Another Decision To Make

I really should be in bed by now.  It's strange... even though I'm tired and sleepy, I stay up late each night.  Perhaps it's the quiet and solitude of the midnight hour that appeals to me... I don't know.  Anyhow, I thought I'd post an update before climbing into bed.

I met with my plastic surgeon Monday afternoon to discuss my next step...reconstruction.  He quickly informed me that I was no where near scheduling the surgery because my radiation was so significant.  He said I have LOTS of healing to do before we could even talk about reconstruction.  This really burst my bubble because I was actually pleased with the improvement of my skin over the past two weeks.  I was told by the nurse that my radiation was very intense because of the size of my tumor.  She said it was necessary in order to "keep me here".  I just love Carolyn.  She is such a warm and sincere nurse.  Both times I visited this doctor, she sat with me after the exam and consultation and explained things to me from a woman's perspective.  She's worked with Dr. A. for years and has seen all types of situations.  I feel comfortable enough to ask her "what she'd do" if she were in my place.  Also, two of my dear pink sisters have gone to Dr. A. and they were very pleased with his work.

We used today's visit to discuss my surgical options in detail.  Probably too much detail, because my head was spinning when I left from terminology overload.  *LOL*  In a nutshell, I have another tricky decision to make.  Since my tumor was so large and my radiation was so intense, expanders are out of the question.  Too much skin and tissue damage.  However, I am a candidate for three very invasive, yet successful procedures: TRAM flap, latissimus flap, and the DIEP flap.

TRAM flap - removes muscle, tissue and skin from the abdomen to reconstruct.
Latissimus flap - removes muscle and tissue from the back to reconstruct.
DIEP flap - newest state-of-the-art microsurgical procedure that removes tissue from the abdomen without having to remove the muscle.

All three have proven to be highly successful.  The DIEP is the top-of-the-line procedure.  In fact, Dr. A. wouldn't even do it.  Only a select few plastic surgeons in the country do these surgeries.  Luckily, there is one in Memphis.  Surgery would take longer (around 6 hours), but the recovery is a bit shorter.  The TRAM and Latissimus flaps leave permanent, but tolerable, side effects from the donor area (abdomen and back).  Surgery would be around 4 hours and recovery would be longer.  I will continue to do research before my next appt in February, but right now, in the still of the night, I'm leaning toward the DIEP.

At this point, I think the surgery will take place in March...just in time for my 42nd birthday, and the 1-year anniversary of finding my lump.

Alright...good-night faithful readers.