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hi estelle.

hello. i am considering having balloon

expanders in my tummy area due to a tram flap surgery

that failed. my skin died in my tummy dramaticly.

there was a huge hole the size of a pancake. i wore a

wound vac 24/7 for 5 weeks. it's been over a year now,

and wound is still not healed. i need skin to help

the wound, and my doctor says i need to stretch my

skin with a balloon expander. there is also mesh in

the area of wound that is starting to come through my

skin, and also can be painful at times. i had another

opinion from a plastic surgeon and he said no to

expanders, and recommened skin graph. but i already

have said no to that procdure. im quite a mess. what

do you think about balloon expanders considering my

situation? if you have any information, thank you.

gina in florida

--- DONNA HAGAN wrote:

> Hi Estelle, I am starting reconstruction on the 28th

> for the third time. I had a left mastectomy in April

> 04 with tram but the tram didn't take. I had chemo

> and then in March of this year i had expander put in

> but got a staph infection and the expander had to be

> removed. I hopw everyting goes good this time. I had

> cancer in three areas in the left breast with no

> nodes involved. I did have the chemo but no rad. I

> do have mri's done on my right breast every 6

> months. I wish you good luck and if you need

> anything just ask..............everyone here is

> wonderful.............Donna

>

> Estelle wrote:I am recently

> diagnosed (8/15 was when the doctor called me) with

> breast cancer. We thought I had invasive cancer in

> the right breast

> and only DCIS in the left, so my oncologist referred

> me to a breast

> surgeon for lumpectomies. On August 26 I had

> lumpectomies to remove

> cancer from both breasts, with sentinel node biopsy

> of the right.

> When the radiologist was placing the wire for my

> wire localization,

> she spotted an area in the left breast that

> concerned her, so she

> marked it as well. It turned out that the new area

> was invasive

> lobular carcinoma. They also found evidence of

> atypical hyperplasia

> all through my left breast. The tumor removed from

> the right was 1.8

> cm (we'd thought it was about 9 mm). My nodes on

> the right were

> clear, but we didn't get clean margins on the right.

>

> So now my surgeon has recommended a left mastectomy.

> She's also

> suggested (although I do have the option of refusing

> this) of a right

> mastectomy as well. I've decided to go ahead with

> bilateral

> mastectomies with immediate reconstruction, given

> the fact that there

> is so much going on there in my left breast (some of

> which we didn't

> find until surgery) and we just don't know what

> might have been

> missed on the right. My surgeon had originally

> ordered an MRI as

> part of my staging, but my insurance refused to

> approve it without a

> lot of paperwork being mailed to them for review.

> The MRI might have

> seen what else is there. Rather than let them play

> roullette with my

> health and wait and worry, I feel it's better to

> have both breasts

> removed and decrease my risk of recurrence.

>

> We don't know yet about whether I'll have chemo -

> that will depend on

> the pathology from the left nodes. Also, my medical

> oncologist will

> determine this, based on further pathology on that

> 1.8 cm tumor.

>

> I have my second consult with the plastic surgeon

> tomorrow

> afternoon. I've pretty much decided to choose

> tissue expanders and

> implants, with nipple reconstruction.

>

> I've been on a rollercoaster ride ever since my

> oncologist called me

> 8/15. Oh, and the reason I already had an

> oncologist is that I

> conquered non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2003 and I'd gone

> to her for my

> sixth-month check-up. I let them schedule a

> mammogram for me, since

> I hadn't had one in awhile. And this is what they

> found. Thank God

> I did that!

>

> My name is Estelle; I'm 50 and married to my (most

> of the time) best

> friend, Dave; we have no children, but we have five

> " furkids. " I'm

> an educator, so I have thousands of " kids " that I've

> taught.

>

> I look forward to getting to know everyone and

> getting some help and

> encouragement for this journey on which I find

> myself an unwilling

> participant.

