Today was my last Herceptin Treatment!!!!!!
Herceptin is was used to treat the specific kind of cancer I had. Her2negatitive. Herceptin works by killing just the cancer cells, so it doesn't have all the mean side affects of chemo. However it is still a infusion and I received it every 3 weeks. It usually made me tired though. Maybe it is just the stress of having to been at the cancer infusion center. So I am happy to not have to go through that ordeal anymore. Yay, one more thing off the medical check list! :-)
Friday, September 26, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Pouch O' Gram & Flex Scope
Yesterday had to run some tests on my J-Pouch to see if everything was healed up properly. This way, I can move onto the third and hopefully final stage of the j-pouch.
I had my Pouch O' Gram at 9:00 AM which was good, because I couldn't eat or drink anything after midnight the night before. So the Pouch O Gram involves inserting a small tube into the stoma and injecting die (iodine) into the j-pouch and then taking an e-ray. By doing this, they can see if the j-pouch is water tight. It felt more uncomfortable than I imagined it would, but it wasn't unbearable. I brought extra ostomy supplies with me, because they had to remove the bag to run this test.
The Flex Scope was shortly after. This test involved inserting a small camera rectally to see the inside of the j-pouch. My j-pouch was really inflamed. Which I am worried about, I've been having some bleeding for awhile now. When I notified my surgeon about this she thought the pouch was just healing or that I was having a UC flare (I guess they leave a small part of the colon so they can reconnect everything, and that part can still become inflamed.) Turns out I have a case of pouchitis. There really isn't a known cause of pouchitis. I am on antibiotics to try to clear it up. So we will see how all that goes. Anyways another thing they do in the flex scope, is blow air in the j-pouch to make sure it is air tight. I passed this portion of the test as well.
So my surgery is tentatively schedule to happen in a couple of weeks depending on my pouchitis clearing up. Keeping my figures crossed. Although I am so nervous for the 3rd portion, that I am okay putting it off for a bit.
I had my Pouch O' Gram at 9:00 AM which was good, because I couldn't eat or drink anything after midnight the night before. So the Pouch O Gram involves inserting a small tube into the stoma and injecting die (iodine) into the j-pouch and then taking an e-ray. By doing this, they can see if the j-pouch is water tight. It felt more uncomfortable than I imagined it would, but it wasn't unbearable. I brought extra ostomy supplies with me, because they had to remove the bag to run this test.
The Flex Scope was shortly after. This test involved inserting a small camera rectally to see the inside of the j-pouch. My j-pouch was really inflamed. Which I am worried about, I've been having some bleeding for awhile now. When I notified my surgeon about this she thought the pouch was just healing or that I was having a UC flare (I guess they leave a small part of the colon so they can reconnect everything, and that part can still become inflamed.) Turns out I have a case of pouchitis. There really isn't a known cause of pouchitis. I am on antibiotics to try to clear it up. So we will see how all that goes. Anyways another thing they do in the flex scope, is blow air in the j-pouch to make sure it is air tight. I passed this portion of the test as well.
So my surgery is tentatively schedule to happen in a couple of weeks depending on my pouchitis clearing up. Keeping my figures crossed. Although I am so nervous for the 3rd portion, that I am okay putting it off for a bit.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Complication with Reconstruction
Exactly 10 days after my breast reconstruction surgery I had a major complication...........
I noticed a bit of a bruise on lefty, didn't think about it much and went to bed. In the morning my entire left breast was black, blue, and purple. I called my surgeon straight away, and she informed me that I needed to come into the hospital right away. I was freaking out majorly and was an emotional wreck.
Turns out that one of my veins that they connected the new tissue with had collapsed. This was a major problem. I was to be what my surgeon called, "sat on" for a couple of days to determine a course of action. What does this mean?
I was to be observed in the hospital. If things got worse, I would need emergency surgery. And I would lose lefty once again. They gave me blood thinners, to clear up the clots. Luckily my surgeon used two veins, she informed that some only use one vein, had that been the case I wouldn't have been able to keep my left breast. I was informed that it is actually really rare to have a vein collapse. I was feeling partially depressed, why is it always me?! Lefty actually tried to kill me again, what a trouble maker.
The blood thinners seamed to help, after a couple of days the bruising improved. And I got to return home from the hospital. However the flap started to shrink and therefore opened up around my incisions. So I have a large wound that I am taking care of. Keeping it clean by doing wet to dry, twice per day. Which basically involves putting gauze on after I shower, and then letting the gauze fall off in the shower. Seams to be working. It starting to close up, just taking it's time.
