Nothing much new to report. I got a call from the anesthesiologist about 230pm. She said all was going well, and they anticipate Anita being out of surgery at about 6pm.
They figure she will be in recovery for about 1 hour, then moving to ICU for the rest of the evening.
I will update when she gets out of surgery
Friday, October 15, 2010
Great News - Part 1 is done, and the cancer has not spread
Great news - at 1030AM, Dr. Guerra came out of surgery and told me that the sentinel lymph nodes have been examined, looked normal to the naked eye, and also came out clean in the screening biopsy!!! Although they will perform the full biopsy anyway (we'll know the results of that later next week), all signs point to what we thought-stage 0 (non invasive) cancer. So the mastectomy is done, Dr. Guerra is finished, and they're moving into the reconstructive phase.
Dr. Dickinson is now working his magic, and we'll probably know a little more about 4pm or so, with the surgery finishing about 6pm.
The anesthesiologist has called a few times with some updates, Anita is doing fine so far.
Dr. Dickinson is now working his magic, and we'll probably know a little more about 4pm or so, with the surgery finishing about 6pm.
The anesthesiologist has called a few times with some updates, Anita is doing fine so far.
Larry's taking over the blog-Anita's in surgery
They just wheeled Anita into surgery at 8AM, after 3 hours of prep and paperwork. The nurses and staff here have been excellent so far. Anita was amazingly calm this morning, she did not show any traces of nervousness. She will have 2 hours with Dr. Lisa Guerra, her breast surgeon. They will excise her breast and her "sentinel" lymph nodes. They injected a radioactive dye into her last night to see where her initial or sentinel lymph nodes are, and take them out. The sentinel nodes are the first nodes that would have cancer cells in them. They will quickly do a biopsy (during the surgery) of the sentinel nodes to see if any cancer cells are in there. If the sentinel nodes are clean, she gets to keep the rest of her lymph nodes. Breast surgery has progressed a lot in the last few years, it's a long way from the day where they immediately took out all of the lymph nodes and the chest muscle. (Below is Anita with Dr. Guerra)
After Dr. Guerra is done, the hard work begins. About 10AM, Dr. Dickinson, the plastic surgeon, will start his end, which will be about 6-8 hours more. He will be transplanting tissue from the stomach area, and creating a new breast out of the tissue. It's all done microsurgically (lots of veins and arteries to be disconnected and reconnected), which is why it takes so long.
I will update when Dr. Guerra comes out of the OR.
And guess what? Her anesthesiologist is from Hawaii, is our age, and attended the same school Anita went to one summer (Punahou, where our Prez went to school)
Thanks for your support-talk to you in a few hours
After Dr. Guerra is done, the hard work begins. About 10AM, Dr. Dickinson, the plastic surgeon, will start his end, which will be about 6-8 hours more. He will be transplanting tissue from the stomach area, and creating a new breast out of the tissue. It's all done microsurgically (lots of veins and arteries to be disconnected and reconnected), which is why it takes so long.
I will update when Dr. Guerra comes out of the OR.
And guess what? Her anesthesiologist is from Hawaii, is our age, and attended the same school Anita went to one summer (Punahou, where our Prez went to school)
Thanks for your support-talk to you in a few hours
Thursday, October 14, 2010
"Twas the Night before Surgery..."
And all thru the Takemoto household...…ok, wrong story. Seriously, mahalo to everyone who has called me, emailed me, visited me, sent flowers, sent books and gift cards (my kids are sooo happy!!), stopped by, those who signed up for meals and shopping, those who are helping me out (babysitting and special helpers) and kept me in your thots and prayers. (Did I miss anything? If I did…MAHALO!) Wow, I am soooo blessed to have this circle of Ohana (family) and Friends.
Now that I have the thank you’s done, you ask how am I doing? Today was rather difficult. I had a couple of meltdowns but have bounced back rather well. I am getting ready for a good nite’s sleep and check in at 5 AM.
I am looking forward to seeing you all soon!! Take care. Hugs to all!
Now that I have the thank you’s done, you ask how am I doing? Today was rather difficult. I had a couple of meltdowns but have bounced back rather well. I am getting ready for a good nite’s sleep and check in at 5 AM.
I am looking forward to seeing you all soon!! Take care. Hugs to all!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
TWO Days Till Surgery...
Tick, tock, tick, tock! Wow, how time flies. I can’t believe that in just a couple of days, I am gonna have the best sleep ever! Seriously, thank you to all who have posted comments (and I know that is difficult to do on my blog!), emailed me, called me and stopped by to see me. I so appreciate your efforts to ‘touch’ me. My heart and soul is filled with your love and support and PRAYERS!! Mahalo!
