Good news came in over email this weekend, the rest of my genetic panel came back totally negative. Guess me getting cancer was more due to environmental factors since it wasn't genetic. Too much stress, not enough sleep, excess sugar, maybe that hormonal birth control. I don't know. A good reminder to keep myself in better balance going forward. This article on staying calm and this article on overscheduled busyness versus working through emotions and accepting one's thoughts were also timely.
I've been reading about the long term effects of radiation, and it's pretty scary. I don't want a plastic implant because I have shown multiple plastic allergies. After that, I'm open to the best option for health and cosmetic results. I am told there is no overall survival distinction between a mastectomy and a lumpectomy with radiation. With the mastectomy it's a much more brutal surgery, but no radiation needed in my case. With a lumpectomy, the surgery isn't so bad, but radiation is not great. It can have permanent effects as well.
I found another option recently. The Brava plus fat grafting, which can be used for a full reconstruction after a mastectomy. One patient described her experience here. This study showed fewer complications and better cosmetic outcomes in non-irradiated mastectomy cases over irradiated breast conserving lumpectomies. That got my attention. Liposuction from other areas to relocate to the breast didn't sound so bad either.
Dr. Khouri of the Miami Breast Center led the Brava trial and has been teaching others. I emailed them and am following up on a response requesting pictures. I am willing to travel for a good result. (For my lesser chested friends, it works for purely cosmetic cases too.) I've been reading this breast cancer forum and this one on fat grafting. That's how I also discovered Dr. Anh in NYC. My brother and sister in law live there, so another good option. This news piece was insightful.
One thing that will be annoying is that if I decide to do this, I will have to wait till sometime after I finish Herceptin... in July 2015, because the drug interferes with blood vessel growth and that is needed for the fat scaffolding. If I can get a better health and cosmetic result, I think I might take it. The harder surgery, the longer wait to be whole, the additional travel and associated expense. Better to get it right the first time than deal with complications. Measure twice, cut once. Still learning more.
This quick snippet from a longer Tig Notaro skit made me laugh today:
My lunch also left me with this positive note:
Good for you, thinking about other options. The predominant line of thinking "whack 'em off" or "cut it off " is only to save their own butts from lawsuit or reoccurrence. If your cancer is isolated and hasn't gone into the surrounding tissue... I would entertain it. Keep us posted on your decision. We will support what ever you choose!
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