I am so excited to tell you that I am finally finished with surgeries!!
I had my appointment with Dr. Semple yesterday and he is ecstatic with my results...more importantly, I am very happy with the results!! He removed my bandages and I am healing really well! The incision looks good with no infection and I can now shower!! Yay!! I am unable to shower during the recovery....don't worry, I'm not stinky gross! LOL I do sponge bath everyday but let me tell you, I am so looking forward to standing in a nice hot shower!!
Since Christmas is almost here, I took my special team a little something to show how much I appreciate them. If you remember my first post after surgery I mentioned that Dr. Semple missed his Christmas tea to do my surgery. I got him a box pack of tea and some yummy chocolates. He got quite the chuckle out of that gift! I told him I owed him some tea!! LOL Nurse Helen wasn't there yesterday so I left my gift for her with the secretary (Leslie). It's all just a little something to show them how much I appreciate the care that they have given me.
I will see Dr. Semple in 6 months and I have to contact Leslie after the holidays to make an appointment for a referral to the tattooing doctor! Next up....nipples!!
I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year! Please stay positive, stay strong and continue to pray for all those faced with this terrible disease. As well, please pray for all those who may struggle this Christmas.
Love and warm wishes from the Bowen Family!! xo
Wednesday, 23 December 2015
Friday, 18 December 2015
Post Surgery!!
It's been a rough couple of days! I've had a lot of pain and discomfort since surgery but I am starting to feel better.
We arrived for my surgery at 9:30am on Tuesday morning, registered and changed into my lovely hospital attire and then sat and waited for almost 2.5 hours before getting called in with the nurse. Dr. Semple saw me first and marked me up for surgery. An announcement came on while he was doing his marking, reminding all staff that there was a Christmas Tea starting at noon. He asked if I wanted to go to the tea before surgery...a joke of course because I wasn't allowed to eat anything since midnight the night before...a cruel joke at that! LOL After meeting with Dr. Semple, I met with the anesthesiologist and my nurse. My anesthesiologist made the joke that my chart was quite large and that I should take up residence at the hospital! I chuckled and said that this would be my final surgery and I would gladly leave my room open for someone else. After meeting my team, I sat for another 1/2 hour before being taken into the surgery room.
It doesn't matter how many times you go in for surgery, you seem to always be a basket of nerves...or at least I am! They laid me on the surgery table and prepared me for the most wonderful sleep...that's about all I look forward to...the sleep is the best sleep EVER!! Before being totally knocked out I made a few jokes about waking up rich and with Dolly Parton Boobies...the entire team laughed and were amazed by my ability to joke while being poked and prepped...my way of calming myself. But like always, I had Dr. Semple hold my hand until the anesthesiologist had my IV in and the drugs started to drip...in fact, I fell asleep holding his hand. He's my hero!
Two and a half hours later I was taken into the recovery room and remembered why I was so nervous before surgery...because I knew what the pain was going to be like. My abdomen burned, my chest ached and my body felt like it was hit by a Mac truck. They gave me several shots of morphine to help manage the pain. After about an hour, they took me to the second recovery room where Jason was able to come in and see me. It's always nice to wake up and see his handsome face and listen to his wise cracks! He told my best friend Cara that I would be up doing the jig in no time!! He praised me for being the trooper that I am and just tried to take my mind off the pain.
Dr. Semple came in to see me and said that the surgery went very well! He said that they sat me up during surgery to make sure that everything was level and in proportion. Both of us cracked a few jokes about going for Christmas Tea...but I was quite content with the good drugs he was giving me. I'm blessed to have such a great doctor! Dr. Semple is so caring and makes me feel like he views me as one of his family. He is always concerned, always holds my hand and pats my head...all things that shows he cares.
So far, from what I can see, I am happy with the results. I am still quite swollen, bruised up and bandaged up so it's hard to see too much. I see Dr. Semple on Tuesday to remove the bandages and see how well I am healing.
Be positive, be strong and continue to pray for all those suffering with this terrible disease. May their journey be a road of reflection, healing and blessings.
We arrived for my surgery at 9:30am on Tuesday morning, registered and changed into my lovely hospital attire and then sat and waited for almost 2.5 hours before getting called in with the nurse. Dr. Semple saw me first and marked me up for surgery. An announcement came on while he was doing his marking, reminding all staff that there was a Christmas Tea starting at noon. He asked if I wanted to go to the tea before surgery...a joke of course because I wasn't allowed to eat anything since midnight the night before...a cruel joke at that! LOL After meeting with Dr. Semple, I met with the anesthesiologist and my nurse. My anesthesiologist made the joke that my chart was quite large and that I should take up residence at the hospital! I chuckled and said that this would be my final surgery and I would gladly leave my room open for someone else. After meeting my team, I sat for another 1/2 hour before being taken into the surgery room.
