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Comments

  • Katiejane
    Katiejane Member Posts: 188
    edited April 2012

    Thanks Adey!

  • Springtime
    Springtime Member Posts: 3,372
    edited April 2012

    Anita, I posted your surgery info! :)

    Dana25, I moved your stage 1 April surgery to July per your PM. If that is incorrect, let me know. 

  • Cherrie
    Cherrie Member Posts: 921
    edited April 2012

    I went to Chicago and met Dr. Massey at her symposium today. It was well worth the trip. It was great to actually meet her before my surgery. There were a few NOLA girls there too. Thanks to all who helped me with this journey. I learned about this surgery from you. Feeling blessed today. :)

  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 3,192
    edited April 2012

    Yay Cherrie!!!!.. By the way, you probably have said, but where are you staying?? I know you and I had lot of conversations about this... But that was back when I thought you'd be at SCSH....

  • Cherrie
    Cherrie Member Posts: 921
    edited April 2012

    HomeWood Suites after surgery. It's all set up. My surgery is at Fairway and my husband is looking for a place to stay for 4 days. We also had to rent a car because of Fairway. I will now get through my end of school year retirement, and my son's wedding 1 week before I come to NOLA.

  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 3,192
    edited April 2012

    It will be great!!!! I know I was actually excited... kind of a combination of excited and scared... but now that I have done it, and will have a stage IIb in my future, I am excited about it... sounds weird to be excited about surgery, but stage II is the icing on the cake... and for stage I, I was excited to be getting on with it.. and I trusted my decision 100%.

  • willy5js5
    willy5js5 Member Posts: 122
    edited April 2012

    Not weird to be excited about surgery ladies.  Once you have had breast cancer surgery once and had the girls removed, everything changes.  Just saying.  I'm simply excited to be included on this list.  Yep, that's me willy5js5, choosing to redo this surgery stuff in a major sort of way this time.  It's waaaaaay different going into reconstruction without being terrified of being dead from the diagnosis.  It's especially difficult to make a reconstruction decision when the doctors look at you like a freak because you have such an aggressive type of breast cancer, all the receptors are negative and they tell you get both breasts removed as soon as possible. Bear in mind my diagnosis was 13 yrs ago  ago -my plastic surgeon died, my oncologist, general surgeon, & gynecologist that sent me for the first mammo retired too.  I am starting over with finding providers to fix it and feel very confident with Dr Marga Massey. I was terrifed of being left with nothing but scars instead of breasts then and freaking on how bad the implant failure is getting now. It is awful to watch them shrink away year after year.  I had so many surgeries to get these breasts that I can't say the number.  I really don't remember.  With chemo and trying to raise kids and getting in for that next stage of reconstruction  - what a blur sometimes. I'm proud to say that I road raged an asshole once for giving me grief because I had to stop and vomit in traffic once taking my kid to gymnastics.  I chased him down and got by bald headed face right in his! Jerk.

  • willy5js5
    willy5js5 Member Posts: 122
    edited April 2012

    Not weird to be excited about surgery ladies.  Once you have had breast cancer surgery and had the girls removed, everything changes.  Just saying.  I'm simply excited to be included on this list.  Yep, that's me willy5js5, choosing to redo this surgery stuff in a major sort of way this time.  It's waaaaaay different going into reconstruction without being terrified of being dead from the diagnosis.  It's especially difficult to make a reconstruction decision when the doctors look at you like a freak because you have such an aggressive type of breast cancer, all the receptors are negative and they tell you get both breasts removed as soon as possible. Bear in mind my diagnosis was 13 yrs ago  ago -my plastic surgeon died, my oncologist, general surgeon, & gynecologist that sent me for the first mammo retired too.  I am starting over with finding providers to fix it and feel very confident with this bunch. I was terrifed of being left with nothing but scars instead of breasts long ago and don't plan on surviving with just scars and popped inplants  now.  I had so many surgeries to get these breasts that I can't say the number.  I really don't remember.  With chemo and trying to raise kids and getting in for that next stage of reconstruction  - what a blur sometimes. I'm proud to say that I road raged a jerk once for giving me grief because I had to stop the car and vomit while I was getting my kid to practice.  LOL, the look on his face when I whipped off my head covering was priceless (was wearing a bandana and hat that day)

  • Cherrie
    Cherrie Member Posts: 921
    edited April 2012

    I can only imagine the look on that guys face when you whipped off your head covering. Priceless.



    Betsy- I am excited and scared. Meeting Dr. Massey helped a lot. The ball is rolling.

  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 3,192
    edited April 2012

    LIKE button Cherrie!!!

  • glostagirl
    glostagirl Member Posts: 93
    edited April 2012

    Katiejane,

    I head to NOLA on June 18 ~ surgery on the 20th.  Pending no complications I fly home on the 28th.   

