This was a SL (silver lining) weekend: The Husband and I walked Buzz on legitimate walks, saw some friends, took 4 3/4 to the children’s Holiday Tea at the Four Seasons Biltmore, and get this, I even went to a holiday party (for 55 minutes). Speaking of parties, I’m now acutely attuned to the social… Continue reading Hugging
Breast Cancer Surgery – Mastectomy & Reconstruction
Brookside Beauty
Today has been a beautiful and great SL (silver lining) day. Today, The Husband and I took Buzz on a walk along the ocean front. It was a spectacular day, 80 degrees and perfectly sunny. (Sorry to my friends living in the East!) It was my first walk with real sneakers on in over a… Continue reading Brookside Beauty
P & P Positive Post
Great SL Day! We now have a POSITIVE inverse relationship between the P & P (from previous post). YIPPPPEEEEEE!
P & P Update
This is going to sound nuts, but FBC is almost completely of my realm of thinking right now. Truly. My life now revolves around pain and poop (or lack thereof), which is why this post must, I’m afraid, be called the P & P Update. Gross, I know. If you can’t take it, I understand.… Continue reading P & P Update
Silver Lining Booby Report
F-Bomb. One of the many challenges of navigating the healthcare world is that there are a trillion, no, make that a gazillion of decisions to make, informed by millions of people with trillions of opinions. So much, coming from so many directions is really, really tough to manage, both mentally and emotionally. Medicine often equal… Continue reading Silver Lining Booby Report
Pain, Pain and More Pain After Double Mastectomy
Pain After Double Mastectomy It’s time to post about the surgical pain from the mastectomy (i.e., double booby amputation!) and reconstruction. I say that “it’s time” because now, a full 19 days post-op, I feel as if I have a little bit (little being the operative word here) of a handle on this issue. Pathetic.… Continue reading Pain, Pain and More Pain After Double Mastectomy
Booby Report and Moxibustion
Yesterday, I had another checkup with my plastic surgeon (how many times can I reiterate how outlandish it feels to refer to “my” plastic surgeon?). Well, reality persists and I DO have a plastic surgeon. Another SL (silver lining) is that he happens to be a really great, smart, conservative and patient physician (who does… Continue reading Booby Report and Moxibustion
Boobies and other Body Parts
I can only hope that you all had as glorious a start to your day as I had to mine. After being startled out of a deep sleep by 4 3/4 (the not so glorious part), I welcomed my good friend and pilates instructor to my home to do reflexology. As I have mentioned, I… Continue reading Boobies and other Body Parts
Jackson Pratt Drains + SL
Tonight’s post is a clinical one…with a SL (silver lining), of course. One of the post-surgical components of a double mastectomy & reconstruction is a Jackson-Pratt drain, a/k/a a JP Drain. A Jackson-Pratt drain (or JP drain) is a surgical drainage device that removes excess fluid that can collect inside your body after surgery. When… Continue reading Jackson Pratt Drains + SL
The (Great!) Booby Report
Thanks so much for all of your kind notes, good wishes, and fabulous humor. It has been an hellaciously long week, but I have great news to report: I’m going home from the hospital TODAY! (Silver Lining-SL for short) My cancer is Stage II b, caught early. (SL) I had one lymph node involved, which… Continue reading The (Great!) Booby Report