Surgical Bras

Can your bra do this?
BEHOLD: the wonders of surgical bras...hook & eye clasps AND velcro!!

Surgical bras are many things. Several adjectives not used with this type of bra: glamorous, sexy, and dainty. They are also not fashion forward. Got the general idea? I think so.

After double mastectomy surgery
(so not filling out bra at the time).

I've had the opportunity to sport the dainty little thing (said with much sarcasm) twice now - once after my double mastectomy and again after my expander-to-implant surgery. Because of time spent in one, I thought it appropriate to dedicate a blog post on this necessary "intimate apparel" item.

In case you didn't know, one must wear this bra 'round the clock for several weeks post-surgery. All the time (shower not included, but sleeping is). :( Kinda uncomfy and weird after not wearing one so long, but do you what you gotta do to get [hopefully] well-shaped boobs.


"I'm going to learn how to unhook this bra
with just one hand!"

-Joshua, on unlatching my surgical bra
(that has 11 hook & eye clasps-->)
GOOD LUCK!

Even though the incision lines were taped up post-surgery, they still leaked a bit of stuff (looked to me like iodine or something similar - don't think it was blood, FYI). It wasn't bad the first day or two, but then started bothering me aesthetic-wise. After all, when you look good, you feel good - right? So I decided to put forth a good effort in cleaning the darned thing up.

Post-surgical grime under tape. 

"Grime - it comes with implants" 

-Joshua, 8/2012

Surgical bra before the big cleanup.

Letting the bleach pen do its thing.

Guess what? - It's nearly as good as new. Nearly all of the coloring left after a quick treatment with a bleach pen. Back into rotation the surgical bra goes.

All clean.

How are you today, ma'am?

Very well; I thank you.


Did you think that was it for this post? Not so! Here--I'll expand a little with my own little Q&A session typed out for your collective pleasure:

Q: How is your energy level?
A: At 3 weeks out from switch-out surgery, I'm feeling "well," all things considered. My energy level grows nearly each day! I have the want to get out and go, but am usually surprised at how I tire. Still, I am getting better over time and know it takes time and PATIENCE to heal. I must bend like a reed in water to go with the flow. Sharpen my mental focus and tools so when the physical challenges of rehabilitation come up, I'll be ready. Just went on my first real walk after surgery this week, too!

Q: How are you staying strong even though you're physically limited?
A: I work each day on this. There are roller coaster feelings that come along with healing. What have I chosen to do to myself? Yay, I have soft boobies! Will something not heal right? This long year+ of medical poking and prodding is over! Will I ever get a lot of my physical stamina back? ...when I realize I'm thinking like this, I BREATHE. Take a few deep, purposeful breaths, and "be."  ...  It's a purposeful pause that gets me back to the now. I don't know what will be - nobody does.

I'm also going through a bit of mental fortification for the physical conditioning that lies ahead. This I believe: I've done it before and can do it again. However, people: it's a lot of freakin' work and frustration that goes into just basic body conditioning after surgery and consecutive knock-down-get-up-agains. Grrrrr...

Q: How do your scars look?
A: They look like pursed lips! Seriously. Only not as uptight looking as the expander version. :) Kinda still a bit foldy in spots, but the scar has formed and is strong (although it won't reach its full strength until about 6 weeks post-surgery). My skin around all 3 scars (2 boobs + 1 port) is peely and itches sometimes. I'm keeping an eye out for redness or anything weird.

I put strips of Epi-Derm across my scars. It's like gooey, thick tape. It's got healing "stuff" in it. Easier to use than creams - yay!

Q: What are your melon "massages" like?
A: So yeah. The massaging...in addition to the lymphatic massages I do every morning...they're not fun right now. There's a lot of healing going on inside of my chest and squishing the implants to and fro isn't so great. Dr. B did say that, over time, they would decrease in pain. Massaging/mashing will help keep my scar capsule and space around the implants larger than the implants themselves for a softer/more natural result. It helps ward off capsular contracture, which can end up making the breasts as hard as they were with expanders.

Q: How did the first PT session go? What's your range of motion?
A: The first PT session felt GREAT and came just in time. She noticed ~2cm difference between the left and right sides of my trunk. The right side has more fluid retention than the left. Isn't that just the case...the radiated side not getting a fair shake. My left arm is way more comfortable being used and moved than my right arm. Still on Dr. orders to not lift my arms above 90 degrees, which is fine because my right arm doesn't want to go up that far - it starts pulling my pec/shoulder/armpit stuff all tight and wonky. We'll be working on this over the next few...months?

Q: Do you hurt?

