Post-op Update

Posted on November 23, 2009 by jamiesjourney

So I’m nearly a week out from my latest surgery and I’m feeling pretty good. Of course it’ll be a few more weeks until the swelling and bruising go down and then a few more weeks for the incision site to fully heal but all in all this surgery was a walk in the park.

I reported at 6am for my 7:30am surgery. I was quickly admitted and set up in a room. My entourage was much smaller this time but I still had great support there. Mom, Dad and K all came ready to help me calm my nerves as well as to occupy their time while I was in surgery. At 7am I was brought down to pre-op where I met with my AMAZING doctor, my anesthesiologist and the nurses that would be scrubbing in. I wish I could tell you what happened as they rolled me into the OR but I can’t. See I got juiced up REAL NICE just as I was getting rolled down the hallway so when I woke up it was right after surgery with my doctor leaning over me telling me what a great job I did, how great things went, how fantastic the results are going to be and how I’m going to heal quickly and easily and what a tough trooper I am. Can you see why I call this man AMAZING? The 2nd time I woke up to my mom kissing my forehead and trying to get me to wake from my drugged up coma. I think I choked down some dry corn muffin and drank apple juice, was forced to pee and was then placed into a wheelchair and brought to the car. I was home and in bed by 1pm.

I spent the rest of the day waking here and there apparently babbling randomly to K and then promptly passing out. Ah the wonder of anesthesia and pain meds. Needless to say the pain was minimal. Truly nothing to bad. It was more uncomfortable than painful. I had a bolster taped between my boobs, Saran wrap wrapped around my boobs and then it was all taped down. See? Uncomfortable.

So my doctor decided that he wasn’t going to put my nipples on. Instead he just went in to better separate my implants so that they aren’t so pushed together and giving them what I hope is a more natural look. He decided it was best to wait another month or 2 before the nipples so that my incisions have a chance to heal again and he can just place the nipples over my incision lines therefore making them virtually invisible. Honestly, I’m not to bummed out that I don’t have my nipples yet. I’ve gone this long without them I think I can handle just a few more months. Plus that procedure will be simpler and quicker.

Today I went to see my doctor’s assistant, who is just as fabulous. She removed the Saran wrap and tape and by god it felt so good!! I have been feeling so damn itchy and constricted the past few days and now……. AHHH!! I have to keep the bolster taped firmly between my Franken Boobies as often as I can for the next few weeks to really make sure the implants heal in the correct place. But again, no big deal. Such a small price to pay for the end results.

So as you can see, physically I am healing pretty well and getting along just fine. Yup, just truck’n along. However, emotionally I’m a mess. You see, this time last year is when we had to place Tracy in the ICU and intubate her. This is when my world started to fall apart. The next few months are going to be hell. They are going to be sad and dark and lonely. I’m going to cry and yell and be angry and really, really sad. I’d like to think that I’m going to get through the next few months even if I’m just barely holding on by my bloody fingernails. And I’m really going to try. But it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be really so very, devastatingly hard.

Love, Love, Love!

Happy Birthday Liza!!!

Posted on November 17, 2009 by jamiesjourney

Today is a momentous day! Today is a day that homage must be paid. You see today is my sister, Liza’s, 40th Birthday!!!

Liza is second in line for the Pleva Girls however I think she is First in Command. She is silly and passionate with a soft loving heart. She loves a good football or baseball game and is always up for an adventure. This past June I was sick of sitting at home and being sick and all I wanted to do was go a to a Yankee game. So I looked online found some tickets and called Liza and she jumped at the opportunity to go. She’s always ready for fun be it at game, on a trip or in a spa.

She is an amazing Mother. She has raised 2 incredible kiddos who adore her. She has a husband who is madly in love with her, (stop rolling your eyes Liza, cause he is) and who appreciates her strong will. She enjoys going on vacations with her family and having new experiences with them. Her little family is her everything and she is fiercely protective of them.

She loves the color yellow and tries to have fresh flowers in her house at all times. She can appreciate a yummy dish and good glass of wine or pint of beer. She dances like crazy and will busy out in song in the car. She is herself through and through will never let anyone make her feel bad about it!

