That's right, my cancer journey is still not over but soon it should be! Radiation was finished 9 months ago on November 10th which means my body is healthy enough for surgery. Tomorrow I'll be going in for a bilateral mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction. In layman's terms, a surgeon will take off the boobs that tried to kill me and build new ones all in one big surgery. It's really a pretty amazing process. Tomorrow will consist of a minimum 8 hour surgery, followed by at least 4 days in the hospital and 6 weeks off work. After my mastectomy, a plastic surgeon will come in and remove veins and arteries from my abdomen, place them inside my rib cage, remove the baby fat from my stomach and use it to build new boobs.
It's been a crazy ride! I have had MANY ups and downs since finding out the date of my surgery. Some of the big ones are losing a part of my body (even though it will be rebuilt it's not the same), have a rebuilt belly button (they will use that skin to graft over the skin they remove and have to cut a new belly button), losing an entire day in surgery, and the perception that I am getting a boob job and tummy tuck.
That last one has been a big one. Yes, my body will look different when it's all said and done. I should have a flatter stomach and new boobs. However, this was never in my wildest dreams something I wished for or imagined. Please keep in mind, that my "boob job and tummy tuck" are not my choice. It came with months of agonizing over my cancer diagnosis, sleepless nights, six rounds of chemo, losing my hair, my appetite and my sense of taste, a lumpectomy, and 25 rounds of radiation, the effects of which are still noticeable on my skin and have caused months of pain. So yes, I suppose it's a perk of cancer, but there was a huge cost.
I am nervous and excited for tomorrow, ready for this journey to be over and not sure what I'll do when it's done. Cancer has been a part of my life for the last 18 months and I know my life will never be the same.
