A change of plans

So my surgeons have been "discussing." Dr. Massey (plastic surgeon) called Dr. Neumayer (breast surgeon) to strategize and then Dr. Neumayer called me to give me another option. After my first consult with Dr. Neumayer, I left planning on having a bilateral mastectomy on the 18th, having tissue expanders inserted and then reconstruction at a later date. After speaking with Dr. Massey the first time, I had decided to have only a unilateral mastectomy on the 18th and then have the other breast removed at the same time that I have reconstruction. That way I would only have to deal with the discomfort of one tissue expander instead of two. But, now they were suggesting that on the 18th I have only a lumpectomy, go through radiation, wait my six months and then meet with Dr. Massey to have both breasts removed and reconstruction in the same surgery. They thought this would be a good way of me avoiding the tissue expanders altogether.

If my reconstruction was being done in the same surgery as the mastectomy, tissue expanders wouldn't be necessary, but since there will be a period of approximately 7 months between surgeries (thanks to radiation), the tissue expanders act as place holders of sorts. Dr. Neumayer does a total skin sparing, nipple sparing mastectomy, so they need to put something in there to replace the breast tissue that was removed until it can be replaced with natural tissue from you butt or gut at the time of reconstruction.

The uncomfortable part is that they have to put the expander underneath the muscle wall (the breast tissue usually rests on top of the muscle wall). Then they slowly inflate the expander, stretching the muscle to form a breast mound. After several weeks of stretching (ouch!) they pull out the expanders and put in implants. But I'm not using implants. I have now finally identified one good thing that has come of being on super doses of steroids for more than a year: I have plenty of my own natural tissue to use so I don't have to put in implants. Plenty. Enough to share even. So, if there are any skinny women out there that are in need of breast reconstruction and are uncomfortable with the idea of implants, I'd be happy to volunteer as a donor. Dr. Massey asked me which area of my body I would like her to take the tissue from. I just told her to take her pick.

So anyway. I think that is the plan. For now anyway. Doing a lumpectomy now and saving everything for later so I can do everything at the same time will save me in a lot of ways. I'll be combining two major surgeries into one. That should cut back on recovery time, time off work, and keep the number of days that I have lifting restrictions to a  minimum. (Not sure how I'm going to survive six plus weeks of a toddler hanging on to my legs screaming "UP PEEES!  UP PEEES!" without being able to pick her up.)

So that's the latest. I think I've figured out what I'm doing. One way or another, I'm having some sort of surgery on Friday.