>

> Estelle

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

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Share on other sites

hi estelle.

hello. i am considering having balloon

expanders in my tummy area due to a tram flap surgery

that failed. my skin died in my tummy dramaticly.

there was a huge hole the size of a pancake. i wore a

wound vac 24/7 for 5 weeks. it's been over a year now,

and wound is still not healed. i need skin to help

the wound, and my doctor says i need to stretch my

skin with a balloon expander. there is also mesh in

the area of wound that is starting to come through my

skin, and also can be painful at times. i had another

opinion from a plastic surgeon and he said no to

expanders, and recommened skin graph. but i already

have said no to that procdure. im quite a mess. what

do you think about balloon expanders considering my

situation? if you have any information, thank you.

gina in florida

--- DONNA HAGAN wrote:

> Hi Estelle, I am starting reconstruction on the 28th

> for the third time. I had a left mastectomy in April

> 04 with tram but the tram didn't take. I had chemo

> and then in March of this year i had expander put in

> but got a staph infection and the expander had to be

> removed. I hopw everyting goes good this time. I had

> cancer in three areas in the left breast with no

> nodes involved. I did have the chemo but no rad. I

> do have mri's done on my right breast every 6

> months. I wish you good luck and if you need

> anything just ask..............everyone here is

> wonderful.............Donna

>

> Estelle wrote:I am recently

> diagnosed (8/15 was when the doctor called me) with

> breast cancer. We thought I had invasive cancer in

> the right breast

> and only DCIS in the left, so my oncologist referred

> me to a breast

> surgeon for lumpectomies. On August 26 I had

> lumpectomies to remove

> cancer from both breasts, with sentinel node biopsy

> of the right.

> When the radiologist was placing the wire for my

> wire localization,

> she spotted an area in the left breast that

> concerned her, so she

> marked it as well. It turned out that the new area

> was invasive

> lobular carcinoma. They also found evidence of

> atypical hyperplasia

> all through my left breast. The tumor removed from

> the right was 1.8

> cm (we'd thought it was about 9 mm). My nodes on

> the right were

> clear, but we didn't get clean margins on the right.

>

> So now my surgeon has recommended a left mastectomy.

> She's also

> suggested (although I do have the option of refusing

> this) of a right

> mastectomy as well. I've decided to go ahead with

> bilateral

> mastectomies with immediate reconstruction, given

> the fact that there

> is so much going on there in my left breast (some of

> which we didn't

> find until surgery) and we just don't know what

> might have been

> missed on the right. My surgeon had originally

> ordered an MRI as

> part of my staging, but my insurance refused to

> approve it without a

> lot of paperwork being mailed to them for review.

> The MRI might have

> seen what else is there. Rather than let them play

> roullette with my

> health and wait and worry, I feel it's better to

> have both breasts

> removed and decrease my risk of recurrence.

>

> We don't know yet about whether I'll have chemo -

> that will depend on

> the pathology from the left nodes. Also, my medical

> oncologist will

> determine this, based on further pathology on that

> 1.8 cm tumor.

>

> I have my second consult with the plastic surgeon

> tomorrow

> afternoon. I've pretty much decided to choose

> tissue expanders and

> implants, with nipple reconstruction.

>

> I've been on a rollercoaster ride ever since my

> oncologist called me

> 8/15. Oh, and the reason I already had an

> oncologist is that I

> conquered non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2003 and I'd gone

> to her for my

> sixth-month check-up. I let them schedule a

> mammogram for me, since

> I hadn't had one in awhile. And this is what they

> found. Thank God

> I did that!

>

> My name is Estelle; I'm 50 and married to my (most

> of the time) best

> friend, Dave; we have no children, but we have five

> " furkids. " I'm

> an educator, so I have thousands of " kids " that I've

> taught.

>

> I look forward to getting to know everyone and

> getting some help and

> encouragement for this journey on which I find

> myself an unwilling

> participant.

