Well friends, it is almost time. It's been a 7 month process, so far, and now there's a light at the end of the tunnel! We expect that today was my last fill. That doesn't even sound real. I go back in 2 weeks for a final status check. If any adjustments are needed, we'll take care of them then (meaning fluid can be added, if necessary) and then we wait 4 weeks and BOOM surgery! It's officially on the books so lookout. September 26 is the big day. This won't be the last procedure of the year but it will be a big milestone. As always, I'll keep you posted on all of the details.
For those that might be new to the blog and have no idea what I'm talking about, I had surgery in January and February to prep for actual reconstruction and then to transfer muscle and implant tissue expanders in February. Since then, I've gone every 2 weeks for some sort of adjustment. Whether it be to remove fluid from my back (where the muscle was removed) or to add fluid to the expanders. I am quite ready to the have these croquet balls removed from my chest.
I'm exhausted so I'm heading to bed but check back in over the next few weeks and I'll do my best to keep you updated.
Cheers!
Love to all,
Andee
Visit the new site at www.andreadoolin.com
Showing posts with label decisions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label decisions. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
731
Good evening friends,
I'm not feeling too great so I considered not posting tonight, but HERE I AM! Today marks the 2 year anniversary of the day I found my lump. 731 days (there's an extra day because we had leap day this year!) and here I am. I will be acknowledging some additional milestones in pretty rapid succession. Things happened pretty quickly. Next up will be my diagnosaversary and the 2nd birthday of this blog.
So much has happened over the past two years and, looking back now, it has flown by. It seems like yesterday. I remember the early days very vividly. We'll revisit those days over the next couple of weeks but I want to say something to everyone who reads this. Here goes...
I wish that I could say that I'm the only person I know who was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 40s. I can name 4 other women right off the top of my head. Please, please, please do your monthly self exams. Please, please, please get your mammograms. Please, please, please do not follow the guidelines that say you can wait until 50 to start getting annual mammograms. Talk to your doctor, take control of your own health and care. Really!
I know things have been a little more serious than normal on here recently - certainly more clinical. Well, that ends today. Today, my friend Deadpool would like to share a message with all the ladies out there. Guys, feel free to share this with the ladies in your life. This just might save someones life!
Love to all,
Andee
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
What would you do?
Hello friends!
As you might imagine, I've had several conversations about the reconstruction plan over the past few days. I've received a lot of sympathetic looks, some grimaces and many folks asking if I was really going to go through with it. At this point, yes, I'm going through with it. I made some decisions early on in anticipation of having reconstruction done. Though I did consider skipping reconstruction after learning the details, I got over it. I will push through and rebuild because, Lord knows, I don't want to spend the rest of my hopefully long life looking at the chest only Frankenstein could love. It's not vanity, it's about feeling semi-normal. Mostly it's about having my clothes fit right. You have no idea how goofy I feel when I'm not wearing the fakes. I don't care that I'm flat. I care that women's clothes draw attention to the fact that I'm flat (lumpy or inverted is more like it....eek!) because there's extra fabric to make room for the girls. I was not a fan of looking like a 10 year old wearing my mom's shirts.
Ok, back on topic. Most of the people I've had any lengthy conversations with about this have said that they don't think they'd go through with it. I find that interesting. I think I have an idea why it's so easy for everyone to say they would skip the procedure. Wait...first let me remind you that I did go through a period when I was aggressively stating that I might not get it done. I wrote about it early on. I got over it. Yes, women's bodies are objectified and there's too much focus on "saving 2nd base" when it should be about saving lives. Let me give you my perspective now. I want two things. First, I want to feel like a whole person and, second, I don't want such a vivid reminder that I had cancer every dang time I get out of the shower. Imagine having to lock the bathroom door every time you change clothes because if anyone walks in on you by accident, you'll cause them to have nightmares for the rest of their life. I understand that they will forever look like FrankenBoobies, but I'm OK with that. I will add the scars to my ever-growing collection and come out smiling on the other side. Plus, I have to do this for my fellow pink ladies. If I don't go through it then what in the world will I blog about? :-) Once again, it's a public service.
I'm off to bed. We can talk again tomorrow.
Love to all,
Andee
As you might imagine, I've had several conversations about the reconstruction plan over the past few days. I've received a lot of sympathetic looks, some grimaces and many folks asking if I was really going to go through with it. At this point, yes, I'm going through with it. I made some decisions early on in anticipation of having reconstruction done. Though I did consider skipping reconstruction after learning the details, I got over it. I will push through and rebuild because, Lord knows, I don't want to spend the rest of my hopefully long life looking at the chest only Frankenstein could love. It's not vanity, it's about feeling semi-normal. Mostly it's about having my clothes fit right. You have no idea how goofy I feel when I'm not wearing the fakes. I don't care that I'm flat. I care that women's clothes draw attention to the fact that I'm flat (lumpy or inverted is more like it....eek!) because there's extra fabric to make room for the girls. I was not a fan of looking like a 10 year old wearing my mom's shirts.
Ok, back on topic. Most of the people I've had any lengthy conversations with about this have said that they don't think they'd go through with it. I find that interesting. I think I have an idea why it's so easy for everyone to say they would skip the procedure. Wait...first let me remind you that I did go through a period when I was aggressively stating that I might not get it done. I wrote about it early on. I got over it. Yes, women's bodies are objectified and there's too much focus on "saving 2nd base" when it should be about saving lives. Let me give you my perspective now. I want two things. First, I want to feel like a whole person and, second, I don't want such a vivid reminder that I had cancer every dang time I get out of the shower. Imagine having to lock the bathroom door every time you change clothes because if anyone walks in on you by accident, you'll cause them to have nightmares for the rest of their life. I understand that they will forever look like FrankenBoobies, but I'm OK with that. I will add the scars to my ever-growing collection and come out smiling on the other side. Plus, I have to do this for my fellow pink ladies. If I don't go through it then what in the world will I blog about? :-) Once again, it's a public service.
I'm off to bed. We can talk again tomorrow.
Love to all,
Andee
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