A: Right now, my shoulder bones and muscles and everything is coming alive again and with a different "configuration" underneath my chest than before. I'm starting to feel a lot of tightness in my shoulder and up by my neck; also starting to "pop" more in my shoulder and right elbow - these things happened after my last surgery, too.  My right trunk area (see pic) feels bloated / fat / achy / ??? / uncomfortable at times, usually multiple times a day.

My right side seems to be the "red headed stepchild" as my friend Jo calls her radiated side. It's poofy, it's less pilable,

Q: Can you lay down flat now?
A: Although I tried laying down with just one pillow to see, it's just not comfortable at all. It's stressful feeling on my chest AND it's much harder to sit up - you USE your pec muscles and mine have been worked over and have new implants between them! Being propped up helps everything stay comfortable - except me. :)  I look forward to being able to lay straight down...and then back on my side sometime, hopefully!

Q: Where are you mentally now that your treatment and surgeries are over?
A: I am in a mentally confusing place: yay for making it through treatment well and surgeries being over! mixed with what all just happened?, what's my next step in life?, and life is on a different trajectory now! I'm excited for the possibilities that lie ahead. I want to live each day like I mean it:

Q: What do you do for stress relief?
A: A variety: send a snail mail note, look for creative project ideas/inspiration, organize, massage, acupuncture, get crafty, watch a movie/show, get together with friends, sit & think.

Q: What things do you wish you did/could do more of?
A: Hard exercise. I miss it. I wish I took more time to make projects and crafts that all live up in my head and in various digital depots. They're so much fun when I'm immersed...it's just getting started that's my challenge. Wish I could have camped a few more times this summer with Joshua - that was a lot of fun. On the good days, I wish there were more time to get to spend doing the things that excite me!

Q: Do you have "don't worry, be happy" moments?
A: Yep. And those moments are wonderful and to be treasured. Those times sneak up on me just like the opposite ones do.

Q: "Who's your daddy?" - Joshua, when asked what sort of questions he'd think people would have at this point in my survivorship.

Ha, ha, ha! Ain't life grand?  :)  <BIG SMILE>

Take a Hike!

To me, "take a hike" usually means something akin to "get lost" or "go pound sand." However, this time it's different! I encourage you all to get up, go out, and hike (or just move) as you're able. 

Enjoy this weekend!

---------------
Take up hiking.
Scientists in Japan have started prescribing "forest therapy" as a way for people to relax and boost their immune health, after a study found that men who'd spent six hours hiking in a forest over the course of two days had higher levels of "natural killer cells," which strengthen immunity and help fight cancer. The healthy effects of those two hikes lasted for 30 days. If a few days of arboreal wandering don't fit your schedule, seek out whatever nature you can find, such as a park—or even your own backyard. Being in nature is a natural stress reliever, and relaxation is great for your immune system.

-from the Rodale online article: 9 Weird Health Habits You Need to Adopt

Barium Schmarium

PET results in: all good! Normal uptake in neck, no nodes lit up, abdomen good, and bones clear. A great first scan post-chemo, mastectomy, radiation, and more chemo. ~happy dance!~
What all this nerd-speak means: no evidence of metastatic cancer.

I drank it all up in a personal
best time. Do I get a medal?

Yes, I "got" to drink the chalky Barium* drink again..."mocha" flavor this time. Not too bad for most of the 16oz...but the last 1/4C or so was more of a challenge to choke down. Ugg. Also got injected with sugar/radioactive material before the scan. After all the fluid intake, they give you ~30min to recline and let them spread all into your system. Then the scan happens. That takes 10-15min and is painless. They even put spa music on for me - not that I was fooled or anything!

My first PET scan was June 13, 2011 - before we really knew exactly what we were dealing with  cancer-wise and right before I met with Dr. K for the first time. I'll try to get images up on the blog sometime - they're fascinating to look at. You can "twirl" my body around and see various innards as different layers, you can also see 1,300+ various "slices" of my body from head to toe. Really cool. In the meantime, if you're the curious type, check out Wikipedia's article about PET (positron emission tomography) imaging. You'll see what the system looks like and an example of images made from this amazing invention.

*Barium: a mixture of barium sulfate and water, opaque to X-rays, that is swallowed to permit radiological examination of the stomach or intestines.

Doctor Downloads

Last week, I had two important appointments: a follow-up with my plastic surgeon and one with my oncologist. What follows is some of what I learned at these appointments.