It doesn't matter how many times you go in for surgery, you seem to always be a basket of nerves...or at least I am! They laid me on the surgery table and prepared me for the most wonderful sleep...that's about all I look forward to...the sleep is the best sleep EVER!! Before being totally knocked out I made a few jokes about waking up rich and with Dolly Parton Boobies...the entire team laughed and were amazed by my ability to joke while being poked and prepped...my way of calming myself. But like always, I had Dr. Semple hold my hand until the anesthesiologist had my IV in and the drugs started to drip...in fact, I fell asleep holding his hand. He's my hero!
Two and a half hours later I was taken into the recovery room and remembered why I was so nervous before surgery...because I knew what the pain was going to be like. My abdomen burned, my chest ached and my body felt like it was hit by a Mac truck. They gave me several shots of morphine to help manage the pain. After about an hour, they took me to the second recovery room where Jason was able to come in and see me. It's always nice to wake up and see his handsome face and listen to his wise cracks! He told my best friend Cara that I would be up doing the jig in no time!! He praised me for being the trooper that I am and just tried to take my mind off the pain.
Dr. Semple came in to see me and said that the surgery went very well! He said that they sat me up during surgery to make sure that everything was level and in proportion. Both of us cracked a few jokes about going for Christmas Tea...but I was quite content with the good drugs he was giving me. I'm blessed to have such a great doctor! Dr. Semple is so caring and makes me feel like he views me as one of his family. He is always concerned, always holds my hand and pats my head...all things that shows he cares.
So far, from what I can see, I am happy with the results. I am still quite swollen, bruised up and bandaged up so it's hard to see too much. I see Dr. Semple on Tuesday to remove the bandages and see how well I am healing.
Be positive, be strong and continue to pray for all those suffering with this terrible disease. May their journey be a road of reflection, healing and blessings.
Sunday, 29 November 2015
...Another Surgery For Me!
****WARNING PICTURES****
Wow!! I can't believe I haven't posted anything since April! So much has happened since then!
We sold our house and moved into our rental property...which pretty much took up our whole summer! We moved to Georgetown in August and the boys started at their new school. They took a little bit to adjust to the new house and new school but they seem to be doing really well now. They are making lots of new friends and have joined indoor soccer. We are going to be moving again in March 2016. We are having a new home built and it will be finished the beginning of March. We are all very excited to get into the new house!
As most of you know, I had my "final" surgery in April. This surgery was to replace my expanders with the implants. If you recall, I wasn't overly happy with my radiated side. I felt that it was lower than my left side and just overall, an odd shape.
I finally met with Dr. Semple on October 28 (six months after my surgery). I first met with one of the residents and she had a look at my implants. I was happy that she agreed with me regarding the results. She echoed my concerns and said that she felt they could fix it but that Dr. Semple would have to check them over and give his opinion. When Dr. Semple came in he agreed that my radiated breast was a different shape than my left, a lot lower than my left and appeared to be a bit bigger. After much discussion and consultation with other residents, we decided to do another surgery.
Dr. Semple said that he felt I would be really happy with what he plans to do. He said that "if it was a matter of tweeking" he wouldn't touch it but he felt that I would see at least a 20% difference if not more. He scheduled my surgery for December 15. During this surgery he is planning to do another fat transfer, release some skin in the breast area, exchange the implant for a different size and shape, and put in some internal stitches to help hold the implant in place. Sounds like a lot but it is what he needs to do to make this surgery a success. The surgery will take approximately 2.5 hours.
Below are recent photos of my results and you can see that the radiated implant is much lower than the left side and that it appears to be bigger as well. I am just grateful that Dr. Semple and I are on the same page!
Be positive, be strong and have faith!
Wow!! I can't believe I haven't posted anything since April! So much has happened since then!
We sold our house and moved into our rental property...which pretty much took up our whole summer! We moved to Georgetown in August and the boys started at their new school. They took a little bit to adjust to the new house and new school but they seem to be doing really well now. They are making lots of new friends and have joined indoor soccer. We are going to be moving again in March 2016. We are having a new home built and it will be finished the beginning of March. We are all very excited to get into the new house!