>

> Estelle

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi estelle.

hello. i am considering having balloon

expanders in my tummy area due to a tram flap surgery

that failed. my skin died in my tummy dramaticly.

there was a huge hole the size of a pancake. i wore a

wound vac 24/7 for 5 weeks. it's been over a year now,

and wound is still not healed. i need skin to help

the wound, and my doctor says i need to stretch my

skin with a balloon expander. there is also mesh in

the area of wound that is starting to come through my

skin, and also can be painful at times. i had another

opinion from a plastic surgeon and he said no to

expanders, and recommened skin graph. but i already

have said no to that procdure. im quite a mess. what

do you think about balloon expanders considering my

situation? if you have any information, thank you.

gina in florida

--- DONNA HAGAN wrote:

> Hi Estelle, I am starting reconstruction on the 28th

> for the third time. I had a left mastectomy in April

> 04 with tram but the tram didn't take. I had chemo

> and then in March of this year i had expander put in

> but got a staph infection and the expander had to be

> removed. I hopw everyting goes good this time. I had

> cancer in three areas in the left breast with no

> nodes involved. I did have the chemo but no rad. I

> do have mri's done on my right breast every 6

> months. I wish you good luck and if you need

> anything just ask..............everyone here is

> wonderful.............Donna

>

> Estelle wrote:I am recently

> diagnosed (8/15 was when the doctor called me) with

> breast cancer. We thought I had invasive cancer in

> the right breast

> and only DCIS in the left, so my oncologist referred

> me to a breast

> surgeon for lumpectomies. On August 26 I had

> lumpectomies to remove

> cancer from both breasts, with sentinel node biopsy

> of the right.

> When the radiologist was placing the wire for my

> wire localization,

> she spotted an area in the left breast that

> concerned her, so she

> marked it as well. It turned out that the new area

> was invasive

> lobular carcinoma. They also found evidence of

> atypical hyperplasia

> all through my left breast. The tumor removed from

> the right was 1.8

> cm (we'd thought it was about 9 mm). My nodes on

> the right were

> clear, but we didn't get clean margins on the right.

>

> So now my surgeon has recommended a left mastectomy.

> She's also

> suggested (although I do have the option of refusing

> this) of a right

> mastectomy as well. I've decided to go ahead with

> bilateral

> mastectomies with immediate reconstruction, given

> the fact that there

> is so much going on there in my left breast (some of

> which we didn't

> find until surgery) and we just don't know what

> might have been

> missed on the right. My surgeon had originally

> ordered an MRI as

> part of my staging, but my insurance refused to

> approve it without a

> lot of paperwork being mailed to them for review.

> The MRI might have

> seen what else is there. Rather than let them play

> roullette with my

> health and wait and worry, I feel it's better to

> have both breasts

> removed and decrease my risk of recurrence.

>

> We don't know yet about whether I'll have chemo -

> that will depend on

> the pathology from the left nodes. Also, my medical

> oncologist will

> determine this, based on further pathology on that

> 1.8 cm tumor.

>

> I have my second consult with the plastic surgeon

> tomorrow

> afternoon. I've pretty much decided to choose

> tissue expanders and

> implants, with nipple reconstruction.

>

> I've been on a rollercoaster ride ever since my

> oncologist called me

> 8/15. Oh, and the reason I already had an

> oncologist is that I

> conquered non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2003 and I'd gone

> to her for my

> sixth-month check-up. I let them schedule a

> mammogram for me, since

> I hadn't had one in awhile. And this is what they

> found. Thank God

> I did that!

>

> My name is Estelle; I'm 50 and married to my (most

> of the time) best

> friend, Dave; we have no children, but we have five

> " furkids. " I'm

> an educator, so I have thousands of " kids " that I've

> taught.

>

> I look forward to getting to know everyone and

> getting some help and

> encouragement for this journey on which I find

> myself an unwilling

> participant.