  • Katiejane
    Katiejane Member Posts: 188
    edited April 2012
    Glostagirl,  I'm still waiting on my date-will certainly let you know!  I'm to hear this week!!!  You must be so excited!!!!  I was told Dr. M. was in NOLA for the month of June-maybe we'll be there at the same time????  Smile  Where are you going to be staying?   
  • glostagirl
    glostagirl Member Posts: 93
    edited April 2012

    KJ....I haven't gotten that far yet, my flight is booked.  I think I'll look at staying at the ACS facility to start and then a nearby (The Center) hotel for after surgery.  

  • Downey30
    Downey30 Member Posts: 199
    edited April 2012

    Drains are out. Hip hip hooray!!!!! I don't know what to do with myself. Guess I'll get ready to do it again in June

  • Adey
    Adey Member Posts: 2,413
    edited April 2012

    Downey-  Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!!

  • need2new
    need2new Member Posts: 165
    edited April 2012

    Downey - do you feel like a new woman?? That is such a sweet feeling. I am getting ready to do it next week!!

  • Downey30
    Downey30 Member Posts: 199
    edited April 2012

    need2new,  Yes, I do feel like a new woman.  Ten days or so of compression and then free until June 14th.  I wish you well next week.  Jamie

  • Springtime
    Springtime Member Posts: 3,372
    edited May 2012

    Downey, YAY!!! Free Free Free!!! Feels good, right?? :)

    Anita, you've been through a lot. Good for you! You have arrived! You sound so confident!  

  • AnneW
    AnneW Member Posts: 612
    edited May 2012

    Happy Birthday, Spring!! So glad to know you! Did you ever buy that bike you were looking at?

  • Adey
    Adey Member Posts: 2,413
    edited May 2012

    Happy Birthday Spring!

  • Nordy
    Nordy Member Posts: 1,106
    edited May 2012

    I did not know it is your birthday! Happy Birthday Spring!

  • Soccermom4force
    Soccermom4force Member Posts: 311
    edited May 2012

    Happy Happy Birthday, Spring!!

  • annalive
    annalive Member Posts: 286
    edited May 2012

    May this be one of your best birthdays ever, Spring!

  • Jane123
    Jane123 Member Posts: 198
    edited May 2012

    Spring, Wishing you a Happy Birthday!  Thank you for this thread!  Peace, Tamara

  • chellehump
    chellehump Member Posts: 374
    edited May 2012

    Good morning ladies,

    I have been absent a little while, but have tried to keep up with things.

    First, Happy Birthday Spring!!! Hope you have an amazing day!!!
    @ Caitlin, still praying for you and all those going through treatment right now!!! HUGS!!!

    I have had my surgery scheduled since late December early January and today is May 1st. I am caught in the fine line of anxiety and excitement. 

    Love to you all!!
    Michelle

  • Downey30
    Downey30 Member Posts: 199
    edited May 2012

    HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPRING!!!

  • willy5js5
    willy5js5 Member Posts: 122
    edited May 2012

    Dr. Massey has made some recent changes to her website.  Great articles, healing hints and more at drmarga.com - and happy birthday Spring.  Birthday's are the best!

  • EvaM
    EvaM Member Posts: 272
    edited May 2012

    Happiest of birthdays, Spring! I used to think at my age they shouldn't be so special. But yeah, they are precious.

    Still sending positive, green-pantied thoughts your way, Caitlin!  

    It's been a while since I posted a limerick.

    I'm heading to NOLA next week
    In order to fix my physique
    With shark bites and lumps
    and mammary bumps
    I sure need each nip, tuck and tweak

    a side note: I'm throwing my next song to the masses. Please go to my blog and suggest the topic for my next song. We'll have a vote and I'll write a song about the winning topic, whatever it is and perform it live on internet streaming video. Just to make it more challenging, the voting closes on my surgery date so I'll be writing it under the influence of narcotic painkillers. http://evamoon.net/blog/2012/04/27/evavision-song-contest/

  • Djweinstein
    Djweinstein Member Posts: 60
    edited May 2012

    Happy bday Spring!

     Question for the post stage 2 ladies--I'm one month out today (!) from my stage 2 hip flap/GAP and I still have a bit of discomfort in my belly, below my belly button.  I'm assumming this is from some lipo/fat grafting.  It feels like a butter knife (not a sharp one thank G-d!) is pressing into my belly.  Has anyone else experienced this?  I know it takes a while to heal...but just wondering as I thought it would be better by now.  Also, I can't tell if I'm swollen a little in the belly, or if I've gained a couple of pounds.  I really hope that it's the former...and that after a couple months I'll shrink a bit where I had the lipo!

    Thoughts are welcome on this... 

  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 3,192
    edited May 2012

    DJ.. hard to say as I had DIEP and hip flaps and lipo... I am almost 6 months post stage II and I still have areas of swelling and a bruised feeling... I do not have pain where you describe, but then again I had the DIEP... My pain is left of the belly button (do realize I have a new belly button) and my ab muscles were manipulated in surgery. I have been told my discomfort is from that and strengthening the muscles can help (hopefully) resolve the problem... lipo bruising can last though for a while... One month is too soon to judge. I wore compression after lipo for 6 weeks... and remember still feeling some deep bruising at that point.

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