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!

Its me, Anita, blogging here!!

Aloha, all.  It’s Anita posting.  Larry has been having so much fun keeping my blog updated that I was thinking that I might have to change the password on him.  I hear he has been very amusing.  One day, I’ll have to read the blog to ‘see’ my recovery.

Larry and I would like to thank you all for your love, prayers and support thru my cancer journey.  All of your prayers, your friend’s prayers and their friend’s prayers have been answered-I am 100% breast cancer free AND I do not have to have any chemo or radiation therapy.  Hallelujah!!  I am soooooo lucky.  I think I am the 10% of the 10% of the 10%...or something like that.   (I’ll have to read what Larry wrote in the blog!)   I see my oncologist in January to map out my treatment plan.  He just attend a huge symposium (with the Susan G. Komen Foundation) to hear the lastest in the discovery, disgnosis and treatment on breast cancer.

We would also like to thank all our friends who have delivered delicious dinners to us.  OHGosh.  I am not sure how we would have survived without you.  (We all might have lost a lot of weight if we had to rely on Larry’s, Brett and Kristi’s cooking during those surgery and recovery weeks!!  LOL!!!)  Mahalo to Bridget Mondt for setting up and organizing the awesome CareCalendar for the meals and shoppers and to Roslyn Cronmiller for keeping the calendar current and for all the follow up phone calls.  The peace of mind of not having to worry about what to fix for dinner was huge…knowing that Larry and the kids (and sometimes the kid’s friends) were taken care of.  And me, too!!  I thank you and my family thanks you for time, your generosity and for the awesome eats!!

A big shout out goes to all my shoppers and helpers.  The Costco/grocery/Trader Joe’s shoppers were wonderful.  If not for you, we would have just not washed dishes because we ran out of dish soap, not had milk with cereal because we ran out of milk, and so on.  And Mahalo to my special helpers, those who came to the hospital with my ‘lists of needs’-bottled water, disinfectant wipes to wipe down my hospital room for the germs and bacteria, phone charger, etc.  To my drivers who drove me to my doctors appointments and to the hospital, a huge mahalo.  I would also like to thank my special helpers at the house-all those who came and helped water my plants, indoor and outdoor (I know, sounds stupid but it was a lot of work), my friend who came and cleaned all my leather couches just before surgery so during my recovery and sleeping downstairs, they all didn’t smell like ‘boys’, all my ‘babysitters’ so I would not be alone at home and could help me out if I needed anything.  Gosh, if I left anyone out (and I hope not!), thank you.

I have more to say but will save some for the next post. 






Larry, Brett, Kristi and I would like to wish you 'Mele Kalikimaka' (Merry Christmas in Hawaiian) and a joyous, prosperous and healthy 2011!!!



aloha, anita

December 5th update-FINALLY on the mend!!!

sorry i have not been keeping up with the posts lately, so let me summarize where we started and where we are today:

- in early november (like the 10th or so), anita had her 3rd surgery to help clear up the infection.
- by about the 13th or so, the infection finally turned the corner and every day since then, each day got better
- she has been on daily IV antibiotics until last Wed, Dec 2.
- she has been progressing excellently since then, we have been to 5 or so ducks games, and she can climb the very steep stairs there with relative ease now!!
- she uses her walking cane very infrequently
- she has started to drive a bit now (hold the jokes about an asian woman on pain meds just coming off surgery, please!!!)
- she is sleeping in a real bed now

the only problem she has now is she thinks she is 100% and is trying to act as such.  she has been to a few get togethers with friends and has tired herself out with making food and such to take.  i keep telling her i think people will understand is she shows up empty handed!!  anyway, its a good sign she is well enough to think of these things.

we saw dr. D in early december and he is very happy with the recent progress.  we dont have to see him for another 3 weeks or so (too bad, his receptionist is hot).  dr. thompson, the infectious guy, has released her from his care now too (receptionist not hot).

