I will not glow in the dark afterall

I'm a little delinquent in updating everyone with regard to radiation. As of now, there is no evidence that I need to have it. YAY! The doctor I met with, Dr. Pelton, felt that since there are no microscopic signs of cancer in my lymph nodes and we will never know if it existed prior to chemo, there's no sense putting me through radiation. However, I just squeaked by. Had my tumor been 5 cm or more then radiation would have been a certainty. But since it was approx 4 cm...I passed.

The appointment with Dr. Pelton did yield some interesting information that I am really grateful to have received. I now know that there is still a chance of local re-occurrence. So here I thought by having a skin sparring mastectomy I eliminated my chance of that happening, in actuality, the skin isn't scrapped clean of breast tissue.... a rind is left behind and it is in this rind that the cancer can re-occur.

Kind of a bummer...perhaps I would have chosen a normal mastectomy vs. skin sparring had I known previously. The upside of this is that if it happens the cancer will grow up toward my skin and is usually represented by flat red patches. It's easy to see. So that's good. And now I know what to look for. Dr. Pelton said that red means red alert...and to get my butt to Dr. Kovach's should I see any red spots on my skin.

So if you catch me checking out my chest, I'm not admiring my new physique...I'm looking for red spots :)

Whoa, I suddenly have 'boobs' again.

Albeit temporary boobs. What a trip. I was kind of getting used to this flat chested thing...but today...after my second expansion there's a marked difference. The plastic surgeon injected 100cc's (compared to 60 last time). So far, I just feel some mild pressure, but I fully expect to be pretty sore tomorrow.

I have to say, I figured I would have a hard time with the mastectomy...but in reality (pain aside) it's been refreshing. I look so much thinner and I can button up my shirts and coats. So now I'm of two minds about reconstruction. On one hand I'm looking forward to it so I don't look like such a mangled mess. On the other....well...I can't make up my mind about how large I end up going. Very confusing, and I need to make up my mind soon.