HAVE PATIENCE, GOD ISN'T FINISHED YET.
Philippians 1:6
If you don't take a peek at the comments made on this blog, sometimes you miss something special. I'm going to start this off on a light note, because it pertains a little bit to something more serious later on.
Tina's comment to yesterday's post.
OZZY OSBOURNE'S WIFE HAD BREAST SURGERY. THEY TOOK FAT FROM HER BUTT TO RECONSTRUCT. HE NOW JOKES WITH HER THAT HER BOOBIES SMELL LIKE ASS.
Well, kids, I went to see the surgeon today and it seems like it's going to be more difficult than we had anticipated. Dr. B (surgeon) did an ultrasound and the tumor still seems to be about the same size as it was originally. Unfortunately, it's not a nice, round, firm ball-like tumor - more like a raggedy-edged type of shape. It wasn't said out loud, but we got the impression that maybe the chemo treatments didn't work.
I have a history of trying different things to improve myself, and it doesn't seem to make a difference. Like all the walking and biking - no weight loss. In 2001, I had Lasik surgery. My eyesight was spectacular - for about a week. Then it began to reverse. Six months later, I had the Lasik surgery again. My eyesight was spectacular - for about another stinking week before it began to reverse. Five years later, I had the Lasik touched up when I had cataract surgery. Again, the same thing. About ten years ago, I took Coral Calcium because Lon thought that would be a healthy thing for us to do. I got such big kidney stones from the stupid calcium crystals, that they wedged inside the "tube" and I had to have them surgically removed. If I take vitamins, I begin to feel really crappy, not healthier. So, I guess that I shouldn't be surprised if my body will not accept chemo. I wondered why the people at the clinic looked so surprised, but not necessarily happy, about the fact that I was retaining my hair. I had read in one of my cancer advisory books, that it was GOOD to lose your hair, because that was a sign of the chemo working. I do NOT know for a fact that it didn't work, but I'm thinking it may just be true. I'm getting the feeling that I am Teflon Woman - I resist EVERYTHING!
Dr. Ghosh had told us from the beginning, that if it looked like the chemo wasn't working, his advice was to have the surgery performed as soon as possible. However, he is gone for a couple more weeks, so what do I do?
Well, Dr. B gave us a few options. Option No. 1 is a lumpectomy, which involves having a radiologist stick metal pin markers in to form a kind of fence around the cancerous area, and hope that they guess the correct dimensions of ALL of the cancer. Then Dr. B would cut out everything inside the fence, and then I would do chemo and radiation. I would need reconstructive work done.
Option No.2 is a skin-saving partial mastectomy which would be like cutting the entire core of the breast out and leaving the shell (the skin and nipple of the original breast). At the same time of surgery, a stretcher (balloon) would be placed under the muscle that lies right on top of the wall of the chest. Drains would be put in for about a week. The stretcher (or balloon-like thing) would be expanded periodically for about three months by pumping fluid into it. After that time, they would go in and make an incision, take out the stretcher and put in a "gummy bear" prosthesis. Tah Dah - new and improved breast. Dr. B. talked about having BOTH BREASTS done at the same time to ensure that both sides are symmetrical and, with the inside of each breast removed, almost all chance of getting cancer in the future, in either side would be gone. YIPES! I don't know if I want to be that radical about this. Like Lon says, "If it ain't broke - don't fix it." Since the right side "ain't broke", I think I'll just leave that one alone.
Option No. 3 is a complete mastectomy. I don't even want to think about that.
We go to see the plastic surgeon on Thursday, to find out more.
When Dr. B. was talking about the different prosthesis materials, that darn info that Tina had given me about Ozzie Osbourne's wife's breast reconstruction, came to mind. I had been kinda crying at that point, and when I tried to tell the doctor about a portion of Sharon Osbourne's butt being used to fill the void of her breast, I burst out laughing. Lon just looked apologetically at the doc and said, "She has a weird sense of humor."
Talked to Sister Sandy and Jenna tonight, and got some of my fussing out of my system. Thanks.
