8/14/08

Today I went for a check up with my surgeon. Once again he is very pleased with the response we are seeing from the chemo. It is a very good thing, because they don't always see this! He also told me that it is very good that I will be having chemo before and after my surgery. I am very high risk for a local recurrence due to the size of my tumor, so we need to fight this very aggressively.

I decided that I was finally ready to start talking about reconstruction with him. This is hard for me to think about because reconstruction means I really am having the mastectomy. Although I know it has to be done, I am still kind of in denial about it and don't like to go there. He said I will be high risk for depression due to the fact the protocol study group I am in delays reconstruction. Anyway, I asked him what plastic surgeon he would recommend and he gave me the name of two to go see. He talked to me about the different methods there are. One being where they take a muscle from your stomach and build a new breast with that and another method is where they take a muscle from your shoulder blade area and then use an implant. He doesn't like the stomach one, because when you take a muscle you will have weakness and you will notice it more in this area. These are all things for me to consider and talk to the plastic surgeon about when I go. I have plenty of time to think these things over. So, things went well and I go back to see him in 2 months.