we just saw her oncologist, Dr. barth today, and he is starting his analysis of her current health state.  he is going to a massive breast cancer symposium in san antonio, where he is going to find out about several clinical trials related to aftercare of patients like anita (stage 0 cancer, but a large (10 cm) cancer).  this type of cancer is going to be specifically discussed, and he is going to use these findings in determining what treatment anita is going to get going forward (i.e., tamoxifen or its related cousins).  again, for a short recap, tamoxifen and its cousins either inhibit or reduce estrogen in the bloodstream, and most breast cancers grow better in the presence of estrogen.

as bad as it has been for anita, going to dr. barth's office is sobering.  she is about the healthiest patient he has.  he has a little clinic there where people go to get their chemotherapy.  it's really sad and helps to keep things in perspective.

she is truly on the mend now, and once again, we cant thank everyone enough for the support, the meals, the visits, flowers, and such

11/18 - Finally on the Mend!!

Ok, we really had a good last week.  After Anita's surgery last Wed, things really started looking up this last weekend.  The infection and the swelling really abated during the weekend.  We saw Dr. D on Tuesday, and the infection specialist Wed, and they are really happy with her progress.  She will continue getting IV antibiotics for the next week of so.

Anita felt well enough to go to Bunco night yesterday, and went briefly to her other bunco group tonight (thanks to lori r. for being her ride tonight).

She is starting to be able to do many of the little things that she has been unable to do, like going up and down the stairs, taking showers, washing her hair, and she can even walk at about 3/4 speed now (dont have to pass her in the hallways anymore!!!)

Monday, 11/15

Nothing new to report.  The Infection seems to healing up quite nicely, i think the swelling is almost back to normal now.  We are going to see Dr. D tomorrow, and the infectious disease guy Wed.

Overall, i think anita is getting a little better every day.  She actually made a trip out to guess where?? COSTCO!! - where the employees there thanked their lucky stars that their favorite shopper was back on her feet again. Many of them came up to say that they had missed her and were wondering where she went.  I think they were worried that they weren't going to get their usual christmas bonuses!!!

Anita is continuing to get daily IV doses of antibiotics (2 types), which i think will continue at least through this week.  we'll probably get a better handle on that after we see the infectious disease guy.

Once again, thanks for the support

Late night 11/10-back home again!!!

back home again!!!  the procedure went excellent, there was a lot less infection than was expected, and dr. D. took the time to do some "trimming" of the initial surgery.

anitas in a little more pain than before, but overall, we're happy that it is done and she got back home in one night.  Got in at 6pm and out at midnight.

Wed 11/10-Going back into the hospital

Saw an infection guy today.  He's not really happy with the progress, and he and Dr. D decided that another trip to the hospital is needed to clean out the affected area.  8-9pm is the likely surgery time.  Kind of hard to stay positive at times, but we are soldiering through it all.

Will try to update tonight after surgery.

Weekly update 11/10

Well, this past week has been a long week.  Anita is still fighting off the infection.  I would say that it peaked sometime this weekend, as positive progress was finally seen Monday and Tuesday (today).

She is receiving in-home IV antibiotic therapy, which a local nurse comes in to administer.  They are also adding an anti-MRSA antibiotic just to make sure everything gets cleared up.  Dr. D. has been fantastic, he has seen anita every day since she went back into the hospital, even this past saturday and sunday.  He is going out on a short trip from Wed to Sun, so he wants to make sure everything is on the mend before he leaves.

Once again, i cant say enough about all of the people who have visited, helped to take anita to doctor appointments, shopped for us, and especially brought food.  it's been a major help to us.  The only thing that confused me was that my Egyptian friend Tarek brought us lasagne.  ???????????

Overall, anita is getting much better, she is moving around the house at more than snail-like speeds now, and she can get into and out of a chair without assistance now.

Wed 11/4-PM - Anita's back home again

Anita came home Wed afternoon!!!  She has an embedded IV line in her for the injection of IV antibiotics.  Apparently, someone is coming tomorrow to do the first injection, and perhaps after that I'm on my own.

The IV stuff showed up today, it is all in small IV bags just like you get in the hospital.  No needles involved.  I was looking forward to that............

Wed 11/3-Just a quick update-still in the hospital

Anita is still in the hospital.  Infection-fortunately not MRSA.  they're trying to figure out what is the best antibiotic to use now.  I think they're going to put in a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catherter) today.  This is an IV catheter which is inserted in the upper arm area, and winds its way near the heart.


