Here a Port, There a Port, Everywhere a Port, Port

The government of B.C. can sometimes do wonderful things! They are VERY GOOD to breast cancer patients.  When my surgeon first offered me the option of immediate reconstruction during my mastectomy surgery, my first question was, "How much does THAT cost??"  Nothing!  Zip! Negatory! Zero! The government totally foots the bill for all reconstruction options available.  I didn't even have to think twice about whether or not I wanted reconstruction ... I wanted it!! If it was free of charge, and would give me back two matching breasts, why would I not want it?  I actually couldn't imagine that any woman wouldn't want it.  I had scrutinized umpteen pictures in my cancer book of women with one "normal" breast and one flat side with a long incision scar.  I did not want that to be me.  I wanted to look as womanly and "normal" as possible.

Here a Port ...

As I told you earlier, the TRAM flap was not a reconstruction option for me.  I had a deflated tissue expander -- kind of like an empty balloon -- placed behind my chest muscle in a space carved out by the plastic surgeon.  Then, post op, I have been "inflated" (3 times so far) with saline solution through a port in the expander.  This horrific exciting process will continue to happen until the expander is approximately the size of the eventual permanent implant.    In essence, the expander is making my chest muscle move to form a nice pocket where the implant will live indefinitely.  Once the permanent implant is in place, the government will even pay for a "lift" on the other breast -- new implants don't droop, and 54-year-old breasts do :)

I HATE GOING TO GET EXPANDED!!!  

Now, don't get me wrong.  My plastic surgeon is WONDERFUL!   He is fabulous at explaining procedures, he's kind and caring, and I couldn't have asked for better.  However ... the huge syringe freaks me out, I cringe when the large needle is punched through my skin into the port, and I can't even begin to describe the internal pressure in the hours and days afterwards.  I know it stands to reason that moving muscle hurts.  But, it is sooooo uncomfortable -- as if there's a huge fist inside me pushing outwards.  If I had to do it again ... I'm just not sure I would have reconstruction. After all, it's not like I'm a 30-year old young woman who has most of her life left to live.  I'm middle-aged, not trying to impress anyone, and now think I would be quite content with one breast.  As it is, I have 1-1/2 breasts right now.  Injections stopped as soon as chemo started (too high a risk of infection), so I'm one lop-sided woman!  I have had 3 of 6-7 injections, so all my "spared" skin is starting to unfold and look normal, but many lumps, creases, and bumps still make up what will, one day, be a "normal" breast.

Evidence of my very lopsided chest :)

The jury's still out on this one ... I'll keep you posted :)

There a Port ...

When my surgeon gave me my pathology report, she informed me that one lymph node with cancer necessitated more lymph node surgery.  At least the wait for this surgery wouldn't be long -- it would happen one week later, on January 10, 2013.  Even though I had not yet had an oncologist consultation, the surgeon guaranteed me that chemo would be a given because of the extent and aggression of the cancer they had found.

THANK HEAVEN MY BIG SISTER IS A NURSE!  My brain was always such a jumbled mess of thoughts, emotions, and information.  I never would have thought ahead about how the chemo was going to get inside my body.  In fact, exposing my ignorance, I didn't even have any idea that, under most circumstances, people need IV's to get their chemo.  (Remember me and needles and bad veins??)  My sister called me suggesting I ask my surgeon to implant a port-a-cath during my lymph node surgery.  It's a small device that is surgically implanted just below the skin with a tube directly into a vein.  Another option is a PICC line, but Maureen said they are harder to care for and can't get wet (No showers? A PICC line wasn't for me!).

An affirmative call came the next day that I could, indeed, have a port-a-cath inserted during surgery.  I would also be having an indefinite number of lymph nodes removed -- kind of like scooping a soup ladle's worth of nodes and tissue from my right arm pit -- that would be carefully examined for signs of cancer cells.  Both surgeries went well ... sort of. When the surgeon was inserting the tube into my vein, she kinda, mighta, maybe nicked my lung just a bit.  WHAT NEXT??

What DID come next, literally, was a series of FIVE (5) daily x-rays to check on the progress of my lung healing.  What are a few more electromagnetic radiation rays floating around my body, eh?

CENSOR'S WARNING: The photograph below is not for the faint of heart!!

Tape covering the incision, and notice the big "bump" under my skin ... that's the port through which I get all my chemo.

Now that I'm right in the swing of getting chemo --as of today, 2 down, 6 to go, with #3 coming tomorrow -- I'm SO THANKFUL to have a port-a-cath.  Most other patients at the Cancer Agency here have to get an IV each time.  THIS port is well worth it.  I recommend this one!!