I am super happy I got to keep lefty.
I noticed a bit of a bruise on lefty, didn't think about it much and went to bed. In the morning my entire left breast was black, blue, and purple. I called my surgeon straight away, and she informed me that I needed to come into the hospital right away. I was freaking out majorly and was an emotional wreck.
Turns out that one of my veins that they connected the new tissue with had collapsed. This was a major problem. I was to be what my surgeon called, "sat on" for a couple of days to determine a course of action. What does this mean?
I was to be observed in the hospital. If things got worse, I would need emergency surgery. And I would lose lefty once again. They gave me blood thinners, to clear up the clots. Luckily my surgeon used two veins, she informed that some only use one vein, had that been the case I wouldn't have been able to keep my left breast. I was informed that it is actually really rare to have a vein collapse. I was feeling partially depressed, why is it always me?! Lefty actually tried to kill me again, what a trouble maker.
The blood thinners seamed to help, after a couple of days the bruising improved. And I got to return home from the hospital. However the flap started to shrink and therefore opened up around my incisions. So I have a large wound that I am taking care of. Keeping it clean by doing wet to dry, twice per day. Which basically involves putting gauze on after I shower, and then letting the gauze fall off in the shower. Seams to be working. It starting to close up, just taking it's time.
I am super happy I got to keep lefty.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Breast Reconstruction-Part 1
After much debate about weather or not I should do breast reconstruction, I went for it.
I decided to do the Profunda Artery Perforator Flap (PAP)
This is an exciting alternative to abdominal, back, or buttock tissue flap for reconstruction of a natural looking and soft, shapely breast. The surgery was done by taking tissue and veins from the back of my legs, right under the but crease. That tissue was then shaped to mimic a mastectomy specimen, providing excellent contour and projection. The procedure uses the arterial perforator that run through or beside the abductor magnums muscle to supply blood to the fat and skin in the upper inner and posterior thigh. No muscle is harvested, and the scars in not visible from the front, so it is usually well-concealed.
A large part of doing the surgery is to promote self esteem and heeling. So it was important to me that I not be left with another large scar to look at on regular basis. With the PAP the scar is on my backside and unless I want to look at it, I'll never know it is there.
As a young athletic woman I wanted to have full range of movement for the quality of my life. And another huge benefit of the PAP for me was that no muscle was removed. Unlike the Latissimus Dorsi, TUG, and the DIEP Flap proceedures.
Since I received radiation, implants weren't a great option. And they would need to be replaced every 10 years. I didn't like the sound of that, just needed this whole thing to be done with.
The surgery itself was really long, like 10-12 hours long. And overall it was more painful than I anticipated. Mostly because the large incisions on the back of my legs, and I had to sit on them constantly. Still not able to sleep on side or tummy, so as not to mess up the newly reconstructed breasts. So I am still pretty uncomfortable.
I decided to do the Profunda Artery Perforator Flap (PAP)
This is an exciting alternative to abdominal, back, or buttock tissue flap for reconstruction of a natural looking and soft, shapely breast. The surgery was done by taking tissue and veins from the back of my legs, right under the but crease. That tissue was then shaped to mimic a mastectomy specimen, providing excellent contour and projection. The procedure uses the arterial perforator that run through or beside the abductor magnums muscle to supply blood to the fat and skin in the upper inner and posterior thigh. No muscle is harvested, and the scars in not visible from the front, so it is usually well-concealed.
A large part of doing the surgery is to promote self esteem and heeling. So it was important to me that I not be left with another large scar to look at on regular basis. With the PAP the scar is on my backside and unless I want to look at it, I'll never know it is there.
As a young athletic woman I wanted to have full range of movement for the quality of my life. And another huge benefit of the PAP for me was that no muscle was removed. Unlike the Latissimus Dorsi, TUG, and the DIEP Flap proceedures.
Since I received radiation, implants weren't a great option. And they would need to be replaced every 10 years. I didn't like the sound of that, just needed this whole thing to be done with.
The surgery itself was really long, like 10-12 hours long. And overall it was more painful than I anticipated. Mostly because the large incisions on the back of my legs, and I had to sit on them constantly. Still not able to sleep on side or tummy, so as not to mess up the newly reconstructed breasts. So I am still pretty uncomfortable.
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