One Week Post Surgery, 11/23/2011 By Anita

Aloha.  Mahalo to all my family and friends who have supported me thru my PINK journey.  My latest surgery was Tuesday, November 15.  Yes, that was surgery #5.  Today, Wednesday, I am doing well…a lot better than last week.  Although I knew for weeks about the surgery, it still threw me for a loop.  I guess it’s true, you do forget about the pain.  Last week was really difficult for me but it is much better today.  Dr. D was very pleased with the outcome of the surgery, fixing ‘things’ and doing a little ‘touch up’.  There are a lot of physical restrictions, like no lifting or carrying of items, no hula :(, no jogging or working out (I am so bummed!  LOL!!) but in time, I will be able to resume those activities.  I think he said no housework, cooking, cleaning, or working.  Larry, did you hear Dr. D say that??  LOL!!  I wish. 

As this is the day before Thanksgiving, this is a day to reflect on how luck we all are.  I am thankful for my wonderful husband, Larry.  He has been my rock, holding my hand thru this entire PINK journey.  My kids, Brett and Kristi have been wonderful, helping out and driving me around…well, Brett’s been driving me around.  My entire family has been really supportive of me.  I have been truly blessed with the best family and friends.  You all know who you are…hula ohana, bunco and book club friends, crafting friends, friends from the Brett and Kristi’s sports and school-from kindergarten on, Boy and Girl Scout friends, work friends and just friends. From the bottom of my heart, Mahalo.  I love you all.

Take a moment, give your loved ones a hug and tell them that you love them. 

A hui hou (see you soon). 

Aloha 

1st day post surgery-WED 11/16/2011

anita is recovering pretty well.  moderate amount of pain, but she can get around by herself once she gets up with assistance.  will be visiting dr. d later today

surgery update

anita just got out of surgery 615pm.  in recovery.  not up yet. 

November 15, 2011 surgery

Larry speaking:

It's been a while, hasn't it?  It seems like just yesterday that Anita had her last surgery (March 2011), which we were hoping was going to be her last.  It was not to be, however, as Anita was not totally happy cosmetically with the result of her reconstructive transplant surgery.  I guess it's safe to say that it is impossible to accurately predict how a surgery like she had is going to look.

So she went in today and surgery started about 130pm, with about 5.5 hours of surgery scheduled.  The main issue is a "cleaning up" of the transplant site, as it got hard due to a moderate amount of fat necrosis (the tissue dying off at the edges).  Also, in her upper chest area, there is an area of depression where she lost tissue in the first surgery where they are going to try to build the area up using excess fat (this makes anita very happy).

Dr. Dickinson and his partner are busily working away now (430pm), hopefully they took some 5 hour energy before the surgery.  Dr. D has been great-highly recommended.


On the cancer side, so far every test she has had shows no cancer.  She had a full body CAT scan in August and came out clean.


More updates post surgery about 7pm or so

March 12 update

saw dr. d today and the post-operation results look really great.  her old scars were replaced by new, much nicer scars, and it really looks like the end result will be great.

anita is getting around pretty good for only 1 day post op.  still kind of sluggish, but not a ton of pain like last time.

we'll be seeing the dr. wed again

March surgery - day 1 update

surgery went very well today.  took about 5 hours.  will have more details on the surgery later, but in a nutshell the procedure was largely cosmetic, taking out any dead tissue from the original transplant, and reshaping using "alloderm".  all of the original scars were re-done to make them flatter.

although anita is in pain, she is much better off this time.  she can go up and down the stairs already, and does not need total assistance for everything.  she had a small dinner also.

note: alloderm is a tissue matrix.  it is human skin with the cells removed, leaving a strong tissue-like mesh that the surgeon can use to shape and strengthen surgical areas (most commonly used with breast reconstruction and hernias).  it eventually merges with the tissue around it


seeing dr. d tomorrow.  update after that

Surgery tomorrow…Friday, March 11

Ok, I have been a little apprehensive about the surgery…not about being under and the procedure.  I trust my surgeon, Dr. D, implicitly!!  The part I have been worrying about how is long I’ll be down and out and the discomfort.  (Pretty wushi on the pain part.  LOL!!) 

The very, very best part of the surgery….drum roll…is that I have eaten lightly today and will probably not eat much tomorrow.  Ergo, weight loss!!  Yeah!  That’s the best part! You gotta see the bright side of things.

I want to change the subject.  I have a very dear and totally awesome friend who is in the hospital now and could use some extra prayers.  Please include Paul in your prayers.  He is such a great guy and it really hurts to hear about his situation.  Mahalo.

The details of tomorrow are as follows-check in is at 9:15am, surgery begins at 10:30 for about 4 hours.  They say I’ll be ready to leave the surgery center in about an hour after surgery.  My fingers (and toes!!) are crossed. 

Hopefully, Larry will post here with updates like that first surgery.  If he does not, I’ll post at my earliest chance. 

Take care and hope to see you all soon…

Aloha,
Anita

One Week Till the Next Surgery!

Aloha to my family and friends.  I am sorry that I have not posted in a LONG time.  Updates…

Oncologist-Dr. Barth (who is totally awesome!!!) wants to start hormone therapy in June, something like a Tamoxifin but not that drug.  He wants me to be really healthily (not an easy job) and to be really stable.  He said that if I was going to have any more surgeries, I need to do it now or WAY later.  So my next surgery is on March 11.

Surgery-Dr. D (who is also totally awesome and I love him…shhhh, don’t tell Larry!  Well, Larry already knows it!  LOL!!) is going to remove some yucky, dead tissue which is very uncomfortable.  I don’t think I could wait for surgery to be WAY later to remove that stuff so I am going to do the surgery now.  Plus, he is going to do some reconstruction stuff.  He says that it will be a lot less traumatic than the first surgery.  Granted, OK but really, how much less traumatic can any surgery be? 

The surgery will be outpatient and will be about 4 hours.  So I’ll be home Friday afternoon late.  I am not sure how I will be feeling but I know that I will be fine.

So, thank you for your continued support and prayers.  You can never have enough prayers. 

Take care.  Hope to see you all soon!