Yes, my mom and Larry’s parents now know. It was really, really difficult to tell them…well, Larry told his parents and they took it very well. Telling my mom the news was so hard. Thanx, Karen (my sis), for watching over mom. And to Keven (my bro) for worrying about mom.
Because so many of you have asked, here is a note from my friend, Bridget:
If you have not heard by now our friend Anita Takemoto has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She will be going in for surgery on Friday the 15th and is in need of help with meals and weekly grocery shopping. I have started a Care Calendar for anyone who wants to sign up and help.
Here are the log in instructions for the care calendar:
To access Anita Takemoto's personal CareCalendar site,
visit http://www.carecalendar.org/logon/52789 and enter
the following information in the appropriate spaces:
CALENDAR ID : 52789
SECURITY CODE : 9350
Username: mondtb
Password: goofball
I don’t have everyone’s e-mail so please feel free to pass this e-mail on to anyone you think would like to help Anita and her family.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me:
Bridget Mondt
Home: 360-1253
Cell: 533-2137
Please, if you are busy (and I totally understand) or are too far, no worries. Just knowing that I am in your thots and prayers means so much to me.
So, how am I doing? I am doing great. I am too busy to be really…worried is not the correct word…ummm, ok, worried is the best word I can think of at midnite. I will not allow myself to really, really think about the surgery. I do think about it but not dwell on it. Until maybe Thursday nite! LOL!! I am doing a lot of ‘last things’. We took at last family vacation, just the 4 of us, to San Diego. We kayaked in La Jolla, stayed in San Diego and went to Sea World the next day. Yes, even Brett had a good time at Sea World. We saw the ‘Social Network’, the 4 of us this past weekend (mahalo for the movie tickets and munchies!!) I went on two of my crazy fun crafting getaways, one with Leslie, Yuko, Michelle and Laura, and the second one with Michelle. Can you believe that we have so much fun, so much crafting that we got tired?? I don’t get it. Maybe I am getting old!! I’ve been to my last buncos and last hula class before surgery. I got an adjustment from my chiropractor yesterday. (I feel so much better thanx to Dr. Loaiza!) My last nail appointment is on Thursday. That’s really a priority!! I am crazy busy with work and trying to straighten up the house. That is a never ending chore!
Gotta get ready to go to bed. Nite nite, all…
Yes, my mom and Larry’s parents now know. It was really, really difficult to tell them…well, Larry told his parents and they took it very well. Telling my mom the news was so hard. Thanx, Karen (my sis), for watching over mom. And to Keven (my bro) for worrying about mom.
Because so many of you have asked, here is a note from my friend, Bridget:
If you have not heard by now our friend Anita Takemoto has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She will be going in for surgery on Friday the 15th and is in need of help with meals and weekly grocery shopping. I have started a Care Calendar for anyone who wants to sign up and help.
Here are the log in instructions for the care calendar:
To access Anita Takemoto's personal CareCalendar site,
visit http://www.carecalendar.org/logon/52789 and enter
the following information in the appropriate spaces:
CALENDAR ID : 52789
SECURITY CODE : 9350
Username: mondtb
Password: goofball
I don’t have everyone’s e-mail so please feel free to pass this e-mail on to anyone you think would like to help Anita and her family.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me:
Bridget Mondt
Home: 360-1253
Cell: 533-2137
Please, if you are busy (and I totally understand) or are too far, no worries. Just knowing that I am in your thots and prayers means so much to me.
So, how am I doing? I am doing great. I am too busy to be really…worried is not the correct word…ummm, ok, worried is the best word I can think of at midnite. I will not allow myself to really, really think about the surgery. I do think about it but not dwell on it. Until maybe Thursday nite! LOL!! I am doing a lot of ‘last things’. We took at last family vacation, just the 4 of us, to San Diego. We kayaked in La Jolla, stayed in San Diego and went to Sea World the next day. Yes, even Brett had a good time at Sea World. We saw the ‘Social Network’, the 4 of us this past weekend (mahalo for the movie tickets and munchies!!) I went on two of my crazy fun crafting getaways, one with Leslie, Yuko, Michelle and Laura, and the second one with Michelle. Can you believe that we have so much fun, so much crafting that we got tired?? I don’t get it. Maybe I am getting old!! I’ve been to my last buncos and last hula class before surgery. I got an adjustment from my chiropractor yesterday. (I feel so much better thanx to Dr. Loaiza!) My last nail appointment is on Thursday. That’s really a priority!! I am crazy busy with work and trying to straighten up the house. That is a never ending chore!
