“When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
- Franklin D. Roosevelt -
DECEMBER 22, 2023
Let's start with the EPIC TRIP! Some time ago, David suggested that I make a list of the places I may want to visit in the new year. A BIG trip. A trip that would celebrate my kicking cancer to the curb - that kind of trip!
I had a few ideas which included far-off places like Australia or the Maldives. Iceland was also on my list as was the Galapagos since several friends had made recent visits and it all looked amazing. And even though I had visited many times, Paris was on the list too. I briefly thought about taking a nice trip. I didn't make a formal list and decided to shelve the idea until January.
A week later, David handed me a list: Ecuador-Amazon-Galapagos-Peru-Matchu Picchu. Huh. OK. Let's do it!!! And so with a great Black Friday deal, we booked the trip.
10 days later, I met with the surgical fellow and it looked like a trip wasn't going to happen. I felt robbed. Not only was I back on a cancer journey, but taking the trip we booked for April 22 looked highly unlikely. Having surgery after the trip was a no-no as they want to remove the cancer ASAP.So I began to calculate.... if I had my mastectomy (with breast reconstruction) by January 22, I would have 13 weeks until my trip. A long hard recovery, but I was determined to get on the plane!!! I deserved that trip! I WANTED THAT TRIP!
Fast forward to yesterday...
I had a plastics consult with Dr. Zhong yesterday. Not only did I manifest getting into seeing her before Christmas, I manifested having her as my surgeon (more on that in another post).
So, even though I was hoping for reconstruction at the same time as my mastectomy, due to radiation I can’t have a mastectomy and reconstruction at the same time.
I need to wait at least 12 months since completing my radiation to have reconstruction due to potential complications (and there are many). And I haven't fully healed yet.
I was disappointed.
I am tired of being on this journey and this HUGE detour will mean even more time away from my business, from doing what I want to do, from living my life... cancer has already taken up so much of my time (pretty much all of 2023) that I was really wanting to shorten its hold on 2024 as well. Well, settle in folks, it's going to be a long ride. And let's remember THIS IS EARLY STAGE CANCER!
I will be having my mastectomy in the new year, probably by February, (I have my oncology surgeon appt Jan 9 and hopefully I will get my surgery date shortly afterwards). Recovery from a mastectomy is about 3-4 weeks.
Do you know what that means?????? We get to go on our epic trip in April!! WOOHOO!
I will meet with Dr. Zhong again in late March to further discuss breast reconstruction that will happen sometime in the second part of 2024.
I’m ok with all of that… I was hoping for it all to be done with ASAP, but with this current plan:
1. We get to go on our trip!
2. There’s some “breathing room” between post-mastectomy and trip departure
3. More flexibility on when to get reconstruction.
WIN-WIN-WIN! 💕
And now that there is a plan in place, I can focus on celebrating the holidays....
Wishing you and your a lot of MERRY MERRY! Here's to joy, love, peace and GOOD HEALTH!
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