Slowly Getting Back To Normal

Well, I've pretty much gotten used to having only 1 boob.  I have only used the prosthetic a couple of times since the expander was removed.  It really just became a bit of a nuisance...sometimes I would look down, and it would have migrated out of my bra and into the middle of my chest!  Just too weird.  I also found a few tops that camouflage the missing boob quite well, so that helps.  March 11th, I will be having surgery again--this time to put the tissue expander back in.

I made an appointment with a new ob/gyn to talk about a hysterectomy or just removing my ovaries. I decided that I wasn't really comfortable with my other (and also relatively new to me) obgyn.  Do I really want a doctor who says it's ok to have a hysterectomy less than 2 weeks after reconstruction surgery?  I mean, if I hadn't told my plastic surgeon about it, I would have gone through with it, and the infection I got could have been much more of a problem.  Also, after talking with my oncologist, he said that a hysterectomy isn't necessary...just remove the ovaries.  So, with two other doctors telling me the opposite of what my obgyn was saying, I decided that it was time to find a new one...  So that appointment is at the end of this month.

In other news, I have an appointment with a GI doc...  I have a colonoscopy in my future, I believe.  Not looking forward to that!

My hair is now long enough that people are complimenting my "hair cut".  I don't correct them when they say that...I've been working hard on just saying "Thank you" when people pay me a compliment.  What this means, though, is that I feel that it is super important for me to wear a little makeup and some earrings so that I look a little feminine.  This is tricky for me because makeup and jewelry are not my strengths!

The thing is, though, that although I am definitely on the mend, and I am looking more and more like my old self, my brain is still trying to wrap itself around the fact that I'm a two-time cancer beater.  It scares me.  I think about it every day, without fail.  I worry about the future, even though my doctors have given me no inclination that I should be worried.  Once you have had cancer, you never are able to completely get past it.  Cancer has changed me...both times I had it.  Ever since my first diagnosis on January 3, 2008, thoughts about cancer enter my mind.  It makes me a little crazy sometimes.  So, even though I look like I'm past the whole cancer experience, just know that I'm not, and I'll likely never completely be past it.

One thing that I've been doing lately, compliments of my Christmas present from Dane, is reviving my pottery hobby!  I am taking classes at Pottery Central in Charlotte, and I am absolutely loving it!  So far I have made 10 pretty nice pots, 5 of which have been glazed and should go back into the kiln this week!  I am truly loving it, and I look forward to my Wednesday nights every week!  I'll post some pictures when they come out!

Thanks for listening, and truly being there for me and my family.  You all make it so much better!  

Happy New Year! ...better late than never!

Well, it's been a long time, huh?  I've got a lot of updating to do...  Many of you who know me already know what's happened, but this blog is also a way for me to document my "journey" --which is a word I HATE to use to describe my last year, but oh well..

So my last blog entry was the day before my surgery, in which one tissue expander was going to be replaced with the implant, and the other one was going to be replaced with a working one.  So the surgery went great.  I felt great afterwards, and it was nice to have two boobs again, even though one of them (the tissue expander one) was a little odd-shaped.  Underneath clothing, it looked just fine.  A bit of normalcy!!  and then...what could go wrong, did.

On December 5th, the kids were both in the Denver Christmas Parade...a big event around here.  So, since Dane couldn't go (he was at a wedding in Raleigh), my mom and I went.  It was a cold, but clear day.  We drank hot chocolate and watched the parade while we were all bundled up.  The parade was great, but it took FOREVER to pick up the kids afterwards.  Once we had the kids, we went home and got ready for Jake's first game at Strikers.

Thankfully the game was only about 45 minutes, because it was REALLY cold out!!  I couldn't stop shivering!  When we got home, I laid down.  I still could not get warm, even after changing into my comfy PJs and laying underneath the down comforter.  After about an hour, I took my temperature, and it was over 100F.  Huh...  weird.

The next day I still had a fever, but it got up to 102.9F.  Dane got a sub for me for the next day.  On Monday, I contacted my plastic surgeon.  He didn't think that the fever was due to the expander, but since I had an appointment the next day anyway (1 week follow-up), he would see me then.  I slept for most of the day.  There is one upside to having a fever right now...NO HOT FLASHES!  It was strangely nice trying to get warm, instead of trying to get cool!

Later that evening, once Dane got home, I noticed something not good...  The fluid that was coming out of one of my drains was no longer clear...  it was now brown and cloudy.  Also, my left side (with the tissue expander) was bright red and swollen.  Not good, not good, not good...

We called the plastic surgeon again and he sent in a prescription for some antibiotics.

The next day, at my appointment, we made the decision to remove the tissue expander.  It was infected and needed to come out.  Bummer.  So, I was going to have surgery again later that week.

So...fast forward...  I have decided to postpone the hysterectomy for now.  Originally I had rescheduled it for December 29th, but after the unplanned surgery, I just really felt I needed a break!!
I don't remember if my last post mentioned that the genetic results came back, and that I have a gene mutation that is likely the cause of the two cancers.  Anyway, it also can increase your chances of colon cancer as well, so last week I made an appointment with my regular doctor to talk about getting a colonoscopy.  Fun!   I also talked to her about {GROSS ALERT:  DON'T READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T CARE FOR "POTTY TALK"} my poo.  It's changed a bit, lately.  In, fact, it's a little mucus-y.  So, guess what.  Today, I got to take a poo sample and put it into little bottles.  I have one bottle that is supposed to be kept refrigerated, so it's in my classroom fridge.  The other two bottles are in a bag in my backpack.  I will be delivering them to the doc later today...{GROSS ALERT OVER.  YOU MAY NOW CONTINUE READING}

So today after school I have an appointment with Dr. Kuo, my oncologist.  I'll update you all about that appointment later!

I'm feeling really great.  The whole Perry family is working on getting more fit and active, which is wonderful.  I'm hoping to lose 20 - 30 pounds by mid-June...I just need to stay away from all the snacks and sweets...

My hair is growing in, which is good and bad.  It's nice to have hair again...especially in the winter when it's chilly!!  It's bad because I have to start shaving again.  Such a bummer.  My eyelashes and eyebrows are back, although my brows have a few areas where they are a little wild...