>

> Estelle

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi estelle.

hello. i am considering having balloon

expanders in my tummy area due to a tram flap surgery

that failed. my skin died in my tummy dramaticly.

there was a huge hole the size of a pancake. i wore a

wound vac 24/7 for 5 weeks. it's been over a year now,

and wound is still not healed. i need skin to help

the wound, and my doctor says i need to stretch my

skin with a balloon expander. there is also mesh in

the area of wound that is starting to come through my

skin, and also can be painful at times. i had another

opinion from a plastic surgeon and he said no to

expanders, and recommened skin graph. but i already

have said no to that procdure. im quite a mess. what

do you think about balloon expanders considering my

situation? if you have any information, thank you.

gina in florida

--- DONNA HAGAN wrote:

> Hi Estelle, I am starting reconstruction on the 28th

> for the third time. I had a left mastectomy in April

> 04 with tram but the tram didn't take. I had chemo

> and then in March of this year i had expander put in

> but got a staph infection and the expander had to be

> removed. I hopw everyting goes good this time. I had

> cancer in three areas in the left breast with no

> nodes involved. I did have the chemo but no rad. I

> do have mri's done on my right breast every 6

> months. I wish you good luck and if you need

> anything just ask..............everyone here is

> wonderful.............Donna

>

> Estelle wrote:I am recently

> diagnosed (8/15 was when the doctor called me) with

> breast cancer. We thought I had invasive cancer in

> the right breast

> and only DCIS in the left, so my oncologist referred

> me to a breast

> surgeon for lumpectomies. On August 26 I had

> lumpectomies to remove

> cancer from both breasts, with sentinel node biopsy

> of the right.

> When the radiologist was placing the wire for my

> wire localization,

> she spotted an area in the left breast that

> concerned her, so she

> marked it as well. It turned out that the new area

> was invasive

> lobular carcinoma. They also found evidence of

> atypical hyperplasia

> all through my left breast. The tumor removed from

> the right was 1.8

> cm (we'd thought it was about 9 mm). My nodes on

> the right were

> clear, but we didn't get clean margins on the right.

>

> So now my surgeon has recommended a left mastectomy.

> She's also

> suggested (although I do have the option of refusing

> this) of a right

> mastectomy as well. I've decided to go ahead with

> bilateral

> mastectomies with immediate reconstruction, given

> the fact that there

> is so much going on there in my left breast (some of

> which we didn't

> find until surgery) and we just don't know what

> might have been

> missed on the right. My surgeon had originally

> ordered an MRI as

> part of my staging, but my insurance refused to

> approve it without a

> lot of paperwork being mailed to them for review.

> The MRI might have

> seen what else is there. Rather than let them play

> roullette with my

> health and wait and worry, I feel it's better to

> have both breasts

> removed and decrease my risk of recurrence.

>

> We don't know yet about whether I'll have chemo -

> that will depend on

> the pathology from the left nodes. Also, my medical

> oncologist will

> determine this, based on further pathology on that

> 1.8 cm tumor.

>

> I have my second consult with the plastic surgeon

> tomorrow

> afternoon. I've pretty much decided to choose

> tissue expanders and

> implants, with nipple reconstruction.

>

> I've been on a rollercoaster ride ever since my

> oncologist called me

> 8/15. Oh, and the reason I already had an

> oncologist is that I

> conquered non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2003 and I'd gone

> to her for my

> sixth-month check-up. I let them schedule a

> mammogram for me, since

> I hadn't had one in awhile. And this is what they

> found. Thank God

> I did that!

>

> My name is Estelle; I'm 50 and married to my (most

> of the time) best

> friend, Dave; we have no children, but we have five

> " furkids. " I'm

> an educator, so I have thousands of " kids " that I've

> taught.

>

> I look forward to getting to know everyone and

> getting some help and

> encouragement for this journey on which I find

> myself an unwilling

> participant.