As most of you know, I had my "final" surgery in April. This surgery was to replace my expanders with the implants. If you recall, I wasn't overly happy with my radiated side. I felt that it was lower than my left side and just overall, an odd shape.
I finally met with Dr. Semple on October 28 (six months after my surgery). I first met with one of the residents and she had a look at my implants. I was happy that she agreed with me regarding the results. She echoed my concerns and said that she felt they could fix it but that Dr. Semple would have to check them over and give his opinion. When Dr. Semple came in he agreed that my radiated breast was a different shape than my left, a lot lower than my left and appeared to be a bit bigger. After much discussion and consultation with other residents, we decided to do another surgery.
Dr. Semple said that he felt I would be really happy with what he plans to do. He said that "if it was a matter of tweeking" he wouldn't touch it but he felt that I would see at least a 20% difference if not more. He scheduled my surgery for December 15. During this surgery he is planning to do another fat transfer, release some skin in the breast area, exchange the implant for a different size and shape, and put in some internal stitches to help hold the implant in place. Sounds like a lot but it is what he needs to do to make this surgery a success. The surgery will take approximately 2.5 hours.
Below are recent photos of my results and you can see that the radiated implant is much lower than the left side and that it appears to be bigger as well. I am just grateful that Dr. Semple and I are on the same page!
Be positive, be strong and have faith!
Monday, 13 April 2015
Every Day Is Better!
It's been a few days and I figured enough time has passed for me to give a second opinion on my results.
A couple of things....first, I am noticing a little difference when the swelling subsides and feel that I could get used to what I have. Second, my radiated side is the side that I am most concerned about. My implant appears to be, for lack of a better word, a lump on my chest. I feel that there is minimal contour shape and that it appears to be sitting low. Which leads me to my next concern...I am not sure if you all remember in the beginning of my reconstruction process, I mentioned that the surgeon may have to use Alloderm (donated skin) to make a "hammock" to hold the implant. When I had my surgery in August to put in the expanders, Dr. Semple felt that my skin and muscle were both in great condition and could accommodate the expander/implant without using the Alloderm. At the time, I was relieved that I wouldn't need it because the recovery time is a lot longer and there might be a possibility of rejection. Now that the implant is in, it appears to be lower than the left side and I am hoping that this is not a result of not using the Alloderm. Just something else to think about.
I've had a rough week. I seem to be getting back to myself, which sometimes I think is a curse because everyone expects too much from you when they see you are doing so well. Jason admitted that last night. He forgets that I had surgery less than a week ago because I am able to do things for myself. He's such a great guy...cute, funny and is always trying to make me laugh. Back to my week...I know this is too much information but I have been severely constipated all week from the drugs. I have been taking Colace, Restoralax, Prune Juice, drinking loads of water and even tried a quick walk around the block with Jason and had no relief. Finally, on Saturday night before bed, I took Senokot and got relief yesterday. Now today, I am feeling bloated and constipated again...ugh, narcotics and surgery just take a terrible toll on your body...but unfortunately, they go hand in hand! From now on, I will make sure that I start Colace at least two days before surgery. This has been the worst experience with this, so far.
My in laws are here once again, to help me with the kids and meals. I honestly don't know what I would do without them. They have always, without hesitation, planned to come for all of my surgeries and treatments. They spent two weeks with me after my initial surgery (until we all had to fly home for Mom's funeral), they spent a month with us during my final treatments, they spent a month with us after my expander surgery and now they are here for another three weeks. I know they are retired (my mother in law is just newly retired) but to take the time out of their lives to help me out, really shows their awesome character. They have been a part of my life for over 25 years and I call them Mom and Dad....because that's what they are to me....like my second set of parents! Can't imagine doing any of this without their love, support and encouragement!
Next entry, I will post pictures. I just need to be comfortable with my new tatas before showing people. ;)
Be positive, be strong and continue to pray!
A couple of things....first, I am noticing a little difference when the swelling subsides and feel that I could get used to what I have. Second, my radiated side is the side that I am most concerned about. My implant appears to be, for lack of a better word, a lump on my chest. I feel that there is minimal contour shape and that it appears to be sitting low. Which leads me to my next concern...I am not sure if you all remember in the beginning of my reconstruction process, I mentioned that the surgeon may have to use Alloderm (donated skin) to make a "hammock" to hold the implant. When I had my surgery in August to put in the expanders, Dr. Semple felt that my skin and muscle were both in great condition and could accommodate the expander/implant without using the Alloderm. At the time, I was relieved that I wouldn't need it because the recovery time is a lot longer and there might be a possibility of rejection. Now that the implant is in, it appears to be lower than the left side and I am hoping that this is not a result of not using the Alloderm. Just something else to think about.
