So I decided that I don't want to wait until January to have my DIEP Flap surgery (the reconstruction). These expanders are just so uncomfortable (the rib pain is not getting any better), plus psychologically it would be good for me to finish everything this year, and start the new year fresh. I was hoping to do it at the end of November, or beginning of December, so it wouldn't be too close to Christmas...but the only available date was December 14th. I debated a bit...it's a 4 to 6 week recovery, and I don't want to mess up Christmas for the kids...but decided to go ahead and do it. I plan to get all my holiday shopping, wrapping, etc done before the surgery, and then enjoy the actual day from the comfort of the sofa.
Good news: I got the pancreas biopsy results back...it was benign. Whew, a big relief. The doctor recommends getting another MRI in a year, I guess just to monitor for any changes.
Radiation continues to be uneventful. I am getting a slightly red area on my upper chest, which looks like a mild sunburn. I'm putting aloe and lotion on many times a day, and hope that it won't get any worse.
I happened to be surfing around the National Cancer Institute website and found a "Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool" (http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/). I thought, hmm, I wonder what my risk of getting breast cancer is, according to this tool? I answered the questions as I would have when I was 40 years old (three years ago, in case you don't know!)...and it estimated that I had a .5% chance of developing breast cancer in the next 5 years (the average 40-year-old has a .6% chance). Wow, how did I manage to be the 1 in 200? Who knows how useful that assessment tool is, really...but it just added to the "why me???" feeling I've had all this time.
Which reminds me, if you are a woman who is 40 or older, please go out and get a mammogram, and a clinical breast exam! The best protection is early detection! If you want to learn more about breast cancer, VA Hospital Center is hosting "Ladies for Life: a free breast cancer education event for women of all ages", Saturday, October 1, 9:00-11:00am.
Love you all,
Liz
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