Dr. K (oncologist):

• Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) doesn't show itself well in bloodwork, unlike other types of breast cancer. Therefore, blood tests/tumor markers aren't good indicators of what's going on. FYI: my bloodwork when I was diagnosed was completely normal and gave no indication of any cancer in my body.
• Via bloodwork tests, we learned that my kidneys are functioning real well. Yay, kidneys! They're efficient, doing what they're supposed to, and bet a "better than normal" rating.
• My WBC count is within normal range. :)
• I'm back in middle school - in a way. I should "be prepared" at pretty much any time in the future to get my period. Oh, joy. The mystery, the intrigue!! <<eyeroll>>
• Dr. K pushed for getting a PET scan (now scheduled for tomorrow morning!) so we can all breathe easy at my body image not "lighting up" anymore.
• Dr. K took blood and compared that day's tumor markers with last summer's numbers. My tumor markers are down. Like I mentioned above, my tumor markers were never anything out of the ordinary, but it does feel good to know that my number now is lower than it was before.

Dr. B (plastic surgeon):

• Surgery went really well - even on the radiated side. I cannot even describe the ENORMOUS smile Dr. B had when saying this. My heart melted immediately and I was twitterpated at getting to see most of my "new" boobies. (Tape over the incisions/scars prevented me from seeing the full monty.) 
• Silicone implant sizes they put in: 700cc in the right (radiated) side and 650cc in the left. 
• Jill showed me how to massage (more like mash) my boobs to move the implants within their respective pockets. This is to be done every day multiple times for my lifetime.
  

  

  This is just the tip of the iceberg mashing-wise. Ouch.

  Massaging/mashing will help keep my scar capsule and space around the implants larger than the implants themselves for a softer/more natural result. It helps ward off capsular contracture, which can end up making the breasts as hard as they were with expanders. If that isn't enough to scare someone into doing their daily boob-mashing work, I don't know what is!
• I've still got tape over my incisions and look a bit like a craft project. 
• I will begin PT on August 17.

Things I'm doing/not doing now:

• No lifting my arms above my shoulders.
• No lifting items heavier than 10lbs.
• No airplane rides.
• No activities that make my face turn red or make me sweat for 2-4 more weeks.
• I "get" to wear a sturdy bra at 24/7 for at least 2-3 more weeks. Exceptions are when bathing (yes, I can shower!) and when boob mashing (see above).
• Just got approved to drive today; doc said to take short trips first, then build up to more as I'm/my body is comfortable doing so.

Surgery Week in Pics

So much to say...and sometimes pictures do just as good a job. I'm letting the photos do most of the work this time.

Pre-surgery:

As was mentioned in a prior blog post, Aunt Sandy was in town for an extended stay both before and after surgery, which was real neat. Dad flew into town the day of surgery (teamwork: Sandy picked him up at the airport during my surgery) and stayed with us to be a helper through the first week.

Talk about fashion! I "got" to wear all this for surgery.
No beanie needed this time since I had hair.
Do you SEE those undies? Ha, ha, ha!

"They" had to put a square sticky
thing over my nose piercing.
No metal allowed in the OR.

The "happy juice" in full effect.

Post-surgery:

This picture is as clear as I was in the recovery room.

My first peek. "Wow - it looks different!"

Back at the hacienda that night:

As Joshua put it: "narcotic sleeping Laura."

Day after surgery:

Sandy took a pic of us sitting down to eat together.

Randomness: tomatoes Joshua picked from our garden
the day after surgery. YUM!

Cheerful flowers from my dad.
A nice touch to the house atmosphere.

 Later that week:

Eating watermelon for dessert outdoors.

Dad bravely took me and mom out for a while.
Can you believe he caved to a stop at Hobby Lobby?
Very cool. And you'll notice he got something there, too!
And yes - I went in my surgical bra and nightgown. 

A surprise from Uncle Nolton! :)

Need a Good Movie to Watch?

Forks Over Knives,
starring T. Colin Campbell, Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., et al.
Aug 30, 2011

It’s been a year of changes, that’s for sure. Those of you following Laura on the Ta-Ta Times know that she has met the challenge of undergoing treatment for breast cancer in a singularly impressive fashion – with strength, courage and a positive attitude. A big part of Laura and Joshua’s approach to this challenge involved fine tuning their already healthy eating practices to include more vegetables/fruits and less meat, dairy, wheat, and processed foods.

Being raised in the southern Midwest, I always enjoyed eating good beef, fried chicken (well, fried everything), lots of cheese and bread, with a few fruits vegetables thrown in occasionally for good measure. And I have always had a sweet tooth! This past year’s challenge helped me succeed in making some significant dietary changes -- and this movie motivated me to go even further with healthy eating. 