I've had a rough week. I seem to be getting back to myself, which sometimes I think is a curse because everyone expects too much from you when they see you are doing so well. Jason admitted that last night. He forgets that I had surgery less than a week ago because I am able to do things for myself. He's such a great guy...cute, funny and is always trying to make me laugh. Back to my week...I know this is too much information but I have been severely constipated all week from the drugs. I have been taking Colace, Restoralax, Prune Juice, drinking loads of water and even tried a quick walk around the block with Jason and had no relief. Finally, on Saturday night before bed, I took Senokot and got relief yesterday. Now today, I am feeling bloated and constipated again...ugh, narcotics and surgery just take a terrible toll on your body...but unfortunately, they go hand in hand! From now on, I will make sure that I start Colace at least two days before surgery. This has been the worst experience with this, so far.
My in laws are here once again, to help me with the kids and meals. I honestly don't know what I would do without them. They have always, without hesitation, planned to come for all of my surgeries and treatments. They spent two weeks with me after my initial surgery (until we all had to fly home for Mom's funeral), they spent a month with us during my final treatments, they spent a month with us after my expander surgery and now they are here for another three weeks. I know they are retired (my mother in law is just newly retired) but to take the time out of their lives to help me out, really shows their awesome character. They have been a part of my life for over 25 years and I call them Mom and Dad....because that's what they are to me....like my second set of parents! Can't imagine doing any of this without their love, support and encouragement!
Next entry, I will post pictures. I just need to be comfortable with my new tatas before showing people. ;)
Be positive, be strong and continue to pray!
Friday, 10 April 2015
The Day I've Been Waiting For!
Well, April 7th has come and gone and I was the first on the surgery docket!
We had to be at the hospital for 6:30am for registration. So, Jason and I were up early and on the road by 5:15am. We were anticipating traffic and closures due to construction. Downtown Toronto is a nightmare with closures all over the place and with so many one way streets, we figured we would likely get lost if we ran into any areas that we don't normally travel. We arrived at the hospital around 5:55am and had to wait 5 minutes for the parking garage doors to open. Jason didn't fall asleep on me this time so we chatted about our recent trip to Cuba. We were obviously trying to take our minds off the surgery! Which wasn't working...at least it wasn't for me. I was a nervous wreck!!
We went to the 8th floor and registered. I was taken in to be accessed and prepped for surgery. At that point, I had to say goodbye to Jason and leave him to go back to the truck to get some sleep and wait for the nurse to call him when I was in the recovery room. Dr. Semple met me after I changed into my gown and got my dose of Tylenol. He took me back to the "mark up" room and had three interns with him. He discussed my case with them and asked me if I had any questions. I told him that I just wanted to make sure I got my stripper boobs and he laughed....I was serious!! Anyway, he marked me up with cleavage, areas where he would do some skin release and where he wanted my breasts to fall. After seeing him, my nerves seemed to disappear until the anesthesiologist came in to discuss what she would be doing. Once I was taken into the surgery room, I was introduced to my team...Cecilia, Andrea, Dr. Trap, Dr. Armstrong and two others (I didn't catch their names). The Anesthesiologist took my hand and quickly found my vein. Dr. Semple quickly took my other hand and held it tight while rubbing my arm and forehead, to calm me down. He spoke in such a soft, relaxing tone which helped a lot. All I remember him saying was "here comes your Pina Colada!" I have to say...that is the best sleep EVER!!!
I was so worried about the final results of the surgery...all I could think about was "would I be happy with the final results?" I felt like I had so many questions to ask and no time to find the answers. I knew that I was happy with the size of my expanders but what if my implants were totally different from them. I knew that they would be different to some degree but I didn't really know how I would look. The doctors have always told me to have realistic expectations and I have tried to keep an open mind and realistic view of my progress. I thought I was doing well with that part of the process therefore, when I had my surgery, I figured they would look like my expanders...or close to it.
