Kicking Butt Day 4: Early morning with my plastic surgeon.... Good sign is he is Duke trained and wore a pink tie. We didnt just discuss surgery, much like with my surgeon, we discussed Rhonda.... Who I am, how I live, what is my personal life and how I arrived at this place. Options discussed, facts, risks, short term and long term issues. Each of us that are chosen to have this evil breast cancer walk through the same dark woods, but we are faced with many paths and our journeys are as unique as we are. I respect the choices each of my sisters make as they fight their fight and find their own way along the path. I nursed 3 children with these....watched them grow and shrink and now sag. Rested sick children against them, felt the touch of a lover on them, bought pretty lacy stuff to cover them. But when I look at them, I realize that they are just boobs, they are not me. If this cancer was in my right butt cheek, would there be any question I would cut it off to be cancer free?? So the decision was easy, but not without thought. I want them gone, but bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction doesnt increase my survival over lumpectomy plus radiation. What it does is eliminate my chance of recurrence which now jumps to 20-25% in the same or other one since I have breast cancer. At 53 with lil man at home, this is really what it boils down to for me. Surgery will be harder, recovery longer. Ill need another outpatient procedure in a couple months. But I will be done, and not have to worry about this again. Those who know me will appreciate how important that is to me. And once that decision was official, the weight of the world lifted from me. My focus became clear. Kind of like I had entered that dark woods and then someone ran in and handed me a trail map, compass and lantern. And then 2 really well trained and skill guys walked up beside me and said, hey we will be your guides. Peter Turk and John Appel, my surgeons. They will help me through the really rocky scary terrain ahead. And then I could hear all of you, waiting on the edge of that dark woods, cheering me on the path. Im still scared, anxious about a 4-5 hour surgery and the recovery, but I am ready. You are my warrior team...... I AM A WARRIOR!
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 01:40:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015