WARNING: The following information may not be suitable for sissy men. Wifely supervision recommended.
It's been over a month now since my implant surgery. I've been back twice for my post-op visits to my surgeon and both of us are quite pleased with how my new girl looks. She's not the same as the other girl, but I knew that going in. My older girl is aging with me and will continue to, whereas my new girl will be forever perky! I've been asked which one I prefer, and to be honest with you, I like the older girl the best as she's the most natural looking and feeling of the two. And she ought to be, as the surgery for her was no picnic and was a real test of my physical and mental abilities.
The first girl's surgery is called a TRAM (Transverse Rectus Abdominus Myocutaneous) flap. It was done immediately following my mastectomy and consisted of taking the fat and tissue of my belly and tunneling it under my skin up to where my breast would be, all the while being connected to one of my stomach muscles which would provide the blood flow to the new breast. As a result of the stomach muscle being stretched so taut, I walked around like Groucho Marx for the first two weeks, until the muscle stretched enough to allow me to stand upright again. As a result, that muscle is weak and I can no longer do sit ups. Darn! It also was like having a tummy tuck. Goodie!
The surgery for an implant is done in two stages. In the first stage, which was also done immediately after my mastectomy, an expander shaped like a banana was placed under my skin where my breast would be and filled with saline. Every two weeks I went back to the surgeon to have more saline put in it through a port, which causes the expander to enlarge and thus stretch the skin to the size needed for the implant to slip into. In my case, though, my surgeon liked the shape and size I was immediately after the surgery, so he did not fill it with any more saline. I was ready for stage two right away, but because of my chemo, I had to wait until 6 weeks after my last infusion before it was safe for me to have surgery. The surgery consisted of re-opening my incision and taking out the expander, slipping in the deflated implant and then filling it with saline until it was the correct size and a tight fit.
Recovery for the TRAM flap surgery was a long, hard 6-8 weeks. Recovery for the implant surgery was about 1 1/2 weeks, and was a piece of cake. Which surgery would I recommend? I think I'd say the TRAM flap. It was a very tough road, and I questioned myself numerous times as to why I did this to myself, but the end result is so much more natural than the implant and won't require future surgeries as the implant will. Implants usually last only ten or so years and then need to be replaced, as they can develop leaks over time.
I told my surgeon and nurses that I would be glad to talk to patients who might be having a hard time deciding about which type of surgery to have. I want to share my experiences if they can help others. And I also told them that I could be a "two for one" show...if someone wants to see the results of both surgeries, all they have to do is compare my girls!
You lose all modesty when you lose your breasts.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
When is shaving your legs a good thing?
The actual answer to that question is never. However, the current answer to that question is now, because it means that my hair is starting to grow back!
While sitting in the car for many hours during our recent road trip, I had plenty of time to study my feet and legs. And what I discovered was that my legs were beginning to look furry! They were a soft and blonde furry...not really noticable to anyone other than me...but none the less, proof of a rebirth going on in my body! For the first time since I was an awkward teenager, I was excited to have a reason to shave again! Even though the act of shaving again doesn't excite me much, it's sure a good sign that things are moving along.
The hair on my head has the same soft and blonde furry look coming in, but ever so slowwwwly. You have to look really close to see it, it is so fine. I am impatient for it to grow in, and very curious as to what color and texture it will be. I am still surprised every time I see my bald self in a mirror...you'd think I'd be used to it by now. But the reason for my current surprise is that I feel normal now, and expect that I look normal as well. I forget that I still look like a cancer patient, not like the rest of you. When I said this to Rich, he told me that's how he sees me every day...as someone who has been sick. My hair loss is a constant reminder to him of what I've been through. I never thought about that. I just thought that he saw me as my old self again, physically as well as spiritually, as I do in my mind.
I mentioned that I had plenty of time to study my feet, as well, on our trip. It seems that the chemo has had the same effect on my toenails as it did on my fingernails...it just took longer to happen. In particular, both of my big toenails have been the most affected and are quite loose...they are curious, empty shells on my toes. I have to be real careful when putting on shoes or sandals, so that I don't bump them and loosen them further. All was well until the end of our trip when I bumped my left toe and loosened the nail some more, so that when we went swimming later that day, the kicking of my feet in the water pretty much finished the job. Surprisingly, when I went inside and removed it, it didn't hurt at all...there was absolutely no feeling in my nailbed.
I've lost a few of my past side effects, but I've recently gained a new one...sensitivity to the sun and heat. I've heard the expression, "prickly heat", but now I have experienced it as well. It seems that whenever I get too warm my skin prickles now, up and down my body. And I've also come close to fainting, as well, from the heat. I drink plenty of water...you could float a boat in me...so that's not the reason. It's just my continued luck of the draw, I guess. This just shows how powerful and pervasive the effects of chemo are, and how long it can affect the body. I guess it also shows that it is still fighting the bad guys for me!
While sitting in the car for many hours during our recent road trip, I had plenty of time to study my feet and legs. And what I discovered was that my legs were beginning to look furry! They were a soft and blonde furry...not really noticable to anyone other than me...but none the less, proof of a rebirth going on in my body! For the first time since I was an awkward teenager, I was excited to have a reason to shave again! Even though the act of shaving again doesn't excite me much, it's sure a good sign that things are moving along.
The hair on my head has the same soft and blonde furry look coming in, but ever so slowwwwly. You have to look really close to see it, it is so fine. I am impatient for it to grow in, and very curious as to what color and texture it will be. I am still surprised every time I see my bald self in a mirror...you'd think I'd be used to it by now. But the reason for my current surprise is that I feel normal now, and expect that I look normal as well. I forget that I still look like a cancer patient, not like the rest of you. When I said this to Rich, he told me that's how he sees me every day...as someone who has been sick. My hair loss is a constant reminder to him of what I've been through. I never thought about that. I just thought that he saw me as my old self again, physically as well as spiritually, as I do in my mind.
I mentioned that I had plenty of time to study my feet, as well, on our trip. It seems that the chemo has had the same effect on my toenails as it did on my fingernails...it just took longer to happen. In particular, both of my big toenails have been the most affected and are quite loose...they are curious, empty shells on my toes. I have to be real careful when putting on shoes or sandals, so that I don't bump them and loosen them further. All was well until the end of our trip when I bumped my left toe and loosened the nail some more, so that when we went swimming later that day, the kicking of my feet in the water pretty much finished the job. Surprisingly, when I went inside and removed it, it didn't hurt at all...there was absolutely no feeling in my nailbed.
I've lost a few of my past side effects, but I've recently gained a new one...sensitivity to the sun and heat. I've heard the expression, "prickly heat", but now I have experienced it as well. It seems that whenever I get too warm my skin prickles now, up and down my body. And I've also come close to fainting, as well, from the heat. I drink plenty of water...you could float a boat in me...so that's not the reason. It's just my continued luck of the draw, I guess. This just shows how powerful and pervasive the effects of chemo are, and how long it can affect the body. I guess it also shows that it is still fighting the bad guys for me!
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