority for law enforcement receiving federal funding.
* Allocate funds for high-tech computer software that can track down Internet predators.

I am a new woman!

Holy smokes! What a difference a few days make. I am finally feeling like my head is attached to my body. I quit the pain meds and now only take Tylenol a few times a day. The nausea and dizziness are pretty much gone, and I am able to eat. We have been so thankful for all the food coming our way. Cooking really is the last thing I want to have to worry about so the meals are great. Thank you everyone!

I went for my first followup visit with the plastic surgeon. He removed one drain on each side which was no big deal. I felt a little burning at the incision site but nothing else really, just a sense of the drain uncoiling as it came out from inside. Those drains were the biggest pain in the butt as they were pretty close to my arm pit and very annoying, so I went home a happy girl. I see him on Monday again, and he thinks the other drains will come out as well.

My favorite past time has been watching The Young and the Restless which I really haven't seen in about 5 or 6 years since I went back to work full time. LOL

Hope you are all able to enjoy this beautiful weather today!!

Thoughts about surgery and the hospital stay

First let me say that I have not been in a hospital since my son was born almost 14 years ago,and I have never had any major surgery in my life, so I really have nothing to compare surgery or the hospital stay to. The surgery people get an A+ in my book. They were exceptional with their care and making me feel at ease. I opted to have a epidural block during and after surgery to help with pain management. A small thin catheter was placed in my thoracic spine to administer continuous pain medication. Everyone I encountered before surgery was excellent. My after surgery care, or lack thereof, unfortunately gets a D, except for 2 nurses I had during my stay, Barbie and Lauren. Although I was not in ICU or a gunshot victim, I still had major surgery and found it unusual that there were many things I did on my own without an offer to help or with help. Changing my bed was done once, no one ever asked me if I wanted a new gown, or if I would like help with washing my face or brushing my teeth, no one checking on me in 4 hours. Not that I needed help or wanted help, but I would think help should have been offered. According to my niece, Melly, who is a nurse on the birthing unit, these things are pretty basic 101 nursing skills. I had virtually had no sleep in the hospital and was exhausted by time I got home.

The first actual thing I remembered in the recovery room was my plastic surgeon telling me the lymph nodes were negative! News to my ears! The whole waking up from surgery thing is not a picnic, let me tell you. I was seeing double and triple of everything for quite awhile. I do remember my family coming in to see me when I got to my room, but couldn't quite tell you what I said to them!! (maybe I don't want to know!) My brother-in-law, Rick,and his wife,Debbie,and my mother-in-law,Ruth, surprised John by showing up and staying with him during surgery. Rick and Debbie even had pink shirts on! My niece Melissa also came by for a quick visit after working her shift that day at the hospital.

My biggest hurdle is over, surgery. I meet with oncology next week to discuss further treatment options and more decisions to make.


I honestly was not nervous going into surgery, one of the nurses even made a comment to me about that. I had no expectations as to what to expect. That is probably why I seemed so calm. Was it a breeze? Nope, I can't say it was, but it's over and now I am moving forward.

Good bye Hotel Froedert!

Recovery update

Well today I am feeling like my head is finally attached to my body. I stopped taking the pain meds as of 3 am and really am experiencing no pain except under my arms where the drains are(they are more an an annoyance than anything). I finally called the hospital for some anti-nasuea medication and that seems to help. I was able to eat some breakfast and some lunch (probably the most I have eaten since being home). I am going to venture out and sit in the sun in a few minutes. tomorrow is my first followup visit with the plastic surgeon.

Home Sweet Home

Last night I slept better than I have in a long time. I have my little spot on my recliner couch that I am camped out in. I feel better sleeping somewhat upright so this is my new home for awhile. Right now I am fighting nausea and dizziness, we think from the meds I am on, so John is getting a prescription right now for some anti-nausea drugs. I have not really been eating either so that does not help. This is my biggest complaint right now. My pain is very minimal. I am hoping tomorrow I will feel better to write more. Night all.

