I'm Free!...Drain free that is!

Time to celebrate!!! I got my drain removed (after 13 days) yesterday!!!! I told My PS that if he hadn't of taken it out I wasn't leaving the office until he did, yeah he thought I was joking. Just so happy to finally be drain free again. As he was pulling it out my whole chest started vibrating it was crazy he said it had gotten stuck it felt like it had been wrapped around my rib cage it was so weird feeling coming out. He said next week my stitches will be removed and then we can finally hopefully in 2 weeks continue the process and start to get filled again Yahoo! As I said before my one boob is smaller than the other, about 100ccs smaller to be exact. Everyone says they don't notice until I say something but it drives me nuts. Pretty sure my first fill will be to the left breast only (the problem one) so that way I can catch up to the right and look even again :) My goal is to hopefully in the next month to be back sleeping in my own bed. This week I just graduated to the couch which is very comfy might I add, but I miss my bed and my spooning partner Brian. It took me almost 7 weeks to be able to just lay on my right side. I cant even try my left yet as it is way too sore still. Unfortunately I am a stomach sleeper and side sleeper. I probably won't be able to do that again until after the swap out surgery boo!!! SO that's my update for now. No pictures this week just hasn't been enough time for that or another video. Maybe next week will calm down a little. Hope everyone has a happy healthy and safe new year!

I need to get one of these!!

Ha! the website I found this on had this to say...

"It doesn't come in drunk, snore, steal the sheets or wake you up."

"But you may find the pillow talk somewhat one sided."

Link to this awesome pillow

Almost Completely caught up

This last entry should pretty much catch me up to where I am at now on my journey. Today my right breast is 6 weeks post op and my left breast is 1 1/2 weeks. It's pretty annoying that I have to label them like that. I wish it was as easy as saying "so today I am 6 weeks post op!":::insert eye roll::: Christmas is tomorrow and this week has been pretty hard, thinking about my mom so much and how much i miss her and that this is the first Christmas with out her. I wish she could see me now, she would be so proud. I have to go back to work on monday, yup drain still attached. Hope to have an update next week telling you that the at my appt on the 28th my PS removes my drain. cross your fingers! I'll leave you with a picture of our beautiful christmas tree. Happy Holidays to everyone!

Surgery again!!?!?!

Where we left off was at this lovely picture....

I figured this wasn't how it was supposed to look, but i still waited and didn't call the doctor. I kept it covered and put neosporin on it and nervously awaited my next appointment, they were only 1 week apart at this time. This visit I was supposed to get filled on my left breast to catch up to the right. they had to remove more from my left breast due to more tissue and skin compared to the right. Once I got to the office my plastic surgeon took one look at it and scheduled me for the following day for an out patient surgery. I was so upset that I had come as far as 5 weeks and now would have to completely start over on my left breast! The next day I was in and out in a few hours and back at home with a drain in place and in a lot of pain. It felt like freaking dejavu. While I was under the surgeon wanted to check if there was any infection, he also feared that if we didn't do something about it now, by christmas time my expander had a chance of ripping through my incision. He found no visible infection and the cultures came back negative Thank god! He replaced my expander with a new one and filled it as much as he could, he said I have about 100cc's less in my left breast compared to my right that has 310ccs.

5 1/2 weeks post op and 1 week after 2nd surgery

left breast 1 week post op from second surgery

left breast side view

right breast 5 weeks post op! looks awesome!

right breast side view

Better late than Never

Well that's annoying I had this awesome blog wrote and I went to add pictures and the entire entry got deleted! So now I have to start over again. As my title says better late than never, in this entry I am going to show you the progression that I have made so far. I have been documenting on you tube but I have also been taking pictures as well. What I am about to show you is my before and after pictures. I guess saying goodbye to my boobs may have been a little easier since I hated them to begin with. Before I had Liam I had these perky little Bcups that I loved, after childbirth and gravity decided it wanted to take its course early, I was left with these nasty droopy huge areola sagbags..lol yeah I said it. After I realized these things weren't going away my self esteem diminished. During the dating phase I refused to show people my chest.  I was just disgusted by them. Once I was diagnosed with the BRCA gene I felt as though my breast were now a death sentence, like two ticking time bombs waiting to explode. But still, they were a part of me and a reminder of my beautiful son Liam so i was still hard to say goodbye. The night before surgery I had Brian take the last shots of my soon to be amputated breasts, I still shudder when I look at them and the fact that all of the internet will now see them too. So here goes....

Before Front view

Before side view

Before diagonal view

After surgery photos 

5 days post op 250ccs

left breast

left breast

right breast

right breast

WOW! big difference huh! Although it looks painful (oh it was ! ) I will tell you that I could not feel anything around where my incisions were, most of my pain centered around the drain sites. and under my breasts which I later found out he sewed the expanders to my rib cage. YIKES! Next I will show you 3 1/2 weeks post op 

Front view 3.5 weeks post op

right breast

left breast

right side

left side

As you can see above on the left side of the breast there is a huge scab, at my next visit the surgeon removed it by cutting it off with scissors. Next op 4 weeks post op 

4 weeks post op

Left Breast (notice the scab that was removed)

Left breast

Right breast

Right breast

 this is the left breast looks gross!

to be continued.... 

My introduction

Ok, so I decided to jump on the band wagon and create a blog. I am not a very good writer and can't spell worth a damn (thank god for spell check) but I figured I would at least try it out, so here goes.... My name is Robyn. I am 28 years old and have a 7 year old son named Liam. My boyfriend of almost 2 years, Brian lives with us as well. Brian has been my rock through all that life has handed us and I don't think I could of done it with out him.

 So as of November 12th 2010 i can finally call myself a previvor. In May 2010 I tested positive for the BRCA1 gene. And on November 12th 2010   I underwent a PBM (prophylactic bilateral mastectomy) I am in the process now of having breast reconstruction with expanders.  The past 2 years have been very rough for me but I have pulled through and I am even stronger than i started. Both my mother and Brian's battled breast cancer at the same time. My mom was diagnosed with her 2nd occurrence in November 2008, she was diagnosed with stage IV triple negative breast cancer with mets to her pancreas. Her cancer eventually spread to her liver and her brain and she passed away February 11th 2010. She was 62 years old.

Brian's mother was diagnosed in January 2009 with stage I breast cancer. She finished up all her treatments in march 2010 and is doing absolutely wonderful. Brian and I participate in the Susan G. Komen 3 day for the cure. We walk for our mothers because they were not able too. I am on here because I would love to meet more people my age that know what I am going through. I am also here to help people who are still weighing their decisions. I also just started a video blog on You tube  showing everyone my journey as it happens. look forward to meeting you all

Follow me n my journey to recovery~~~>http://www.youtube.com/user/shorty0216