>

> Estelle

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi estelle.

hello. i am considering having balloon

expanders in my tummy area due to a tram flap surgery

that failed. my skin died in my tummy dramaticly.

there was a huge hole the size of a pancake. i wore a

wound vac 24/7 for 5 weeks. it's been over a year now,

and wound is still not healed. i need skin to help

the wound, and my doctor says i need to stretch my

skin with a balloon expander. there is also mesh in

the area of wound that is starting to come through my

skin, and also can be painful at times. i had another

opinion from a plastic surgeon and he said no to

expanders, and recommened skin graph. but i already

have said no to that procdure. im quite a mess. what

do you think about balloon expanders considering my

situation? if you have any information, thank you.

gina in florida

--- DONNA HAGAN wrote:

> Hi Estelle, I am starting reconstruction on the 28th

> for the third time. I had a left mastectomy in April

> 04 with tram but the tram didn't take. I had chemo

> and then in March of this year i had expander put in

> but got a staph infection and the expander had to be

> removed. I hopw everyting goes good this time. I had

> cancer in three areas in the left breast with no

> nodes involved. I did have the chemo but no rad. I

> do have mri's done on my right breast every 6

> months. I wish you good luck and if you need

> anything just ask..............everyone here is

> wonderful.............Donna

>

> Estelle wrote:I am recently

> diagnosed (8/15 was when the doctor called me) with

> breast cancer. We thought I had invasive cancer in

> the right breast

> and only DCIS in the left, so my oncologist referred

> me to a breast

> surgeon for lumpectomies. On August 26 I had

> lumpectomies to remove

> cancer from both breasts, with sentinel node biopsy

> of the right.

> When the radiologist was placing the wire for my

> wire localization,

> she spotted an area in the left breast that

> concerned her, so she

> marked it as well. It turned out that the new area

> was invasive

> lobular carcinoma. They also found evidence of

> atypical hyperplasia

> all through my left breast. The tumor removed from

> the right was 1.8

> cm (we'd thought it was about 9 mm). My nodes on

> the right were

> clear, but we didn't get clean margins on the right.

>

> So now my surgeon has recommended a left mastectomy.

> She's also

> suggested (although I do have the option of refusing

> this) of a right

> mastectomy as well. I've decided to go ahead with

> bilateral

> mastectomies with immediate reconstruction, given

> the fact that there

> is so much going on there in my left breast (some of

> which we didn't

> find until surgery) and we just don't know what

> might have been

> missed on the right. My surgeon had originally

> ordered an MRI as

> part of my staging, but my insurance refused to

> approve it without a

> lot of paperwork being mailed to them for review.

> The MRI might have

> seen what else is there. Rather than let them play

> roullette with my

> health and wait and worry, I feel it's better to

> have both breasts

> removed and decrease my risk of recurrence.

>

> We don't know yet about whether I'll have chemo -

> that will depend on

> the pathology from the left nodes. Also, my medical

> oncologist will

> determine this, based on further pathology on that

> 1.8 cm tumor.

>

> I have my second consult with the plastic surgeon

> tomorrow

> afternoon. I've pretty much decided to choose

> tissue expanders and

> implants, with nipple reconstruction.

>

> I've been on a rollercoaster ride ever since my

> oncologist called me

> 8/15. Oh, and the reason I already had an

> oncologist is that I

> conquered non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2003 and I'd gone

> to her for my

> sixth-month check-up. I let them schedule a

> mammogram for me, since

> I hadn't had one in awhile. And this is what they

> found. Thank God

> I did that!

>

> My name is Estelle; I'm 50 and married to my (most

> of the time) best

> friend, Dave; we have no children, but we have five

> " furkids. " I'm

> an educator, so I have thousands of " kids " that I've

> taught.

>

> I look forward to getting to know everyone and

> getting some help and

> encouragement for this journey on which I find

> myself an unwilling

> participant.