For those of you wondering about the status of your own health in light of the Standard American Diet (SAD) and for those of you concerned about the rising costs of health care due to an epidemic rise in chronic diseases, this DVD/film/book offers a credible alternative: plant-based nutrition (yes, mostly a vegetarian diet). The film traces the personal journeys of two pioneering researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, who separately conducted several groundbreaking studies and came to the same conclusion: degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even several forms of cancer, could almost always be prevented - and in many cases reversed - by adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet. Even if you find some of the research statistics a bit dry, you will probably enjoy the tracking of several "reality patients" who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Several featured doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole-food plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments – you get to see their challenges and triumphs. Their stories prompt some real thinking about how to avoid such dire circumstances.

Is this film worth a view and a change of eating habits? If you’re ready to think about your lifestyle and the silent progression of diseases that we see all around us – yes! Even if you cannot or do not totally adopt the plant-based nutritional lifestyle, you will benefit from initial small changes in that direction.

Making up for Lost Time

Hi all!
I'm recovering well from surgery. I tire easily and am sore, but that's to be expected. More medical/scientific updates in the near future. For now, I'd like to relive some great memories and share them with you.

Enjoying summer 2012.

...hang on...this is a long one...but worth it...

In the time leading up to surgery, we decided to do as much fun stuff as we could. -- And we did! Here are some pictures from the weeks before surgery to give an idea of what all has been going on here.

Aunt Sandy arrived in town nearly three weeks ago - as originally planned once we knew my surgery date. However, her visit "purpose" changed some, with mom being in a cast/crutches and not able to walk, drive, and haul stuff around the house. Sandy took on the lion's share of responsibility for caring for mom since she arrived and extended her stay to help us longer than originally planned.

Sandy has a compassionate, understanding way about her. She's enthusiastic about learning new recipes and has adopted some of the pH balanced eating habits along with us. She's even forayed into making green shakes - I'm not fibbing!

Sandy helping us populate our bare walls.
Positioning is everything.

Home Improvements: Sandy has a talent for beautifying spaces and I'd been waiting for a chance to use her talent in our home. Although we've lived here for 4+ years now, we still have several rooms that have all blank walls. What a snoozefest. Sandy graciously agreed to "attack" these projects together with me. Joshua was wise and stayed out of the should it go here or should it go there talk. He just wanted to know where to hang things in the end!

Sandy is a mastermind when it comes to interior design.

Mom hobbled downstairs, too,
to help with design decisions.

We're a good team!

A craft project I've LONG had in my mind:
Take a frame, affix several wires along it horizontally,
and use mini clothes pins to hang pictures/cards.
Makes for a unique display.

Even Lexi got in on the creativity!

Pool Time: Since mom can't use her pool membership for the rest of the summer (or at least she can't go IN the pool), Sandy and I had strict orders to use the pool at least once before my surgery. We packed up snacks, towels, and fluff reading materials and spent a relaxing afternoon together making it happen!

High-fiving in the deep end.

We enjoyed spending the better part of an afternoon at the pool.

Colorful toes = happy feet.

Beautification: Time for some nail enhancement! An ode to last summer's orange color I used when Jeney was here with Adam. Never hurts to jazz up naked nails with some fun color!

Red Rock Amphitheater: A James Taylor concert at Red Rocks which included: a rain storm, lightening storm, close encounter with a skunk, power outages, and some other 'fun' stuff. Mom skedaddled rather expertly on her crutches when all 10,000 attendees were told to seek shelter!

A bout in action!

Roller Derby Bout: My life is complete: I went to a roller derby event. Okay, partially kidding...but it has been on a bucket list (of sorts) for a LONG time. What a fun game to see live. Derby has a bit of everything: shiny spandex hot pants, colored hair, team camaraderie, catchy alter ego names, beer, pretzels, and great upper deck seating for "handi" folks! Mom, Sandy, and Joshua came to the event with me and we met up with friends there.

Mom gives roller derby a thumbs up.

Happy to be oot and aboot with Joshua.
He in pigtails, me with mohawkish hair - 'cuz why not?!

Making funny faces with Avery is always fun.

Avery and Chana are perfecting this squishy face.

Mi amigas. I love you guys.
Thanks for making a dream come true!

Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park: Our third and final foray into the wilds of Colorado. This last camping trip was just in time: the weekend before my surgery. It provided us with the peace and space we needed to prepare for what was ahead.

Joshua's pack...
looking big - as usual.

My pack...
not so big, but a challenge for sure!
(Lymphedema sleeve/gauntlet action shot.)

Happy to make it to our campsite!

Home.

Our goal: to hike up to Sandbeach Lake and back.
What a magnificent view!

Joshua played in the lake some. 

We enjoyed a hearty meal at the top.
Beans and spices with squash from our garden!

Another view at Sandbeach Lake.