I am now three days post op and I am finding it difficult to "like" my implants. It may sound selfish to a lot of you but until you walk a day in my shoes, you truly can't know the disappointing feeling of looking down and seeing something that you weren't expecting. I know that I am swollen, I know that I have some bandages, I know that I am only three days out, and I know that they will need to settle but what I see is nothing near what my expanders were. This makes it really hard for me to keep that realistic outlook. I know I should be happy that I have wonderful doctors that were able to give me "the appearance" of a female body but I am a bit disappointed in the results. I shouldn't be really thinking this way because so many factors have to determine what the final product will look like. I just feel like my breasts were taken from me due to cancer, then I slowly got them back again and felt comfortable in my own skin and now they are "changed" again. I don't mean for this to be a downer blog but I always said I would write my true feelings and this is how I am feeling now. Not to say that next week I will be fully estatic with my implants, but at this moment, I am not overly happy with them. I know that Dr. Semple would be very disappointed to hear me say that because we had such a great relationship and I was always so open as to what I wanted. In fact, this is no reflection on Dr. Semples work or team. It is solely my own feelings...and like I said, I may have a totally different view when the swelling has gone down, bandages are off and I get rid of some of the surgery bloat.
I will continue to update over the next few days. I believe I told you all before that I have volunteered to be part of a study so I was sent home with a smart phone and asked to complete a survey daily and take pictures of my incisions. Once I do that, I sync my phone with the hospital server and Dr. Semple has all my information on his computer immediately. It's quite a technological advancement! Crazy...in a way! So, I will not have a follow up with Dr. Semple until the end of April, unless he sees something he isn't happy with.
Be positive, be strong and continue to pray!
We had to be at the hospital for 6:30am for registration. So, Jason and I were up early and on the road by 5:15am. We were anticipating traffic and closures due to construction. Downtown Toronto is a nightmare with closures all over the place and with so many one way streets, we figured we would likely get lost if we ran into any areas that we don't normally travel. We arrived at the hospital around 5:55am and had to wait 5 minutes for the parking garage doors to open. Jason didn't fall asleep on me this time so we chatted about our recent trip to Cuba. We were obviously trying to take our minds off the surgery! Which wasn't working...at least it wasn't for me. I was a nervous wreck!!
We went to the 8th floor and registered. I was taken in to be accessed and prepped for surgery. At that point, I had to say goodbye to Jason and leave him to go back to the truck to get some sleep and wait for the nurse to call him when I was in the recovery room. Dr. Semple met me after I changed into my gown and got my dose of Tylenol. He took me back to the "mark up" room and had three interns with him. He discussed my case with them and asked me if I had any questions. I told him that I just wanted to make sure I got my stripper boobs and he laughed....I was serious!! Anyway, he marked me up with cleavage, areas where he would do some skin release and where he wanted my breasts to fall. After seeing him, my nerves seemed to disappear until the anesthesiologist came in to discuss what she would be doing. Once I was taken into the surgery room, I was introduced to my team...Cecilia, Andrea, Dr. Trap, Dr. Armstrong and two others (I didn't catch their names). The Anesthesiologist took my hand and quickly found my vein. Dr. Semple quickly took my other hand and held it tight while rubbing my arm and forehead, to calm me down. He spoke in such a soft, relaxing tone which helped a lot. All I remember him saying was "here comes your Pina Colada!" I have to say...that is the best sleep EVER!!!
I was so worried about the final results of the surgery...all I could think about was "would I be happy with the final results?" I felt like I had so many questions to ask and no time to find the answers. I knew that I was happy with the size of my expanders but what if my implants were totally different from them. I knew that they would be different to some degree but I didn't really know how I would look. The doctors have always told me to have realistic expectations and I have tried to keep an open mind and realistic view of my progress. I thought I was doing well with that part of the process therefore, when I had my surgery, I figured they would look like my expanders...or close to it.
I am now three days post op and I am finding it difficult to "like" my implants. It may sound selfish to a lot of you but until you walk a day in my shoes, you truly can't know the disappointing feeling of looking down and seeing something that you weren't expecting. I know that I am swollen, I know that I have some bandages, I know that I am only three days out, and I know that they will need to settle but what I see is nothing near what my expanders were. This makes it really hard for me to keep that realistic outlook. I know I should be happy that I have wonderful doctors that were able to give me "the appearance" of a female body but I am a bit disappointed in the results. I shouldn't be really thinking this way because so many factors have to determine what the final product will look like. I just feel like my breasts were taken from me due to cancer, then I slowly got them back again and felt comfortable in my own skin and now they are "changed" again. I don't mean for this to be a downer blog but I always said I would write my true feelings and this is how I am feeling now. Not to say that next week I will be fully estatic with my implants, but at this moment, I am not overly happy with them. I know that Dr. Semple would be very disappointed to hear me say that because we had such a great relationship and I was always so open as to what I wanted. In fact, this is no reflection on Dr. Semples work or team. It is solely my own feelings...and like I said, I may have a totally different view when the swelling has gone down, bandages are off and I get rid of some of the surgery bloat.