>

> Estelle

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi estelle.

hello. i am considering having balloon

expanders in my tummy area due to a tram flap surgery

that failed. my skin died in my tummy dramaticly.

there was a huge hole the size of a pancake. i wore a

wound vac 24/7 for 5 weeks. it's been over a year now,

and wound is still not healed. i need skin to help

the wound, and my doctor says i need to stretch my

skin with a balloon expander. there is also mesh in

the area of wound that is starting to come through my

skin, and also can be painful at times. i had another

opinion from a plastic surgeon and he said no to

expanders, and recommened skin graph. but i already

have said no to that procdure. im quite a mess. what

do you think about balloon expanders considering my

situation? if you have any information, thank you.

gina in florida

--- DONNA HAGAN wrote:

> Hi Estelle, I am starting reconstruction on the 28th

> for the third time. I had a left mastectomy in April

> 04 with tram but the tram didn't take. I had chemo

> and then in March of this year i had expander put in

> but got a staph infection and the expander had to be

> removed. I hopw everyting goes good this time. I had

> cancer in three areas in the left breast with no

> nodes involved. I did have the chemo but no rad. I

> do have mri's done on my right breast every 6

> months. I wish you good luck and if you need

> anything just ask..............everyone here is

> wonderful.............Donna

>

> Estelle wrote:I am recently

> diagnosed (8/15 was when the doctor called me) with

> breast cancer. We thought I had invasive cancer in

> the right breast

> and only DCIS in the left, so my oncologist referred

> me to a breast

> surgeon for lumpectomies. On August 26 I had

> lumpectomies to remove

> cancer from both breasts, with sentinel node biopsy

> of the right.

> When the radiologist was placing the wire for my

> wire localization,

> she spotted an area in the left breast that

> concerned her, so she

> marked it as well. It turned out that the new area

> was invasive

> lobular carcinoma. They also found evidence of

> atypical hyperplasia

> all through my left breast. The tumor removed from

> the right was 1.8

> cm (we'd thought it was about 9 mm). My nodes on

> the right were

> clear, but we didn't get clean margins on the right.

>

> So now my surgeon has recommended a left mastectomy.

> She's also

> suggested (although I do have the option of refusing

> this) of a right

> mastectomy as well. I've decided to go ahead with

> bilateral

> mastectomies with immediate reconstruction, given

> the fact that there

> is so much going on there in my left breast (some of

> which we didn't

> find until surgery) and we just don't know what

> might have been

> missed on the right. My surgeon had originally

> ordered an MRI as

> part of my staging, but my insurance refused to

> approve it without a

> lot of paperwork being mailed to them for review.

> The MRI might have

> seen what else is there. Rather than let them play

> roullette with my

> health and wait and worry, I feel it's better to

> have both breasts

> removed and decrease my risk of recurrence.

>

> We don't know yet about whether I'll have chemo -

> that will depend on

> the pathology from the left nodes. Also, my medical

> oncologist will

> determine this, based on further pathology on that

> 1.8 cm tumor.

>

> I have my second consult with the plastic surgeon

> tomorrow

> afternoon. I've pretty much decided to choose

> tissue expanders and

> implants, with nipple reconstruction.

>

> I've been on a rollercoaster ride ever since my

> oncologist called me

> 8/15. Oh, and the reason I already had an

> oncologist is that I

> conquered non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2003 and I'd gone

> to her for my

> sixth-month check-up. I let them schedule a

> mammogram for me, since

> I hadn't had one in awhile. And this is what they

> found. Thank God

> I did that!

>

> My name is Estelle; I'm 50 and married to my (most

> of the time) best

> friend, Dave; we have no children, but we have five

> " furkids. " I'm

> an educator, so I have thousands of " kids " that I've

> taught.

>

> I look forward to getting to know everyone and

> getting some help and

> encouragement for this journey on which I find

> myself an unwilling

> participant.