It's often used for long term antibiotic therapy, or for people who have hard to find veins.  They have been having a lot of problems finding good veins to use.  Also, it gets the antibiotic into the bloodstream faster, with less irritation to the veins.  an update to this note:  they're treating with cestriaxone (a relative of the commonly used keflex).  i think it only comes in IV form, which is why the PICC line is needed.

Yours truly will have to administer the injections, taking me back to my college days when i worked in a hospital as a vampire (phlebotomist).  Needles dont scare me at all-especially if i'm on the giving end!!!

(note to my sister the doc-it's a bacteria of the serratia family)

she is being released this afternoon

not to minimize this issue, but overall she is feeling much better this hospital stay, as the infection is not causing much pain.

P.S. you might note that one of the hospital volunteers was one of the commenters on the last post.  can you believe that?  it just goes to show that the level of care at this hospital is amazing

Hospital Stay #2 update-good news

ok, its 8pm, just saw Dr. D.  Everything went well, actually he said that the infection was not as bad as thought he was going to see.  he said it was more an issue of cellulitis (inflammation) versus an infection.  So he cleaned up the area, and she is on IV antibiotics.

Dr. D. said that breast tissue post-mastectomy is not real healthy at first (not as much blood flow as before), so infections and inflammation are real common

In recovery now-have not yet seen her.

she will likely go home tomorrow.

November 1 - Back in the Hospital

Doctor:  Larry, we have a little problem
Larry: What is it?
Doctor: Anita's breast is bigger than it should be-it's a little swollen
Larry: I thought you said there was a problem

We're back in the hospital for a one night stay.  It appears that anita has an infection, so they're going to open her up a tiny bit, flush out the affected area, put her on some IV antibiotics, and keep her in until tomorrow (tuesday) night.  It's a relatively common problem with this type of surgery, what with them having her on the table for so many hours.

No one seems to be too worried about it, they just want to jump on it right away before it becomes a problem.

update you tonight after she is out

October 26, 2010 - First visit to the oncologist-more GREAT news!!

A very tiring but good day today.  Saw Dr. Guerra today for a quick followup, nothing new there.  Still a problem with water retention, but nothing time wont solve.

Saw Dr. Barth after that for our first time - he is one of the foremost oncologists on the west coast (head of oncology at hoag and former chief of staff there, too).  Before his very long and thorough explanation of his analysis of anita's cancer he started out with this:

Anita is in a very rare minority of breast cancer patients where all of the planets have lined up perfectly:
- Her cancer was of a VERY slow growing nature (DCIS grade 1)
- The characteristics of the actual cancer cells point to a non-aggressive form (low grade)
- The cancer cells were of a type that are extremely estrogen/progesterone receptive. (with a 3+ rating).   This is good because she can opt to use "estrogen inhibitors" like Tamoxifen to decrease the likelihood of future cancers.  There is an 80% chance that Tamoxifen like drugs will have the desired effect when you have a 3+ rating.  In a nutshell, these drugs work by blocking estrogen from binding to cancer cells.  When blocked, the cancer cells are more susceptible to eventually dying off (like most cells do) rather than multiplying uncontrolled.  Statistically speaking, Anita has a 1% chance PER YEAR of developing breast cancer again over her lifespan.  So in 5 years, she has a 5% chance, etc.  Tamoxifen reduces that chance to 0.5% per year.

(There is another, newer class of drugs called Aromatase Inhibitors (AI's) that actually reduce the amount of estrogen in the bloodstream (not block it).  Once Anita is more on the mend, Dr. Barth is going to do a massive workup on her to determine the best course of action.)

He said that Anita's favorable combination can only be found in approximately 1% of all breast cancer patients!!

As for me, I was able to escape last night to go to the gym. (Rusty Ito my nephew this is for you!!).  The last time I saw my nephew Rusty, we kind of talked about doing a half marathon next year (his mom, my sis Dianne is a runner too).  I decided to see if I could run a 10K - 6.2 miles on a lark, so off on the treadmill I went.  Good news-I did it.  Bad news - I did it.  Moving very slowly today, I can see that more training is in order!!!