What's Happening to Me?

When I was a kid my friends and I used to read the classic coming of age books, “Where Did I Come From?” and “What’s Happening to Me?”.  Strangely,  I don’t remember the part about getting your breasts removed at 35. That’s probably because I was so focused on the hilarious pictures of naked people from the 70s.

Tomorrow is D-Day, or B-Day or M-Day, or Rex Manning Day.  Many of you have questions about what exactly will happen during the surgery.  If you do not want to know the details, then you should leave now.  Go find some videos that involve kittens and babies, preferably together. Then send the link to me. 

Tomorrow, I will have a bilateral (double) mastectomy. First, the plastic surgeon will make an incision. Next, the breast surgeon will remove all of the breast tissue. She will also take a sample from my lymph nodes.  If cancer is detected in the nodes, they will remove them.  Next, the plastic surgeon will insert temporary breast implants, also called expanders. Then it’s time to close up shop and send me to recovery.

If all goes well, the surgery should take less than 5 hours.  I will be in the hospital over night and home the next day.  Recovery should take between one and three weeks.

Over the next several months I will have a series of injections that will expand the temporary implants.  If my doctors determine I need chemotherapy, that will began after I have recovered from my surgery.  Chemo will last about 18-20 weeks, with a dose every three weeks.  When my treatments are concluded, I will receive permanent breast implants, not something I ever expected to say. 

I hope that clears everything up.  If you have any other questions, use google. That’s what the internet is for, Dummy.

Thanks to everyone for your kind words, love and support.  It has kept me well distracted, which has been invaluable.  I love you all.  Well, not all of you. Some of you I’ve never met.  But I’m sure if we did meet, we’d get along and maybe some day I would grow to love you.

Send your prayers, thoughts and ritual sacrifices starting around 10 AM tomorrow. 

 

Next time… J will post here and on facebook when I am out of surgery and in recovery.