Gotta get ready to go to bed. Nite nite, all…
Monday, October 4, 2010
A Public Service Announcement and a Favor…
A Public Service Announcement-(just imagine a voice like George Clooney or Jennifer Aniston):
If YOU need to see a medical specialist (like YOUR DOCTOR!!) for any reason like experiencing pain, lump, annual, semi-annual or WAY OVER DUE ANNUAL), please, PLEASE MAKE A PHONE CALL!!!
To date, I have 13 of my friends and relatives who have said they need to make an appointment with their doctors. To those who have seen their doctors and have received their results, they have all been negative! YEA! Now to those who have promised to call their doctors and have not, do it today. And finally, to those who have not yet called OR THOSE WHO NEED to make an appointment, PLEASE DO IT! Do it for me, for your spouse, children and for your family so you do not need to tell them news like I had to do. Let me share with you that telling my kids, Larry’s parents and my Mom (oh, I haven’t told her yet!! Shhhh.) and our families was agonizing. It was so hard because I didn’t want to them worry and I didn’t know how they would take it. Believe me, you do not want to be in that position. And let me know if you are my 14th, or 15th, or whatever number person.
Now to the Favor part. Thank you, everyone, for your phone calls, emails and visits, of support, love, prayers, flowers, books and loving thots. And offers to do meals and whatever. I am calling in the ‘meals and whatever’. My recovery will be long (BTW, Larry, the doc said I will out of work for 6-8+ weeks!!) so I would love some meals for my family. I think my family would be healthier if they didn’t eat top ramen noodles everyday. Tho Brett would love it.
And would someone please coordinate it. I would really appreciate it.
Till the next entry, take care.
Aloha,
Anita
PS. Please leave me a comment. I love the read them:)!!!
If YOU need to see a medical specialist (like YOUR DOCTOR!!) for any reason like experiencing pain, lump, annual, semi-annual or WAY OVER DUE ANNUAL), please, PLEASE MAKE A PHONE CALL!!!
To date, I have 13 of my friends and relatives who have said they need to make an appointment with their doctors. To those who have seen their doctors and have received their results, they have all been negative! YEA! Now to those who have promised to call their doctors and have not, do it today. And finally, to those who have not yet called OR THOSE WHO NEED to make an appointment, PLEASE DO IT! Do it for me, for your spouse, children and for your family so you do not need to tell them news like I had to do. Let me share with you that telling my kids, Larry’s parents and my Mom (oh, I haven’t told her yet!! Shhhh.) and our families was agonizing. It was so hard because I didn’t want to them worry and I didn’t know how they would take it. Believe me, you do not want to be in that position. And let me know if you are my 14th, or 15th, or whatever number person.
Now to the Favor part. Thank you, everyone, for your phone calls, emails and visits, of support, love, prayers, flowers, books and loving thots. And offers to do meals and whatever. I am calling in the ‘meals and whatever’. My recovery will be long (BTW, Larry, the doc said I will out of work for 6-8+ weeks!!) so I would love some meals for my family. I think my family would be healthier if they didn’t eat top ramen noodles everyday. Tho Brett would love it.
And would someone please coordinate it. I would really appreciate it.
Till the next entry, take care.
Aloha,
Anita
PS. Please leave me a comment. I love the read them:)!!!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
It’s been too long since my last post…
I know, I know. I said that I would TRY to post once a week. Yes, I know that I am behind. How does that saying go: all good things come to those who wait. Ummm, what’s been happening? Well, Tuesday, I had my pre-op appointment with the fabulous Dr. D, (that’s Dr. Dickinson, my plastic surgeon!!). He got his marker and was drawing pictures of Larry and me on my body…well, really making a map of the incision cuts. If he ever wants to give up being a surgeon, he can definitely making a living being an artist!!
Wednesday, I saw my awesome breast surgeon, Dr. Guerra. Before someone has surgery, the doctors today are very thorough. Boy oh boy, she put me thru the wringer! I had a mammogram, blood test, X-ray and EKG. OK, in a day or so, I may forget how it feels to have a mammogram…maybe more than a couple of days!! LOL!! I’ll let you know. (I may give up eating pancakes!!) On to the blood test-the guy stuck me in the left arm and went fishing…for my vein. I know it’ll be sore for days. AND, to top it off, he totally missed my vein. So then I got stuck in the other arm, too. At least he found it that time. Do you know they do an EKG on you before surgery to check if you had an undetected heart attack? I guess all the times I felt chest pains were NOT heart attacks!
