My MIA Brag - but cancer free as of this week!
I had to take a break from smart canucks and couponing earlier this year due to a surprise health scare. I had a breast reduction in March , and the pathology from the tissue removed, showed early breast cancer in one breast. So, that started my 60 days of crazy, including several trips out of town to the doctors (oncologist and plastic surgeon doing my reconstruction), tests, more tests, surgery, hosptial stay, post op visits, and my final pathology report this past Wednesday :). After imaging with the MRI, showed early cancer (but different type) in the other breast, I opted for a bilateral mastectomy and immediate reconstruction. Since my cancer was early and contained in the ducts, the mastectomy would get it all, and I could get my reconstruction right away. I had surgery June 10, for 11 hours, where they take your abdominal extra fat and reconstruct the breasts (tummy tuck at the same time :shock:, which is a nice side benefit after 4 c-sections!). It takes a long time as it is micro-surgery, and then a 5 day hospital stay. IT was a rough recovery, but after 3 weeks I feel more myself, but still have to recover for the rest of the summer, so I'm off work until September. I have the second stage of the reconstruction before Christmas, but that is outpatient, or 1 night stay.
But, I saw the oncologist on Wednesday, and the mastectomy got all the cancer, my lymph node biopsies were clear, there were wide margins, all good! The cancer they found on the oher breast, turned out to be a type that if left can become very invasive and aggressive, putting my odds at 68% of developping that if I had left it alone. It was multifocal (several sites) in each breast, so a lumpectomy wasn't an option. I'm just 41 years old, so this was a shock, to say the least. I do have a somewhat family history, but not the family history that indicates a known genetic link (Brca gene - like Angelina Jolie). So good news for my daughters :). My diagnosis puts them at a more elevated risk, but not highly increased.
I go back for yearly monitoring just to keep an eye on the few breast cells that would be left next to the skin as they can't get it all. But, that is a low reoccurance rate of less then 1% or so.
Silly, but I had built up such a cool stack of coupons that expired June 30, from a few awesome trades, but didn't get to use most of them, as my shopping was done by friends and family who really stepped in with the kids (single mom). I tossed them yesterday, and it always stinks to throw a big pile of coupons out. After cancer, that bugged me:biggrin:, isn't that silly!
So, I will be stepping back into trading/trains/posting over the next few months ;).
Good to be back!
