We really liked Dr. Fix and his physicians’ assistant Dee.  They’ve worked together for 18 years.  They said with my body type, age, and health I could have whichever reconstructive surgery I wanted.  And the answer to my big question “Can you do both in one surgery?” was “Yes.”

We’ve decided to keep going in the direction of having a double mastectomy with reconstruction.  It seems kinda extreme at first but when you think about it in the end it has the least amount of side effects and you get all your risk and healing out of the way in one swoop.

I still have to decide about if or not to allow them to take lymph nodes.  My choices boil down to:
A.  Keep my lymph nodes and trust God that I don’t have cancer in them or anywhere else in my body.
B.  Let them take the lymph nodes and trust God to protect me from getting lymphedema.  This is especially hard for me because it’s my dominant arm and where I first get hives when I am exposed to corn.  It could mean that every time I am exposed to corn my arm would swell with the hives.  

Warning TMI ahead… What Kind of Reconstruction?
Only for those who have a fascination with science and the medical world like me.

The reconstructive choices are also hard.  I could have a relatively quick surgery with implants, but then my body may reject them.  I could have muscles moved from my back or stomach to my “breast,”  but after seeing the “Bodies Exhibit” a few years back, I am even more sure that God put each muscle where it is for a reason.

We are choosing the longest (10 hrs.), hardest (microscopic) surgery which comes with a 2 month recovery.  They will take some skin and fat and possibly a little mussel (depending on how my blood vessels look when they open me up) from my nice little streached out from babies tummy and place it where my breast used to be.  The end result will be like a tummy tuck. 😉  Good thing I’ve been too lazy to work on my abs.  If you want to look up the procedures up they are called a SIEA flap, DIEP flap or mussel sparing TRAM flap.

Ahead:

An appointment with an allergist here in Huntsville on Monday morning.
Praying that I will have wisdom and ask the right questions and that he’s able to give us some good advice.

A CAT scan where they give will give me an IV of contrasting dye to get a good look at my blood vessels.  Praying for perfect vessels and no allergic reaction to the dye.

A wonderful trip to Alaska with the loves (Jesus and Mike) of my life.

A decision about my lymph nodes.
More Wisdom.  Peace.

Surgery possibly on June 1st (they are still working out the details) and a nice, relaxing summer where I am not allowed to lift more than 5 lbs.  

Love,

Jenny