On the road to expansion

So on October 7th I had my first infusion of saline into my expanders and I also had my last 2 drain tubes removed! I did not have any saline infused at the time of my mastectomies on September 17th. When I asked the plastic surgeon about it she said that she preferred to wait until my stitches healed and after I had my drain tubes removed. About a week prior to this I also had my port placement done to get ready for chemotherapy.
During my first infusion I didn't know what to expect. I had watched a few videos on you tube but I was not prepared for what happened. The first one went rather well that was on the right side then when the left sides turn came it was a different story. It felt as if every nerve ending on that side of my chest was being stuck by this needle. I wanted to scream but I didn't because I didn't want to startle her while she still had the needle in me. Needless to say I was a little apprehensive about getting it done again but at least I knew what I was in for. This is a short video of what is used during an infusion/

This next video is after the infusion. How I felt and what may be next on the road to expansion.

For more information regarding tissue expansion please check out this link. I hope this helps to explain the procedure. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/avon_foundation_breast_center/treatments_services/reconstructive_breast_surgery/tissue_expanders.html

Until next time

Peace, Love and Blessings

Lumpectomy vs Mastectomy

After getting the diagnosis there are some decisions to be made. What can I do to fix this situation in my life? that was a question that I immediately asked myself. I prayed and asked God to guide me in the right direction so that whatever decision I came to would be the best for my family. My husband and I talked about it and discussed my options. We had 2 choices:

1.  lumpectomy
2. Mastectomy 

With the lumpectomy you remove the tumor and some surrounding breast tissue so that the margins could be checked to make sure that all of the cancer cells were removed. Click the following link to get more information regarding a lumpectomy. http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Lumpectomy.html With the mastectomy you remove all of the breast tissue and if desired have reconstructive surgery. Click the following link to get more information regarding a mastectomy.http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Mastectomy.html With this information my husband asked me what I wanted and what I felt most comfortable with. I told him that I wanted a mastectomy, actually a bilateral (double) mastectomy because I wanted to lessen my chances of recurrence and it's not like I'm losing my womanhood. He completely agreed with my choice to have a bilateral mastectomy with reconstructive surgery.
So at the moment I am waiting on my surgery date so that we can move forward with getting the tumor out of my body and on the road to recovery. I don't expect that recovery will be a piece of cake but I am prepared for this battle for I intend to win this War. Psalm 140:7

O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.

In the meantime I am making preparations for my recovery time. I won't be able to cook for my family so I plan on making some freezer meals that my hubby, mom or mother-in-law can just heat it up and voila homemade goodness to keep us going. Also planning things for my darling daughter to do until I am physically able to interact and play again.
I know that making this type of decision can be a struggle for some and that it's a decision that you don't have months to make. Knowing that whatever your decision is it's the right one for you and your family makes it easier. I did find a few websites that were helpful for giving me a better understanding of what's going on. I'll list them here.

• http://www.breastcancer.org/
• http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/003284-pdf.pdf This is a list of questions you should ask your doctor if you are diagnosed with breast cancer.
• http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailedguide/breast-cancer-diagnosis

I hope this information can help someone or if you know someone that this can help feel free to share. I'll be back when I have a surgery date and to talk about my treatment plan.

Peace, Love and Blessings
Caula