Best Of

I call this a cautionary tale:

I had a breast lift and reduction in the beginning of September. Since my cancer treatment in 2007 (radiation), I have become increasingly unhappy that my irradiated breast had shrunk and that I was now somewhat lopsided. A friend shared that there is a federal law (started in PA, actually) that allows breast cancer survivors to have FREE breast surgery at any time. 

Apparently radiation is the gift that keeps on giving. Radiation is known to damage blood vessels; I did not heal well on the irradiated breast, and was in a fair amount of pain. Suffice it to say that part of my breast was necrotic. I was initially treated at the Wound Care Center at Bryn Mawr Hospital, and was using medical manuka honey and silver-infused pads to stimulate blood flow, and was told I would likely begin daily hyperbaric treatments—which I eventually didn’t do. 

I had the wound debrided under anesthesia in the hospital in mid-October. Doctor cleared all dead tissue. I wasn’t in terrible pain but had a consistent ache. When I finally worked up my nerve to change the dressing, it looked like a shark took a big bite of me. I was a little—a lot—shocked. I couldn’t look at it, and had home care nurses in daily to change the dressings.

It was recommended to use a wound vac, and it was hooked up towards the end of October, with the expectation that I would likely need to keep it for a month. Wound vacs are seen as game changers in the treatment of hard to heal wounds. I had a long tube running from a hermetically sealed sponge in the wound going into a pack with a container which needed to be cleaned and emptied every two days by a home health nurse. Not great, but no pain anymore. At this point, I let work know that I would not be able to work until around Thanksgiving. 

The wound vac did not work for me: I developed every bacteria known to humankind, and was on a constant cycle of antibiotics, some of which caused me to vomit daily. I wasn’t sleeping, completely lost my appetite, had no energy, so I finally decided to tell my surgeon that enough was enough. I needed my life back. He agreed, and scheduled me for surgery in three days, on November 17. He removed all the unhealthy tissue and closed me up, putting in two drains, which thankfully were removed on before Thanksgiving . 

So, here I am: I started this whole thing because my breasts were uneven, and now they are even more so! I basically have a breast and a quarter. But I am happy with the size of the left one (I’m calling it my leftover!). I lost a lot of weight over these weeks, which I am not really complaining about, but look forward to feeling myself again—and able to hold my grandson!