>

> Estelle

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi estelle.

hello. i am considering having balloon

expanders in my tummy area due to a tram flap surgery

that failed. my skin died in my tummy dramaticly.

there was a huge hole the size of a pancake. i wore a

wound vac 24/7 for 5 weeks. it's been over a year now,

and wound is still not healed. i need skin to help

the wound, and my doctor says i need to stretch my

skin with a balloon expander. there is also mesh in

the area of wound that is starting to come through my

skin, and also can be painful at times. i had another

opinion from a plastic surgeon and he said no to

expanders, and recommened skin graph. but i already

have said no to that procdure. im quite a mess. what

do you think about balloon expanders considering my

situation? if you have any information, thank you.

gina in florida

--- DONNA HAGAN wrote:

> Hi Estelle, I am starting reconstruction on the 28th

> for the third time. I had a left mastectomy in April

> 04 with tram but the tram didn't take. I had chemo

> and then in March of this year i had expander put in

> but got a staph infection and the expander had to be

> removed. I hopw everyting goes good this time. I had

> cancer in three areas in the left breast with no

> nodes involved. I did have the chemo but no rad. I

> do have mri's done on my right breast every 6

> months. I wish you good luck and if you need

> anything just ask..............everyone here is

> wonderful.............Donna

>

> Estelle wrote:I am recently

> diagnosed (8/15 was when the doctor called me) with

> breast cancer. We thought I had invasive cancer in

> the right breast

> and only DCIS in the left, so my oncologist referred

> me to a breast

> surgeon for lumpectomies. On August 26 I had

> lumpectomies to remove

> cancer from both breasts, with sentinel node biopsy

> of the right.

> When the radiologist was placing the wire for my

> wire localization,

> she spotted an area in the left breast that

> concerned her, so she

> marked it as well. It turned out that the new area

> was invasive

> lobular carcinoma. They also found evidence of

> atypical hyperplasia

> all through my left breast. The tumor removed from

> the right was 1.8

> cm (we'd thought it was about 9 mm). My nodes on

> the right were

> clear, but we didn't get clean margins on the right.

>

> So now my surgeon has recommended a left mastectomy.

> She's also

> suggested (although I do have the option of refusing

> this) of a right

> mastectomy as well. I've decided to go ahead with

> bilateral

> mastectomies with immediate reconstruction, given

> the fact that there

> is so much going on there in my left breast (some of

> which we didn't

> find until surgery) and we just don't know what

> might have been

> missed on the right. My surgeon had originally

> ordered an MRI as

> part of my staging, but my insurance refused to

> approve it without a

> lot of paperwork being mailed to them for review.

> The MRI might have

> seen what else is there. Rather than let them play

> roullette with my

> health and wait and worry, I feel it's better to

> have both breasts

> removed and decrease my risk of recurrence.

>

> We don't know yet about whether I'll have chemo -

> that will depend on

> the pathology from the left nodes. Also, my medical

> oncologist will

> determine this, based on further pathology on that

> 1.8 cm tumor.

>

> I have my second consult with the plastic surgeon

> tomorrow

> afternoon. I've pretty much decided to choose

> tissue expanders and

> implants, with nipple reconstruction.

>

> I've been on a rollercoaster ride ever since my

> oncologist called me

> 8/15. Oh, and the reason I already had an

> oncologist is that I

> conquered non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2003 and I'd gone

> to her for my

> sixth-month check-up. I let them schedule a

> mammogram for me, since

> I hadn't had one in awhile. And this is what they

> found. Thank God

> I did that!

>

> My name is Estelle; I'm 50 and married to my (most

> of the time) best

> friend, Dave; we have no children, but we have five

> " furkids. " I'm

> an educator, so I have thousands of " kids " that I've

> taught.

>

> I look forward to getting to know everyone and

> getting some help and

> encouragement for this journey on which I find

> myself an unwilling

> participant.

>

> Estelle

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

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