Maybe tomorrow will look a little brighter. I guess I will take my own advice and take everything minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
Philippians 1:6
If you don't take a peek at the comments made on this blog, sometimes you miss something special. I'm going to start this off on a light note, because it pertains a little bit to something more serious later on.
Tina's comment to yesterday's post.
OZZY OSBOURNE'S WIFE HAD BREAST SURGERY. THEY TOOK FAT FROM HER BUTT TO RECONSTRUCT. HE NOW JOKES WITH HER THAT HER BOOBIES SMELL LIKE ASS.
Well, kids, I went to see the surgeon today and it seems like it's going to be more difficult than we had anticipated. Dr. B (surgeon) did an ultrasound and the tumor still seems to be about the same size as it was originally. Unfortunately, it's not a nice, round, firm ball-like tumor - more like a raggedy-edged type of shape. It wasn't said out loud, but we got the impression that maybe the chemo treatments didn't work.
I have a history of trying different things to improve myself, and it doesn't seem to make a difference. Like all the walking and biking - no weight loss. In 2001, I had Lasik surgery. My eyesight was spectacular - for about a week. Then it began to reverse. Six months later, I had the Lasik surgery again. My eyesight was spectacular - for about another stinking week before it began to reverse. Five years later, I had the Lasik touched up when I had cataract surgery. Again, the same thing. About ten years ago, I took Coral Calcium because Lon thought that would be a healthy thing for us to do. I got such big kidney stones from the stupid calcium crystals, that they wedged inside the "tube" and I had to have them surgically removed. If I take vitamins, I begin to feel really crappy, not healthier. So, I guess that I shouldn't be surprised if my body will not accept chemo. I wondered why the people at the clinic looked so surprised, but not necessarily happy, about the fact that I was retaining my hair. I had read in one of my cancer advisory books, that it was GOOD to lose your hair, because that was a sign of the chemo working. I do NOT know for a fact that it didn't work, but I'm thinking it may just be true. I'm getting the feeling that I am Teflon Woman - I resist EVERYTHING!
Dr. Ghosh had told us from the beginning, that if it looked like the chemo wasn't working, his advice was to have the surgery performed as soon as possible. However, he is gone for a couple more weeks, so what do I do?
Well, Dr. B gave us a few options. Option No. 1 is a lumpectomy, which involves having a radiologist stick metal pin markers in to form a kind of fence around the cancerous area, and hope that they guess the correct dimensions of ALL of the cancer. Then Dr. B would cut out everything inside the fence, and then I would do chemo and radiation. I would need reconstructive work done.
Option No.2 is a skin-saving partial mastectomy which would be like cutting the entire core of the breast out and leaving the shell (the skin and nipple of the original breast). At the same time of surgery, a stretcher (balloon) would be placed under the muscle that lies right on top of the wall of the chest. Drains would be put in for about a week. The stretcher (or balloon-like thing) would be expanded periodically for about three months by pumping fluid into it. After that time, they would go in and make an incision, take out the stretcher and put in a "gummy bear" prosthesis. Tah Dah - new and improved breast. Dr. B. talked about having BOTH BREASTS done at the same time to ensure that both sides are symmetrical and, with the inside of each breast removed, almost all chance of getting cancer in the future, in either side would be gone. YIPES! I don't know if I want to be that radical about this. Like Lon says, "If it ain't broke - don't fix it." Since the right side "ain't broke", I think I'll just leave that one alone.
Option No. 3 is a complete mastectomy. I don't even want to think about that.
We go to see the plastic surgeon on Thursday, to find out more.
When Dr. B. was talking about the different prosthesis materials, that darn info that Tina had given me about Ozzie Osbourne's wife's breast reconstruction, came to mind. I had been kinda crying at that point, and when I tried to tell the doctor about a portion of Sharon Osbourne's butt being used to fill the void of her breast, I burst out laughing. Lon just looked apologetically at the doc and said, "She has a weird sense of humor."
Talked to Sister Sandy and Jenna tonight, and got some of my fussing out of my system. Thanks.
Maybe tomorrow will look a little brighter. I guess I will take my own advice and take everything minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
RSS Feed
