Hi everyone, I found out I have Breast Cancer on October 1st, 2018.  I think I will always remember that day: 1. Because of the diagnosis itself, and 2. It being the first day of Breast Caner Awareness month. How ironic.  I have quite the story for y'all.

I feel blessed though because I was stage 0 as I had a Mammogram in May and then again in September as the docs were watching a certain spot.  Well my cancer appeared near that area so they noticed the change immediately.  I chose to have a right mastectomy as it was my third scare on that side.  I am so glad I did as the pathalogy found a second form of cancer on the nipple (Padget's disease)  Very rare and only about 4% of Breast cancer patients get it.  I had my surgery and they placed the expander in at that time in November and within 8 hours I was back in for emergency surgery. I had blood pooling above the surgical scar.  They cleaned it all out and cauterized the veins that caused the issue.  I had 2 JP drains in place.  One had a clott in it within one week so they removed that one.  The other one was in for 5 weeks because they could not figure out why I continuely had drainage.  After the 5th week it started getting infected so they pulled in even though I still have over 100 ml of fluid still draining.  Well as we all know that fluid had to go somewhere, so the weakest link was my surgical scar, so within 2 days the fluid stafrted leaking out of the scar.  So back into the hospital so have another emergency surgery to have ithe expander removed.  Fun times. But actually it felt so much better.  The doctor said that my body rejected the alloderm that the expander was wrapped in.  Well last monday, I finally had my first reconstruction surgery.  I had a Diep Flap done.  Its somewhat painful but still not nearly as bad as those 5 weeks i had in November and December.  It's still pretty swollen and I am hoping that anyone else that had this done would have any insight on how long the swelling lasts.  The worst part is I have 3 JP drains and I really hate them.  I see my care team on Thursday and I am hoping 2 will be removed at that time. Wish me luck.

I do still feel blessed because my cancer was caught so quickly, Stage 0, also because I had the full mastectomy no radiation was needed.