Tag Archives: Prevention

The good old days

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WARNING: NSFW / graphic content below.

It has been over four months since my most recent surgery (March 1, 2016) and three and a half years since I had my prophylactic bilateral mastectomy. As I’ve said before, I have no regrets and am glad that I made the decision to undertake this journey. The last few years have not been easy, but it has all been worth it!hood

Things look great! I would even dare to say they are perfect (see photo below). Of course, there are little things here and there; we are our own worst critic. For example: I lost part of my nipple to necrosis, which resulted in loss of pigment, so I’ve been considering a 3D nipple tattoo to fill that in. In all honesty though, after the complications I’ve dealt with and how long this has taken, I am ecstatic about the outcome!

I’m in a great place in all aspects of my life:

  • This is all finally behind me and I’m happy to say I’ve had nothing but love and support from my husband, family, and all those around me (including you!).
  • On a personal level: hub and I are about to celebrate 10 years of marriage and 20 years together, we’ve traveled a bit this year and will be going to Ireland as well as the motherland to see my family in September AND the FORCE conference in Orlando in October, I chopped off some of my long hair and am slowly making my way to blonde (I love it!), and I lost the 15 pounds I gained over the last three+ years.
  • On the work front: I love my job, which allows me to work from home, and I’m about to dive into a really exciting business opportunity (more details later).

It’s easy to say things are great when they really are great, but if you’ve been reading my blog for a bit, you may know that I’m a firm believer that your attitude really is everything. My anthem has been These Are The Good Old Days by Pink. Even when they were shit days, they were still good days. I had the chance to say NOPE to breast cancer. 

Throughout this process, I’ve remained positive and never lost sight of my “why” for doing all this, which was to greatly reduce my risk of developing breast cancer. Although we are BRCA mutation uninformed negative, cancer has been plaguing our family. My sister was just 29 when she died from the disease (I’m 35). My mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and died just a little over a year later. My aunt is in remission from colorectal cancer. I’ve been discussing a salpingectomy with my oncologist and will most likely have that procedure before 40 (stay tuned) followed by an oophorectomy after 50. At the end of the day, I am glad I made the decision to be proactive. I will continue to closely monitor my health and make decisions that best address and mitigate my personal risk.

Because “these are the good old days and I think I’d like to stay” – Pink.

The results

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Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

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They say that Ovarian Cancer whispers. It is a silent killer. The symptoms are often attributed to GI issues (bloating, abdominal pain, difficulty eating, going to the bathroom often), there is no reliable screening method, and it is hard to find in its early curable stages.

My mom experienced these types of symptoms. By the time doctors took a closer look, they discovered ovarian cancer in advanced stages. She lived for a little over a year. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about and miss her.

Ladies, please educate yourselves about the symptoms and risk factors associated with ovarian cancer. Has anyone in your family been diagnosed with ovarian cancer? How about breast cancer under the age of 50? Male breast cancer? Two members on the same side of the family with any of these cancers: breast, ovarian or fallopian, prostate, pancreatic, or melanoma? These signs may point to hereditary cancer. If you suspect the cancer in your family may be hereditary, it is important to consult with a genetics expert. Find one here.

Ovarian Cancer Fact Sheet

Bra shopping

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WARNING: NSFW / graphic content below.

My exchange surgery was on September 11. We swapped out the tissue expander on my left and made a pocket revision to correct the implant bottoming out on the right. The follow up appointment was two weeks later. Everything feels and looks relatively good. Some twinges of pain here and there, but that is to be expected. As far as my results: small issue, but it’s still early as things will change and settle for a while. My next follow up is at six weeks.

Compression braI have been wearing this sexy little hospital-issued number almost 24/7 and was hoping to hear that I could ditch it. Well, I can burn that one, but I do need to continue wearing something. It should be wire-free, but have a tight band. I set out bra shopping this weekend and quickly became frustrated! The first two stores didn’t even carry a 32. I ended at Victoria’s Secret, where I should have started, but that was tiring too. It seems that out of the 23049814 bras VS carries, only a few are wire-free.

