Meanwhile, over in BFFN land

[annathepiper]

So, yeah. Went in for a couple of followup appointments on Thursday morning, back-to-back: a check-in with Dr. Towbin since he wanted to see how I was doing, and a check-in with Dr. McMillan, to ask about next steps for proceeding with reconstruction surgery.

Dr. Towbin seemed generally satisfied with the state of the area where my late lamented right breast used to be. However, there is that swollen bit I mentioned in my last post. I don't know what the hell is up with that, whether there's just some old fluid trapped in there or what. It's gotten a bit larger and more noticeable since I started doing the weights workouts, and I asked Towbin about that--whether there was any risk that I'd torn something not quite properly healed yet. He said no, and was feeling kind of cautious about doing anything about that bit yet. If it's not subsided though by the next time he sees me, he'll probably stick a needle in it to drain it out. Until then, I shall employ judicious icepack therapy to see if I can get it to go away on its own. Meh.

Meanwhile, it's looking fairly likely that I will be proceeding with having Dr. McMillan do the procedure of taking some muscle tissue off my back to rebuild me in front. I have learned that my conception of how FMLA leave works was wrong, too--I'd thought that it pulled from my pool of available vacation time and then became unpaid leave if I used that up. However, according to our benefits people, the way it actually works is that it pulls from sick leave first, then vacation, then unpaid. And sick leave and vacation are tracked differently. So I shouldn't have to worry about taking a hit of unpaid leave for this, since like with the mastectomy, it'll be 2-3 weeks recovery time. And probably a couple of days in the hospital to start it off, too, and most likely another six weeks before I feel entirely normal.

Which means that my current exercise regimen will take a hit, which is annoying; I'll have to back off the weights again shortly after having restarted them. Dr. McMillan and I will have to discuss how I can roll exercise back into my routine, once we do this thing.

I need to call her office back on Monday and set the wheels in motion to get everything scheduled. It'll probably be in August, maybe September. Wish me luck, folks.

Comments

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Obviously, we wish you all the luck in the world. I'd send you my own luck in lieu of mere wishing, except that I never seem to have any.

Are you up to actually talking about your late lamented breast? I've known women find it hugely traumatic, and others who just shrugged and said "it's just tissue," and you're sounding so practical and organised I cannot help but want to poke beneath the surface, 'cos I'm like that...

[annathepiper]

Thanks much on the well wishes. And sure, I'm okay with talking about this; it's part of why I'm posting about it publically. Others have been so fabulous sharing their stories with me that I'm hoping maybe I'll do somebody some good at some point posting about mine.

What would you like to know?

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

Oh weird, I didn't know it came from your own back. That's kind of cool, like you're asking your tissue to migrate and it is cooperating. Good luck! :)

[annathepiper]

Thanks, and yeah, that's one of the options that was presented to me. There's another kind of procedure where they use tissue from your belly, and gods know I have plenty to spare there. Only according to Dr. McMillan, that's more appropriate for older, more sedentary women since it requires rather more recovery time. Since I'm younger and more active, and since I prefer the idea of using my own issue for this as opposed to an implant, this is the way Dr. McMillan recommended going.

Hee. I have been thinking of this in rather Elfquestian terms, yeah, only the doctor will be doing the fleshshaping on me with surgical instruments rather than magic.

[maellenkleth]

luck likewise also wished, and I do note that once again you show that you are willing to give the shirt off your back when need be. ^_^

[annathepiper]

Heh, thanks!

I was told about different options and this one was the one that Dr. McMillan recommended, given my relative youth and activity level and that I personally don't like the idea of doing this by implant--it seems more natural to me to just use my own tissue.

[maellenkleth]

Funny, but we were talking about that this afternoon at tea with the dragon boat team (all bffn survivors) here in the village and the consensus there, to, was to go for autorecon rather than implants -- gut feeling says you are on the right track with that.

Always do wish, though, that they could simply move all the pounds from whatever one's personal 'trouble spots' were, up to one's breast[s]. Would that the world ran on such sensible terms!

[annathepiper]

It would be nice if it could be excess tissue from elsewhere, yeah, but oh well. :) Glad to hear your cohorts up there seem to have the same feeling about it that I do.

[cafiorello.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

Cathy

[annathepiper]

Thanks!

[mojave-wolf.livejournal.com]

Wishing you the absolute best of luck with both recovery and the reconstruction!

[annathepiper]

Thanks very much!

[starfallz.livejournal.com]

*hugs* and good luck. :)

[annathepiper]

*snugs* here too! Thanks. :)

[kissare.livejournal.com]

The back option does sound ideal - it will still be "all you," and a shorter recovery time is a BIG plus! Good luck and best wishes! :)

[annathepiper]

Thanks much! There will still be a tissue expander involved, but I'm given to understand that'll be a temporary thing.

It's really rather Elfquesty, only without worrying about it being Winnowill doing the fleshshaping. ;)

[kissare.livejournal.com]

Yes, I wouldn't trust her with it!

[annathepiper]

Definitely not. ;)