Home from the Hotel Froedert

I'm back! I was discharged home at 6:30 PM tonight. I am soooooo glad to be home. I am looking forward to some sleep tonight. More details tommorrow. I have lots to say. Just wanted to check in and let everyone know I am home and doing well.
Thanks for your support and prayers. Love you all!!!

My Amazing Friend

I went to visit Gail this afternoon with our friends Mary Jo and Kim. We all agreed that Gail is absolutely amazing. After all she's been through, she was upbeat and joking today. She looks wonderful, although she describes her face as "puffy". Her night was not restful - too many noises within the hospital corridor. Prior to our arrival, she had attempted to get up with assistance and almost passed out. She was dizzy trying to sit in a chair, but was able to sit on the end of the bed for a short period of time. As she relayed this information to us, we just smiled and reminded her that it had been less than 24 hours since the completion of her surgery. She is on a continuous epidural drip for pain and she described her pain level as tolerable and feeling as if she had lifted too many weights. She has eaten very little but attempted to eat something while we there. Had I not seen her with my own eyes I would still be wondering and worrying about her. But it is at this point that I can honestly tell myself that my amazing friend will beat this. I have no doubt in my mind that she is a survivor and a fighter and that she will be around for many years to come to share her laughter with those of us who know her and love her dearly!

Surgery Day!!

Well, I heard from John about an hour ago. What he told me was short and sweet - and it was definitely SWEET news! Gail was done with the initial phase of surgery, (which went well), around 1:30 this afternoon and the lymph nodes tested negative. She was still in the reconstructive phase of her surgery at the time we talked but I will keep everyone updated when I hear more. I know anyone reading this will be as relieved as I am to have Gail through this part of her journey:)

Night before surgery

I am headed to my daughter's swim meet shortly, so this will be my last post until I am feeling up to blogging again. My friend Cathy will be updating the blog over the weekend to keep everyone informed as to how I am feeling. I will be arriving at the hospital at 7 am, surgery is scheduled for 8:30 am. Surgery is expected to take approximately 8 hours. My bag is packed, my bras are in the garbage and I am ready to go! :)

Very Sexy Push Up Bras

Ok, I found this email in my mailbox this morning! No kidding. Somehow I got on the Victorias Secret mailing list and I periodically get emails from them. I had to laugh because my bras are actually sitting on my bedroom floor right now. They are going in the garbage before the day is over. I will not be the same size that I was (thank god!) and I have no use for them. Maybe Victorias Secret will be one of my shopping destinations now as I never could wear anything they had to offer! This might be a good thing! ;)

9/11

There are other important things going on in the world besides my cancer story so I just wanted to post on 9/11 briefly. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on that day? I remember it quite clearly. John and I were in the kitchen getting ready to go to work, the kids were getting dressed for school. Our kitchen TV was on. John made some remark after seeing the first plane crash into the building. I then stopped what I was doing and glanced at the TV. It was shortly after that that we realized something was going on. The kids heard us talking in the kitchen and came and watched also. We watched in horror at the event taking place before us! It is hard to believe it has been 7 years since that happened.

Things you may or may not know about me

~I am not a morning person.
~I love the smell of coffee in the morning.
~I hate unloading the dishwasher.
~I never leave my house without makeup or my hair being done.
~I think my daughter is beautiful.
~I love raspberries.
~I would love to be a volunteer at the Humane Society.
~Drowning scares me.
~I was on the synchronized swim team in high school and in the Charm and Modeling Club.
~I think my house is too big.
~I am very low maintenance.
~I am a very emotional person.
~If I could live anywhere it would be on a lake.
~I think my son is one of the funniest people I know.
~I love to sleep.
~I can not tolerate people who are fake or think they are better than me.
~I love the smell of gasoline and fresh cut grass.
~I love a sunset.
~My favorite coffee is Caribous coffee with steamed milk and a shot of hazelnut syrup.
~I love to surf the internet and look at vacation destinations.
~I love the ocean.
~The thought of losing my hair scares me more than surgery or having cancer.
~I love to drive in my car with the music REALLY loud.
~I need my space.
~I have known my husband for more than half my life.
~I love Mexican food.

Why Me?

