Farewell to Arms....I mean Boobs

Dear Bosom Buddies, 

It has been a while but much has happened in the intervening weeks since I last wrote. My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow and is expected to be, on average around a 10 hour operation. I have to report to the hospital at 6.15am - AM peoples....... in the bloody morning. 

 I am to undergo a bilateral mastectomy (both boobs, folk) and then undertake a DIEP Flap reconstruction. DIEP stands for Deep Inferior Epigatric Perforator. - an artery which runs through the abdomen. Firstly my  Breast Surgeon takes alI the breast tissue from both breasts (and also my nipples) but leaves both the "breast envelopes" . Then the second stage is that two plastic surgeons will also be cutting me across from left to right hip and then each taking a "flap" from my tummy which blood vessels will form the basis of my new breasts.   I have attached a brief description of the procedure for your edification. It's quite major surgery lasting between nine and ten hours and a stay in hospital for one full week. If the duration didn't give it away, the length of stay should have, given, as we all know the propensity to kick you out these days with tubes, pumps and theatre utensils still in situ!!

Check out this link to find out the gory details!!!!


http://prma-enhance.com/breast-reconstruction/diep-flap


As you will see from a quick read of the above, they take out all the breast tissue and I lose my lovely nipples as well (where we know there are still some DCIS (pre-cancer cells lurking in the milk ducts of my left breast) as well as some cancer cells also loitering suspiciously in the margins of the lump site of my left breast that we weren't able to clear with two bouts of surgery.  

Like the intervening weeks prior to my last post, I have taken some time to get my head around the enormity of my choices, weighing up the respective merits of the different procedures and then deciding upon the best one for me. This is not as straight forward as it sounds. Like a veritable kid in a toy shop, I was almost overwhelmed by the range of procedures that are on offer. However don't get too excited folks, it's not simply a case of picking the best one. Rather its more a case of which one you, are best suited for. 

One could have elected for a unilateral mastectomy and then faced a reconstructive surgical option to match the left breast with the right breast - not an easy task when one considers weight, age, gravity, scarring etc. As I said in my last post, this was never an option for me psychologically not only because of the asaethetic, but because the remaining right breast tissue might be a time bomb.  However my breasts finally look, I want them to look similar ! The research I have done shows that the matching process is quite difficult. 

So then faced with, what will afford me the greatest peace of mind, and the best odds of cancer not re-occuring, I decided on a bilateral mastectomy. But in deciding this doesn't come without consequences. I will lose the sensation of my breasts and nipples as they fashion new nipples from skin and then tattoo it and an area around it to create an areola-like visual. 

This is where the DIEP procedure comes into its own. 

Not for me saline implants. Even though they afford you with the most accurate symmetry, as a perfectly perky set of bosoms, they need to be replaced every 10, 15 or 20 years, depending on who you talk to. Everyone is different, but I know that I couldn't be pfffaffed getting a new set of mag-wheel jugs at 70 or 75 years of age. And at 52 years of age folks, I really dont want my boobs walking through the door three weeks before the rest of me does!! Not for me, porno-boobs!!!

But in order to "qualify" for a DIEP Flap procedure, I needed to be tubby enough for them to grab handfuls of my tummy flab (very confronting, let me tell you!!) but not sooooo chunky, that they had too much to work with. Its a challenging thing for health professionals to simply regard me as a fat-relocation-suitablility-specimen withour knocking their blocks off, let me just say!!!!!!!

So here I am, writing this and just 12 hour away from presenting at the hospital.

I feel ok. The overnight bag is packed. I have my books and ipad to entertain me. I have read the stuff about the patient-administered pain relief that I will have when I come around post surgery. Never had serious drugs before. Could be a hoot. I know that I will feel like shite. I know that I have to just get through the next week. The major metroplitan hospital in question had better deliver on all its patient centred "quality" initiatives, otherwise you will read it here first!!

I will cry.

I will feel vulnerable....

But I will get better.............

So, good people, this isn't the end. Apparently I have further stuff (nipple creation, boob re-adjustment, tattooing, all ahead of me in about six months time) so in the interim, I hope to show you pictures from the start to the finish, just so you know. If you are the queasy type, just scroll down quickly in subsequent posts, but for those that want to understand the breadth of this, the pics are there for you to get an idea of how this stuff works. What is hardest for me is that for six months I will have lumps on my chest without nipples - that will make me feel like a toy Barbie...........

I am intending to ask the theatre guys to take pics and to do so throughout my recovery in the hope that it demystifies and simplifies the process. Am a bit coy about this but will get over that as coy is not my natural state. In the interim, good people, here are some great photos of beautiful Broome that Siobhan and I were privileged enough to spend two weeks just three weeks ago.  The place is magnificent. We stayed at The Pearle and couldn't recommend it highly enough. The water at Cable Beach was a balmy 26 degrees every day.........

We live in a beautiful country.........

Take Care !!!!

Kelly xxxx