RAKs-definition; Random Acts of Kindness. I want to share a couple of RAK stories with you. You know how I love to go on my ‘crafting getaways’. There are swaps at these events. Someone will post ‘let’s do a ribbon swap, or a page layout swap’ or something like that. There were two charm swaps and about 65 people signed up to make 80+ charms (yes, make like in hand-made). I wanted to sign up to be part of the charm swap but didn’t have the time to make them. So, Michelle was a total dear; she gave me half of the charms she received and made a bracelet for me!!! And I didn’t even make a charm!! OMGosh! I was so touched! Then, I shared my cancer journey with Leslie M. from Texas, a friend that I had met thru this event a couple of years ago. She had a necklace with the charms from both swaps. She gave me her entire necklace!!! Another OMGosh moment!! To Michelle and Leslie; Mahalo for their very generous RAKs.
For the most part, I think I am doing pretty well. Other than being more emotional (is that is possible??), I am really good with the whole cancer thing…except for Tuesday. I don’t know what caused all the emotion. I was crying and fretting. Thank you, Rebecca, for being my rock that day. She has been down the same road as I and it was good to just cry and talk about stuff. It was the same day as my first pre-op appointment. Maybe I have been so busy with work and the funeral and family and my fun events and stuff that I haven’t really, really put a lot of thot into this until my first pre-op appointment? Maybe the stress just got to me? So I got all my crying before and at my appointment out of the way, came home and took a time out…oh, I mean a nap. It’s amazing what closing your eyes for 30 minutes will do for you. I felt ready to go celebrate Barbara’s birthday. Being with Barbara and the girls was the most important part of the day! A perfect way to end the day. We had so much fun that they we closed the restaurant!!
I have already started the next entry so either 1) subscribe or 2) bookmark:
www.atakemoto1.blogspot.com
And check in tomorrow!!
PS. Please feel free to leave a comment:)!!
Wednesday, I saw my awesome breast surgeon, Dr. Guerra. Before someone has surgery, the doctors today are very thorough. Boy oh boy, she put me thru the wringer! I had a mammogram, blood test, X-ray and EKG. OK, in a day or so, I may forget how it feels to have a mammogram…maybe more than a couple of days!! LOL!! I’ll let you know. (I may give up eating pancakes!!) On to the blood test-the guy stuck me in the left arm and went fishing…for my vein. I know it’ll be sore for days. AND, to top it off, he totally missed my vein. So then I got stuck in the other arm, too. At least he found it that time. Do you know they do an EKG on you before surgery to check if you had an undetected heart attack? I guess all the times I felt chest pains were NOT heart attacks!
RAKs-definition; Random Acts of Kindness. I want to share a couple of RAK stories with you. You know how I love to go on my ‘crafting getaways’. There are swaps at these events. Someone will post ‘let’s do a ribbon swap, or a page layout swap’ or something like that. There were two charm swaps and about 65 people signed up to make 80+ charms (yes, make like in hand-made). I wanted to sign up to be part of the charm swap but didn’t have the time to make them. So, Michelle was a total dear; she gave me half of the charms she received and made a bracelet for me!!! And I didn’t even make a charm!! OMGosh! I was so touched! Then, I shared my cancer journey with Leslie M. from Texas, a friend that I had met thru this event a couple of years ago. She had a necklace with the charms from both swaps. She gave me her entire necklace!!! Another OMGosh moment!! To Michelle and Leslie; Mahalo for their very generous RAKs.
For the most part, I think I am doing pretty well. Other than being more emotional (is that is possible??), I am really good with the whole cancer thing…except for Tuesday. I don’t know what caused all the emotion. I was crying and fretting. Thank you, Rebecca, for being my rock that day. She has been down the same road as I and it was good to just cry and talk about stuff. It was the same day as my first pre-op appointment. Maybe I have been so busy with work and the funeral and family and my fun events and stuff that I haven’t really, really put a lot of thot into this until my first pre-op appointment? Maybe the stress just got to me? So I got all my crying before and at my appointment out of the way, came home and took a time out…oh, I mean a nap. It’s amazing what closing your eyes for 30 minutes will do for you. I felt ready to go celebrate Barbara’s birthday. Being with Barbara and the girls was the most important part of the day! A perfect way to end the day. We had so much fun that they we closed the restaurant!!
I have already started the next entry so either 1) subscribe or 2) bookmark:
www.atakemoto1.blogspot.com
And check in tomorrow!!
PS. Please feel free to leave a comment:)!!
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