First tried on the Perfect Comfort Demi Push-Up in 32DD. Too much padding, I’m still spilling out (no DDD), and the VS girl didn’t know her shit – it has an underwire. I went home with two of the Sexy Tee Wireless Bra in 32D. It truly is wire-free and has no extra padding.

VS bras

photoUpdate: I also went to Nordstrom Monday. My location does not work with United Healthcare, but they offered to provide the paperwork and I can file it myself for UHC to review and decide on.

I didn’t mention this option originally, but should have. As Joyce wrote in the post comments, Nordstrom has fitters and works with most insurance companies for post-mastectomy bra needs. They will find the right bra and file paperwork for the insurance company to cover the expense. Appointment required.

I bought How Perfect by Wacoal in 32D. It is super soft! Love it.

The results

As I mentioned things are looking pretty good, but I do see a small issue: asymmetry. Prior to this surgery my right implant had bottomed out and was lower than the left. Now I am seeing the opposite, although not as much of a difference. I also have a sneaking suspicion that my right side is getting tighter, which may be a sign of capsular contracture, but I don’t want to panic just yet and continue to massage like Dr. M advised.

It is still early and things will continue changing. This may be a non-issue in a few months or it may be worse .. we shall see. In any case, I am just pointing out what I see now. I have not lost sight of the big picture and reason for all of this: I said NOPE to breast cancer! In the words of the wise Casey Eischen: “Prevention, not perfection.” 🙂 ❤

These things really don’t look like a D naked, but you know bras are like jeans: there are multiple ways to measure and it seems like every brand does it their own way. The bras I bought will serve for the next month. After that I hope I can go bra-free.

Reminder: Mentor round, smooth, high profile silicone implants in 450ccs.

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Breast cancer and diet, continued

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As I mentioned in a previous post, Breast cancer and diet, I subscribe to the daily video from Dr. Greger (NutritionFacts.org). This week, he posted a series of videos about fiber, flaxseeds, and breast cancer. I just can’t keep these to myself!

A clinical study explored lignans/flaxseeds and thier effect on tumor growth (comparing it to Tamoxifen). Consuming flaxseed muffins over a period of five weeks made tumor cell proliferation go down, cancer cell death go up, and HER2 score go down. That’s amazing. The little ol’ ground flaxseeds I put in my morning oatmeal can do this!

Similar positive effects are linked to fiber. A study out of Yale on pre-menopausal women concluded that a higher intake of soluble fiber was associated with a significantly reduced risk of breast cancer – 62% lower odds. For younger women that goes up to 85%. Whether it’s the fiber directly or the way it interacts with other nutrients in your body, it doesn’t hurt!

Check out the short videos below to learn more.

Flaxseeds & Breast Cancer Survival: Clinical Evidence

Flaxseeds & Breast Cancer Survival: Epidemiological Evidence

Flaxseeds & Breast Cancer Prevention

Fiber vs. Breast Cancer

Breast cancer and diet

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I subscribe to the daily video from Dr. Greger (NutritionFacts.org), who is a nutrition expert. This week he posted a few videos related to breast cancer.

Studies suggest that eating 5 plain white button mushrooms per day may be sufficient to suppress breast tumor growth! Consuming soy and green tea also provides protection against breast cancer (contrary to some thoughts on how soy/isoflavones effect hormonally-sensitive cancers – see related articles below). Don’t forget collards and carrots. Watch these short videos for more info.

Many articles and videos available from NutritionFacts.org as well as multiple other sources support the fact that a plant based, whole foods diet (read: vegan) is not only good insofar as prevention, but could also be curative. This applies not just to cancer.

If you haven’t yet come across and watched Forks Over Knives, I highly recommend that you take the time out of your day to do so. It is a feature film that explores the foods we eat and what effect they have on our health.

“FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.”

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