I actually do not dwell on why this has happened to me, I believe that would be unhealthy, but I have asked myself the question when I was first diagnosed. I do believe that women are predisposed to breast cancer (family history, birth control pills, breast feeding, etc). I also think that the foods we eat and the pesticides and chemicals we ingest have a huge effect on more cases of breast cancer than ever. I also think breast cancer is a crapshoot. Honestly, 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer. Your chances of getting cancer are pretty high. So why did this happen to me? I ask "why does it happen to any woman?" I am no different than anyone else.

Since my diagnosis

I can't begin to tell you the people who have contacted me and supported me in the last 2 months. I have gotten emails from strangers who have shared their stories with me, given me advice and offered support. I have received phone calls from women who have had recent surgery by my surgeon and plastic surgeon and told me their stories. I have rekindled friendships and found new friends (it is a hell of a way to make new friends, let me tell you). I have gone out to lunch and dinner more times in the past 2 months than I have in a year (no kidding, everyone wants to do lunch/dinner and cocktails. How can I say no to that!!) and I can honestly say with some of my friends, we have laughed and kept laughing about this crazy cancer world I am entering. Different family and friends have supported me in different ways, some with advice, some with humor, some with a slap in the face or a kick in the butt , some with nothing more than being there in that particular moment. Thank you to everyone who has shown me love and support thus far! Your love, support, friendship and prayers will help me get through this. A special thank you my dear friend, Cathy, who has listened to every detail of my story and has always been there for me since the day I went in for my mammogram.
I am not one to sugar coat anything. I pretty much say what is on my mind. With that being said "I will be a survivor." I have no doubt that I will get through whatever is thrown in my path and will leave breast cancer in the dust."
I have created this blog to keep my family and friends updated during my treatment and also for my own mental sanity. I have learned so much from reading other breast cancer survivors blogs that I hope I can reach out to someone in return.

Double Whammy! My Story

On July 23,2008, I heard the four words that every woman fears "you have breast cancer."

I had prepared myself in advance as I had this gut feeling that I had cancer.
I honestly knew I had cancer before I had been told. Because of my past medical background (x-ray technician, mammography technician, CT technician) and the internet researcher that I am I knew. What I wasn't prepared for was additional news about my breast biopsies. Not only did I have invasive carcinoma in one breast but had carcinoma in situ in the other breast. After hanging up the phone at work and throwing something against the wall, I sat down and said to myself "Wow, I am dealing with cancer in both my breasts." I knew immediately what I wanted to do and have never wavered from that decision ! (but first I needed to do some research). I can live without my breasts, but I will not live with cancer and the fear of it returning at some later date. I wanted a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.
I received several surgeons names from my doctor as to who to see and she up front told me who she would go see if it were her. Ok, good place to start. Call and make an appointment with him. I then went to the Susan Komen website message boards hoping to find someone in the area who I could connect with. I found a woman in town and emailed her asking who her surgeon was and her surgeon was the doctor I had just made an appointment with. She highly recommended him. I then needed to do some research on reconstruction options and found that a fairly new reconstrucion option is available in the Milwaukee area at Froedert Hospital. DIEP flap reconstruction- taking the fat from your abdomen and basically putting it in after your old, crappy breast tissue has been removed. I wanted to see this doctor and see if that was an option for me. Within 2 weeks I had met with a surgeon and plastic surgeon and had all my options. I did not even feel the need to go for a second opinion. I felt very confident that this was the right surgical team for me. Unfortunately I was not a candidate for the DIEP flap (my plastic surgeon very politely told me I did not have enough fat. (gotta love that man!) On to option B-soft tissue expanders with implants in 4 months. It was either that or go breast free (NOT!)
My surgery is Friday September 12, 2008, at 8:30 AM. We will await the final pathology report after surgery and go on from there. I am fairly certain that I will need chemotherapy, not sure about radiation therapy. When you are first diagnosed with cancer life becomes a bit overwhelming, but after sorting through options and details and once a plan is in place, you then begin to feel in control again. I am now in a holding pattern counting down the days until surgery, wishing it was already over at this point. Waiting is the worst. Waiting for appointments, waiting for results, waiting for surgery, waiting for answers. More to come........