Dr. Puralta with SIU has agreed to give me the bilateral mastectomy. In addition, there will be less scarring, and she's going to actually test the lymph nodes to make sure they're positive before removing them, unlike Dr. W who was just going to take them all out. (The more lymph nodes you can keep, the better. They're under your arm pit and drain fluids from the breast. If they're removed the result is numbness and a possible swelling disorder so you really have to baby that arm for life.) Dr. Puralta was surprised that Dr. W would not perform a bilateral and her nurse was just as shocked. They each asked me why he wouldn't do it. I couldn't really give them a straight answer because I'm not sure myself.
So I'm feeling a lot better about things now. I so didn't want to be lopsided for a year until reconstruction could be completed and I would have been FURIOUS if I would have had to have the other one removed later down the road and go through treatment all over again.
There are a couple of issues with the bilateral though. (Ahh, why can't everything just be perfect?) First of all my surgery date may be moved back because this procedure will take longer for both docs (surgeon and plastic surgeon). There's a possibility of staying longer in the hospital and recovery will take longer. The plastic surgeon's office warned me that my insurance may not pay for all of the reconstruction on the left side since the bilateral is not medically necessary. They would have had to pay for the breasts to made symetrical so maybe they will. The surgeon's office will let me know for sure. They'll also be calling with the new surgery date. I'll be keeping the same onocologist (sigh) and the same plastic surgeon (the surgeon assured me that she's really good so I've got no problem sticking with her).
The upside of all of this is that when I wake up, it will just seem as though I've had a breast reduction rather than an amputation! Also, unless I need radiation on the affected right side later, the plastic surgeon should be able to eventually give me perfect, plastic, barbie boobs. Remember the expansion process and replacement takes months. While there are disadvantages of having fake boobs (no sensation, hardness, replacement every 10 years, foriegn man-made materials in your body) I won't have to wear a bra if I don't want to and when I'm 80 years old I'll still have the breasts of a 20 year old.
I'll update when my surgery date is confirmed.
By the way, Jim is home and I have brand new fresh flowers on my coffee table. :)
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3 comments:
Aw! Yay! Im so happy you are better and happier with things!
Sounds good Deanna. I'm glad you followed through and are getting exactly what you want done. Plus who wouldn't want the option of not having to wear a bra =) . Also if your surgeon says the benign lesions are "pre-cancerous lesions" then insurance should cover it. I still don't know why they were dragging their feet about the genetic testing but at this point if you are getting a double then it really doesn't matter. Just make sure you stay on top of the ovaries as well just in case. But everything sounds good and it sounds like you are more sure of your decision now. Look forward to hearing more later. Let me know later about the chemo meds. Anthrycycline followed by Taxol is pretty standard so if you hear those you should be AOK. =)
Thanks Julie - I'm going to bring that up at the consulation on Monday!
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