Since my last update, so much has happened. I will spare you all the details & try to summarize my past 5 weeks. I have weighed ALL of my options from doing my research, & having many consults with several doctors to have surgery. After learning that I am BRAC1 positive, I have made my final decision on all 3 of my doctors; my breast surgeon, plastic surgeon, & my oncologist. (Whew!!!! Glad that's over).
My first surgery date is scheduled for Jan. 13th., I have taken my doctors' advice & have chosen the 3-stage approach. On Jan. 13th, I will have a Double Mastectomy in which my breast surgeon & plastic surgeon will work together to remove hopefully 98% of my breast tissue & 40% of my skin, decreasing my chances of breast cancer from 87%-94% to only a 2% chance.
Immediately following my mastectomy (during the same surgery) my plastic surgeon will begin reconstruction by creating pockets in my chest wall & inserting temporary implant expanders. Alloderm , (cadaver skin) will be used to hold the expanders into place since there will not be any tissue left to support it. (HOLY CRAP, Ouchhhhhhh....yeah....I know). This surgery will take anywhere from 6-8 hrs. I have been told that it can take 2-4 days to receive my pathology reports back.
Hopefully, I will still be out of it until the reports come back so I do not worry myself crazy. Most women who I have made friends with that have had the same procedure that I am scheduled for, say that the first 2 weeks after surgery is basically a blur.
The next phase, which will be anywhere between 2-4 months later, my oncologist will do a oophorectomy, (removal of my tubes & ovary) to decrease my 50%to 60% chance of ovarian cancer down to 0%.
The final stage will be undergoing surgery to remove the temporary implant expanders & exchange them permanent ones. This procedure can actually take place between my mastectomy & oophorectomy or can actually have to wait up to 10-12 months, depending on my healing process.
Soooo....I will have a long & interesting journey ahead of me however, since I have been found positive for the BRAC1 default gene, the early onset of breast cancer with atypical cells, the decision to have surgery was pretty much a no brainer for me. It was the decisions pertaining to the surgeries that are overwhelming.
I recently learned that if I were not choosing to have the surgeries, in addition to the screenings, tests, blood work, etc. every 6 mths, there is 1 other option. Tamoxifen is a chemoprevention drug that is metabolized into compounds that bind to the cancer cells inside the estrogen receptor but do not avtivate it. There is only a small percentage of women & men who take Tamoxifen that have success with blocking the breast cancer cell growth. Tamoxifin has to be taken for 5 years & may or may not cause symptoms such as hair loss, weakness, fatigue, nausea, etc. So....THIS IS NOT A OPTION I AM INTERESTED IN.
Back to the basics, the whole reason that I am choosing this route is to live longer for my children, stay around to watch them grow & continue on into their lives & to be around for my family & friends that mean so much to me.
As for my mom, she is in great health & feeling fine. Mom is adamant about postponing her preventative hysterectomy until I am somewhat healed from my mastectomy & temporary reconstruction surgery. I can't argue with her any more, she won the battle so I just have to swallow that hard pill as much as I HATE to do it.
I have recently joined a group that consist of women of all types of nationalities & are from all over the U.S., UK, (basically anywhere you can imagine). This group of women have all either been through the surgeries that I am preparing for or have already completed them. This Facebook group page is very private, shows all types of before & after photos, ALOT of the bad & ugly complications /infections, necrosis, seromas, etc. that are common after this type of surgery. I have learned so much from these women & find my self asking them 2-3 questions a day, mostly during all hours of the night due to my lack of sleep lately.
Here is a great link with a lot of good information explaining more about the different genetic mutations. This link is very informative & even points out the warning signs to look for. www.cancer.net/cancer--types/hereditary-breat-and-ovarian-cancer
I am usually someone who always has a plan, knows where I am going & what I'm working towards. But I will be honest & admit that kind of focus has been lacking the past several weeks. So here is my plan & what I am going to do, I am going to stay positive, stay calm, continue doing my research & I'm going to beat cancer's a$$ before it has a chance to take me from my children & the ones I love.
Please continue to share & help me spread the word so we can hopefully increase the awareness about BRAC genetic mutation testing & HELP SAVE SOME LIVES!!!!!!
XOXO,
Cindy
P.S. Please continue to pray for my mom.