I will continue to update over the next few days. I believe I told you all before that I have volunteered to be part of a study so I was sent home with a smart phone and asked to complete a survey daily and take pictures of my incisions. Once I do that, I sync my phone with the hospital server and Dr. Semple has all my information on his computer immediately. It's quite a technological advancement! Crazy...in a way! So, I will not have a follow up with Dr. Semple until the end of April, unless he sees something he isn't happy with.
Be positive, be strong and continue to pray!
Thursday, 19 February 2015
The Final Fill!!
***WARNING PICTURES***
It's the final countdown...dun, na, na, na!!
Yesterday I had my special chariot waiting for me at my front door! Miss Vera picked me up for my appointment with Dr. Semple. We had a lovely adventure downtown! Thank you Miss Vera...love you to bits!! This journey is coming to an end and I can certainly see the light! It's shining bright and full of wonderful things!
We arrived for my 12:45pm appointment a little early but it took a bit of time to register. The hospital just put in a new computer system and they needed to ask me my life story! It's a long story...full of ups and downs! ;) Miss Vera and I had a little bit of time to sit and chat, which was nice. Then I was called in for my appointment. I knew going into this one, that it might be my last but I never prepared myself for how I would feel when I was told that.
Dr. Semple came in to see me with his team. Dr. Coyte, his intern and Dr. Katie, his research assistant. Dr. Semple is an amazing doctor who is constantly trying to make health care easier for patients. He is always lending his experience and advice to research projects and he asked me to be part of this next study, which I immediately obliged!! Anything to help someone else going through this journey!! Dr. Katie would explain the study to me and have me sign a consent form. But before we get to that, you need to know about my appointment with Dr. Semple!
He had a look at my chest and told me that everything looks awesome! He answered all of my questions...would I have cleavage? My breast bone or Sternum is quite wide so it will be hard to get a lot of cleavage but with a good bra, I will be able to get a little. Also, when I have my surgery, Dr. Semple will release some of the skin around my Sternum which will possibly add some contouring. Nipple reconstruction...will I do it during this surgery or wait? Well, he doesn't recommend me having nipple reconstruction because patients who went through radiation, they typically have complications on the radiated side when nipple reconstruction is attempted. So, I opt not to do this procedure. Dr. Semple is going to send me to "the best" tattoo artist who will tattoo a 3D nipple on each breast. I teased with him that I didn't want to be sent down some back ally for this...he kept the joke going for a bit! Such a funny guy! What about the blood vessels on my radiated breast...can we get rid of them? I can see someone that will do laser on the area but once again, because of the radiation damage, the laser might damage my skin more so he suggestions that I don't get that done. He did say that over time, the benefits from the fat transfer could eliminate some of the blood vessels. How do the implants compare in size to the expanders? Well, typically they are very similar and can be a bit bigger or smaller. He will order three different sizes of implants and during surgery, will test the implants to see which one will give me the most natural results. Typically, he tends to go bigger, if he can. Recovery time?....two to three weeks. Surgery timing....a month after last fill.
Once I was finished chatting with Dr. Semple and he approved me for one last fill, Helen came in to check me over. She decided that she was going to fill both sides. She was able to get 50cc's in both sides but both sides "burped" fluid out when she removed the needle. Therefore, it has been decided that yesterday was my last fill!! I have a total of 465cc's on the right (radiated) side and 505cc's on the left side. I can't even begin to tell you how overwhelmed I felt when they said I was finished. I actually teared up!! I am going to miss my team! They have been so supportive, compassionate, and understanding during this entire process. They have made me feel like I am a patient and not a number....no, that I am a friend and not a patient....know what I mean?
So, my surgery is scheduled for April 7th. They will do the exchange and I will be sent home the same day, as usual.
As for the study, Dr. Katie explained to me that it is a new patient study that will require the patient to take home a smart phone after surgery and will have direct contact with Dr. Semple. On a daily basis, for the first two weeks after surgery, you will send Dr. Semple updates on how you are feeling, what medications you have taken, pain levels, etc. as well as send him pictures of your incision sites. After the two weeks, you will update Dr. Semple once a week for two weeks. They are hoping to alleviate wait times for follow up appointments as well as save the patient time and money. I am excited to take part in this study and to hopefully help Dr. Semple prove that patients heal faster at home!!
Today I am in quite a bit of pain from the fill. Thank goodness it's my last one. I actually had to take some Oxycodin last night and this morning. I think this has been the worst one so far. I can definitely tell that my skin and body would not allow for another fill.
