Hello Friends!

Hey all! It's been awhile and I thought I would give you an update on my health and other things going on in our lives!

Since my last post, I had one recon surgery to revise part of the incision on my stomach and add a little fat to my breasts. That surgery was in August and all went well and I was back on my feet a couple of weeks later. My next recon surgery won't be until August. I need to give my body time off to let it heal and hopefully the radiated tissue will continue to get better now that I have transplanted tissue from my stomach that is nice and healthy. Hopefully in August I can get implants back in and get some more of the stomach incision revised. Dr. F would like that scar to eventually be a thin white line, which would be fantastic cuz right now it is a big thick nasty looking one! Then the only other recon procedure after that will be my nipple reconstruction. Hopefully that is still a possibility it all depends on the radiated breast tissue.

Another wonderful, not really, side effect of the hormone therapy I was on, is that I developed some uterine fibroids. I discovered this because for several months I was spotting on and off. I went to my ob/gyn in October for an annual exam and discussed the problem with him. He said that this is a side effect from the hormone therapy but I had options to fix the problem. I decided to have a tubal ligation and Novasure Ablation. I had to undergo 2 ultrasounds and an Endeotrimal biopsy to make sure that I didn't have any cancer growing! During the ultrasound they discovered 2 growths on my right ovary, which did cause a little worry. Of course this was a very nerve racking time but it all turned up normal as can be! So in November I had the procedure to have my tubes tied and do the ablation on my uterus. The doctor also drained the 2 growths and sent them off to the pathologist for testing. They results came back as just cysts so no biggie. I recovered very quickly and thankfully haven't had any more "Female" Issues!! Ha!

I have really been trying to focus on my health and get back into my precancer physical self. It has surprised me how much my body has changed and how physically weak I have become. I knew it was going to take some time to get back to where I was, but boy I didn't realize just how long. I did talk to by Oncologist about it and he says that it can sometimes take several years before you are fully recovered from the effects of chemotherapy and radiation. This just means that I need to keep a steady pace and not beat myself up for the lack of progress I experience. I am really and truly hoping that I can do another Triathlon this coming summer. I should be able to know in the next couple of months if I think my body is up for the challenge.

Some really fun news...I got a call from my plastic surgeons office in January and they wanted to feature me on their new website and also do an article about the DIEP surgery Dr. F did on me in a new magazine called, "Cancer Connections." I am going to be in the premeire issue which is coming out hopefully next month! So I went to Dr. F's office for a photo shoot and an interview. I met with the Marketing Director from IHC and the photographer as well. It was such an awesome experience and one of the many positive things to come out of this ordeal. Here is the link to my doctor's website: http://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/medicalgroup/clinic/physicianclinics/plasticsurgery/Pages/home.aspx

when you go to the site there are 3 women's stories and our pictures scroll across the top of the page. When you see my picture just click on it and it will take you to my story! I have worked with so many wonderful people and I don't think I could've picked better physicians then the ones I already have. Every doctor, nurse and medical personnel I have worked with have really and truly made this ordeal a little bit easier to deal with because they have been so caring and compassionate! I would like to thank each and everyone of them from me and my entire family! Thank you...Thank you...Thank you!!!

In August I did officially STOP taking the hormone therapy, Tamoxifen. It just reeked havoc on me both physically and emotionally. When I talked to my oncologist about it, he ran the numbers of the percentage of risk I would be taking by stopping the medication. It turns out that it was only stopping my chance of recurrence by less than 5% and with the quality of life I was living, I decided that I needed to stop taking it. I know I am going to be at a higher risk because I have already had cancer but I knew I would be living a happier and more fulfilling life if I stopped taking Tamoxifen. So happily I stopped taking it and I have been feeling so much better since then! I was supposed to take it for 5 years and made it only through 1 year, but that is definitely better than none.

Now I am 2 years in remission and the next big goal is to make it to 3 years. I love each and everyone of you and thank you all so very very much for all the love and support you continue to give me and my family! HUGS and LOVE to all!!!

I will try and post some recent photos of me and the family in the next couple of days!