So today I ask that you take the time to celebrate and wish my sister Liza a very Happy 40th Birthday! She is deserving of so much love and happiness and I wish that for her today all through her long life.

Thank you for being such a great sister, always taking care of me and thinking of others. I Love, Love, Love you!!

Happy Birthday Liza!

You’re Perfect!

Posted on November 14, 2009 by jamiesjourney

So I’ve spent the past few days heading to different dr’s appointments. The most important of them being my breast surgeon and my oncologist. Both were follow-up appts to see how I’m doing and to keep an eye on me. They’ll pretty much be doing that for the rest of my VERY, VERY, VERY LOOOOONG life. Just in case you were wondering.

So first I went to see my breast surgeon. He gave me a thorough exam checking my “boobies” and my lymph nodes and then proceeded to tell me I was excellent. “Jamie you are excellent. I mean really. You are a great healer and everything looks excellent. Really Jame, great results here.” ::sigh:: My new boobies are excellent. Schweeet! I still have to continue to see him every 6 months so I will be back for another visit in May.

Yesterday I went to my oncologist for yet another once over. After examining my “boobies”, lymph nodes, my lungs, and an all over exam he proceeded to tell me that I’m perfect!! “Well you are just perfect! Look at you. You are prefect! And look at how cute you are. And you look so good! Doesn’t she look good?” He says looking at my mom waiting for her to agree. “You are just perfect Jamie. But I think we knew that! Perfect!” I love him! I don’t think I will ever be able to put into words just how much I love my oncologist.

Of course we had a question and answer session and he has informed that I shouldn’t be concerned that my period hasn’t come back. And he also recommended that I get the flu shot. UGH!! Unfortunately my oncologist as well as my general doctor no longer have the flu shot available so I need to find a place there I can get the shot.

Also, he gave me my prescription for my scans. I am scheduled to have them done in January. Needless to say I’m trying not to think about them but I am nervous. Those scans are going to either be a GREAT news day or a sucky news day. But I can’t think of that now. No sense in worry and stressing over it until I have to.

This upcoming Wed, Nov 18th I am having surgery. A very simple procedure as a matter of fact and it’s one I’ve been waiting on. I GET MY NIPPLES!!! WOOT WOOT!!! That’s right, no more Franken Boobie. No more looking like a Barbie. I shall have nipples! To some of you it may seem weird that I’m excited by this but for those of you who are or have been in my position you will totally understand my excitement. OH!! you know what’s really cool about getting my nipples, well aside from just plain old getting nipples?! Well, when my doctors did my mastectomy they had to take my nipples and where the scar was left from cutting me open was right in the middle of my breasts about 2 inches long. Well my when they put my NEW nipples on they will cover up my scars. Pretty nifty huh? The procedure will be a few hours long because not only will they be giving me nipples but they are going to go back in and separate my cleavage a bit because I feel like the skin between my “boobies” is just a little tight and they need to be a tad bit separated.

I know what you’re all asking. “Jamie how on earth are they giving you/making you nipples?” Well dear friends let me enlighten you. One way to do it is to do a skin grafting. They take skin from another area of your body and make an areola and nipple out of it. This looks super natural but it also means more scars and even more healing time. I am opting for a procedure a bit simpler yet looks just as natural. As a matter of fact when my plastic surgeon asked me to pick out the fake nipples from real ones from an array of pictures I got it wrong. So what’s going to happen is that he will tatoo on my areola and then in the center he will make an S cut in my skin. He will then bunch it together and sew it up like a baseball making the nipple. Now the only KINDA downside is that I will always look like “I’m cold” if I don’t wear a bra. But in all honestly I DON’T CARE!!!!! I’m getting nipples!!! Oh how the little (hee hee) things make me happy now-a-days!

Well I’m off. I’m spending the weekend in Wappingers watching my niece and nephew. Today we are headed to the movies and we are cooking YUMMY YUMMY pizza for dinner.

Love, Love, Love!!