Stay positive, stay strong and continue to pray!!
It's the final countdown...dun, na, na, na!!
Yesterday I had my special chariot waiting for me at my front door! Miss Vera picked me up for my appointment with Dr. Semple. We had a lovely adventure downtown! Thank you Miss Vera...love you to bits!! This journey is coming to an end and I can certainly see the light! It's shining bright and full of wonderful things!
We arrived for my 12:45pm appointment a little early but it took a bit of time to register. The hospital just put in a new computer system and they needed to ask me my life story! It's a long story...full of ups and downs! ;) Miss Vera and I had a little bit of time to sit and chat, which was nice. Then I was called in for my appointment. I knew going into this one, that it might be my last but I never prepared myself for how I would feel when I was told that.
Dr. Semple came in to see me with his team. Dr. Coyte, his intern and Dr. Katie, his research assistant. Dr. Semple is an amazing doctor who is constantly trying to make health care easier for patients. He is always lending his experience and advice to research projects and he asked me to be part of this next study, which I immediately obliged!! Anything to help someone else going through this journey!! Dr. Katie would explain the study to me and have me sign a consent form. But before we get to that, you need to know about my appointment with Dr. Semple!
He had a look at my chest and told me that everything looks awesome! He answered all of my questions...would I have cleavage? My breast bone or Sternum is quite wide so it will be hard to get a lot of cleavage but with a good bra, I will be able to get a little. Also, when I have my surgery, Dr. Semple will release some of the skin around my Sternum which will possibly add some contouring. Nipple reconstruction...will I do it during this surgery or wait? Well, he doesn't recommend me having nipple reconstruction because patients who went through radiation, they typically have complications on the radiated side when nipple reconstruction is attempted. So, I opt not to do this procedure. Dr. Semple is going to send me to "the best" tattoo artist who will tattoo a 3D nipple on each breast. I teased with him that I didn't want to be sent down some back ally for this...he kept the joke going for a bit! Such a funny guy! What about the blood vessels on my radiated breast...can we get rid of them? I can see someone that will do laser on the area but once again, because of the radiation damage, the laser might damage my skin more so he suggestions that I don't get that done. He did say that over time, the benefits from the fat transfer could eliminate some of the blood vessels. How do the implants compare in size to the expanders? Well, typically they are very similar and can be a bit bigger or smaller. He will order three different sizes of implants and during surgery, will test the implants to see which one will give me the most natural results. Typically, he tends to go bigger, if he can. Recovery time?....two to three weeks. Surgery timing....a month after last fill.
Once I was finished chatting with Dr. Semple and he approved me for one last fill, Helen came in to check me over. She decided that she was going to fill both sides. She was able to get 50cc's in both sides but both sides "burped" fluid out when she removed the needle. Therefore, it has been decided that yesterday was my last fill!! I have a total of 465cc's on the right (radiated) side and 505cc's on the left side. I can't even begin to tell you how overwhelmed I felt when they said I was finished. I actually teared up!! I am going to miss my team! They have been so supportive, compassionate, and understanding during this entire process. They have made me feel like I am a patient and not a number....no, that I am a friend and not a patient....know what I mean?
So, my surgery is scheduled for April 7th. They will do the exchange and I will be sent home the same day, as usual.
As for the study, Dr. Katie explained to me that it is a new patient study that will require the patient to take home a smart phone after surgery and will have direct contact with Dr. Semple. On a daily basis, for the first two weeks after surgery, you will send Dr. Semple updates on how you are feeling, what medications you have taken, pain levels, etc. as well as send him pictures of your incision sites. After the two weeks, you will update Dr. Semple once a week for two weeks. They are hoping to alleviate wait times for follow up appointments as well as save the patient time and money. I am excited to take part in this study and to hopefully help Dr. Semple prove that patients heal faster at home!!
Today I am in quite a bit of pain from the fill. Thank goodness it's my last one. I actually had to take some Oxycodin last night and this morning. I think this has been the worst one so far. I can definitely tell that my skin and body would not allow for another fill.
Stay positive, stay strong and continue to pray!!
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
All Is Good!
So, further to my earlier post today, I had my appointment with Dr. Semple and my nurse Helen.
Dr. Semple examined my left breast and decided that all looked good. However, he did feel that there was some underlying bruising and that the expander did "reposition". I'm telling you, I hit the ice and snow hard!! It almost knocked the wind out of me! Dr. Semple said that if I was going to fall again, do it right away and get it over with! I felt so bad for taking up their time today but they said they would rather me come and it be nothing then to wait and there be a problem.
