Here I was again. Back on the operating table. My third time in 4.5 months and 4th time in 6 months. I’m having reconstruction complications again. My incision opened up again. And so my expander has to come out again.
So there I was going through the whole surgery process again. Too bad you don’t get frequent flyer miles for surgery because I’d have earned something good for all these trips to the OR.
Since I’ve had so many surgeries now I no longer get nervous. This is just one more. It’s exhausting and I hate it but I had a piece of plastic sticking out my breast so that was kind of a problem that needed to be fixed.
My tissue is very thin on the side I had the incision open up on twice. This is the side that had the larger tumor so the cuts involved were likely deeper or more involved and as a result the skin is just not taking and staying closed. Fat grafting may be used for the next time we go back in to try to fix this side and hope that works.
Reconstruction is hard. On one side I have what looks like a perfectly normal breast that hasn’t had problems. But on the other side is a mess that has had expanders taken out twice.
Expanders are put in before implants to stretch out and prepare the tissue for the implant. I didn’t realize how complicated reconstruction was until I went through all this but I’m hopeful the third time is a charm on my left side.
Despite all this it’s very nice mentally to look down at a normal boob. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to say the same for the other side. It’s frustrating but big picture this is ok. I am cancer free and healthy and that’s what matters most.
This is just another roadblock or detour on this journey. I will find my way out and back on the road to recovery and “normalcy.” Time to take it easy and focus on the holiday and my family. Because that’s what matters most.
#breastcancerbattle #breastreconstruction #doublemastectomy #surgicalcomplications #expanders #implants #anotherbumpintheroad #focusonfamily #onetoughmother
