Tomorrow at noon I will be getting my new and improved boobs. The nurse I saw at my pre-op appointment wanted me to know that with reconstruction, sometimes the boobs won't be perfectly symmetrical. Well honestly, my boobs have been anything BUT symmetrical for the last 8 years, so this will definitely be a major improvement in that area!!
The reconstruction is an outpatient procedure, so I should be home by dinner, and by then I'll be STARVING since I can't eat after 10 pm tonight!
The biggest piece of news I have, though, is kind of a toughie. On Tuesday, I received a call from my genetic counselor to tell me that although I don't have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, I do have the Chek2 gene mutation. According to the Myriad website (the lab that did the testing), "Women with mutations in the CHEK2 gene have an increased risk for breast cancer, sometimes at relatively young ages."
The really freaky part, though, is when it goes on to say, "A woman who has a CHEK2 mutation, and who has already had breast cancer, has a high risk of developing a second breast cancer within the next 5 to 25 years."
The Chek2 gene may also increase my risk for colon cancer as well, although there have not been enough studies done. Still, I'm planning on talking to my doc about getting a colonoscopy done sooner, rather than later!
The gene news wasn't the best news, but honestly, the fact that it answers the question about why I got it twice gives me an odd sort of peace. It's good information to have, though, because now I can go forward with an actual plan. Having the gene doesn't mean that I WILL get another kind of cancer...it just means my chances are a little higher than some other people. It does, however, give me a little more knowledge about my body than other people may have about their own, and maybe that will help me in the future. Knowledge is power, after all.
And now, some sad news. About a month ago, I made meatballs (this is not the sad part) for dinner. I took off my wedding ring because I needed to mush up the ground beef and other ingredients and didn't want to get my ring all gross (My engagement ring was not on my finger because my fingers were all swollen from all the steroids I was taking at the time). I didn't put my ring back on that evening. The next day, I looked for it on the counter, and I didn't see it. I looked all around the kitchen. I searched and searched. Over the last few weeks, I have just prayed that it would turn up in the laundry, or it would show up in the "junk drawer" or something...but no luck. So, I am bummed. On the positive side, though, my fingers are no longer swollen, so my engagement ring fits again!
So, I can't end on a sad note... so, here's some great news! My hair is really starting to grow! ...and my eyebrows are coming back!! Here's proof:
Ok--wish me luck tomorrow!! I'll report back soon!