So while I was there, Dr. Semple examined my radiated breast (my right one) and he said that it looked good to continue filling. So Helen prepared the syringe and filled my right breast only. They didn't want to do my other one because of the discomfort I have, after the fall. Helen was able to get 50cc's in my right breast...it did "burp" some fluid again, but it took all of it!! Yay....Dolly, here I come!! LOL
Made me feel good to see the team today and be reassured that everything was looking wonderful! Dr. Semple even said he loves seeing me...I might have to ask him for a job after all this is over! LOL
So as promised...that is my update!!
Be positive, be strong and continue to pray for the world and all those people who are struggling everyday!
Dr. Semple examined my left breast and decided that all looked good. However, he did feel that there was some underlying bruising and that the expander did "reposition". I'm telling you, I hit the ice and snow hard!! It almost knocked the wind out of me! Dr. Semple said that if I was going to fall again, do it right away and get it over with! I felt so bad for taking up their time today but they said they would rather me come and it be nothing then to wait and there be a problem.
So while I was there, Dr. Semple examined my radiated breast (my right one) and he said that it looked good to continue filling. So Helen prepared the syringe and filled my right breast only. They didn't want to do my other one because of the discomfort I have, after the fall. Helen was able to get 50cc's in my right breast...it did "burp" some fluid again, but it took all of it!! Yay....Dolly, here I come!! LOL
Made me feel good to see the team today and be reassured that everything was looking wonderful! Dr. Semple even said he loves seeing me...I might have to ask him for a job after all this is over! LOL
So as promised...that is my update!!
Be positive, be strong and continue to pray for the world and all those people who are struggling everyday!
Close To The End!
**WARNING PICTURES**
Once again, I have taken way too long to write! First off, Happy New Year to all of you! My wish is that you all remain happy and healthy for 2015!!
So, two weeks ago I had my 7th fill! My lovely friend Miss Vera was my chauffeur for the day! We decided that we would take a little adventure downtown together!! It was perfect! My chariot picked me up around 9:45am and we made the long trek downtown. We had a nice little chat about life, family, and this process! She is such a wonderful person and I really don't know what I did to deserve such wonderful people in my life! I am so blessed!!
We arrived for my 11:00am appointment a few minutes early but didn't wait too long to be called in. Helen took me in and had a look at my progress. She said she would try to put 50cc's in each side but didn't know how well my radiated side would take. The radiated side is becoming quite hard and doesn't appear to have much stretch left in it. She managed to get 50cc's in the radiated side but when she was removing the needle, some of the fluid "burped" back out. She said that she feels this is probably my last fill. I might be able to tolerate one more but will have to see Dr. Semple so that he can decide.
So, last week on Thursday I went on an outdoor class trip with Cole's class. We went to Silver Creek conservation park. What a beautiful day...if you were dressed for the weather, which I was! Some of the other Moms, not so much. We were outside for most of the day and started the morning with a survival game. It was called animal survivor. Each of the kids was given an animal and were told where they fell on the "food chain". The parent volunteers were the "hunters". The hunters could only lose a life if they were caught by disease or an element. One of Cole's little friends, whom I know well, was disease. He was trying to catch me the entire game! At one point, the instructor was chatting with me and Michael came up behind me. Not wanting to get caught, I quickly pivoted to my left and began to run. Now this game took place in the woods with ice and snow and tree stumps all over the place. So you can only imagine what happened next. As I was running, I slipped and fell on my left side and came crashing down onto my left breast. Immediately, I got up and quickly checked if I had busted my expander. The pain was almost unbearable and I thought for sure I did some damage. Unable to leave the class trip, I had to continue the day as if nothing had happened while inside I was worrying that I seriously did something to my expander.
The next day, which was a Friday, I was extremely sore but didn't notice any bruising or change in the look of my breast. My hip and shoulder were sore, but I knew they would be better in a few days. My clinic is not open on Fridays so I knew there was no need in calling the hospital. By Monday (of this week), I felt a lot better but knew that something still wasn't right. I finally broke down and called my clinic this morning and they want to see me this afternoon. I think I may have damaged my expander. My breast seems to be a bit smaller than it was and seems to be sitting a bit lower. I am not sure if it might be leaking or if it's just my imagination. I am not sure how they will be able to tell if it's ok...but I would rather them check it now then have something wrong and leave it.
This could change everything if something is wrong!! Hopefully, all will be well and there is no damage. I will keep you all posted!
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