On April 6th I had a call with an intern at UCSF who was working with patients to write down their questions, goals and objectives for the consultation so the doctor could review them ahead of time and be sure to address them all. It is a great program.....they will keep track of the questions, help you figure out which questions to ask, attend your appointments with you and keep track of all the information for you as well as record it, and provide the questions and answers all typed up. My mom has been recording my appointments, but the process would have been helpful in the very beginning to sort out the questions I did not know I had.
As we walked through the questions, I realized it was necessary to cancel the appointment at UCSF. Many of the questions I had a month ago when the consultation was scheduled have either been answered or should be asked my treatment team. The UCD staff make me feel comfortable and the 45-60 minute drive is not so bad. So I am very comfortable having the procedure done at UC Davis. Certainly there another recently diagnosed woman with breast cancer who would get much more out of the doctor's time at UCSF.
Given that mastectomy surgery is schedule for the 20th, I scheduled pre-op appointments for April 12th with the plastics doctor to go over paperwork and any more questions I may come up with and April 14th to meet with the cancer surgeon to get all the blood work and stuff done.
With so many question still rolling around about the DIEP Flap vs Implants decision that I felt pressed to have to make before my pre-op appointments, I called UCD to speak to the plastic surgeon on April 6th. After doing more internet research, which the doctor encouraged me to do after our first appointment, I was overwhelmed! Explained my fear of having to decide right now and that I have lots of additional questions, but I really need to get this tumor out. He put my mind at ease by reassuring me that I don't have to decide right now. He also had a patient call me who completed the DIEP procedure and she gave me a hard look at what to expect. Not sugar coated, but very matter of fact. We talked for over half an hour and she explained how she came to her decision. A lot of her choices and reasoning are similar to mine. She was a great resource and it made me feel better about proceeding with using my own tissue to reconstruct my breast.
Yesterday, April 12th, was pre-op with plastic surgeon. This was a great time to address my questions in more detail. With mom present, we went over my options and I am feeling much more comfortable about the DIEP flap procedure. It is more natural, my body is being used to heal my body. My breasts will still be made up of fat and tissue, implants have to be replaced every 10-15 years, there is the risk of leakage, breakage and other issues. The good news is that I still have a choice, all the way up until I decide to start the reconstruction, which makes me feel much better about not having to rush this decision.
Tomorrow is the appointment with the cancer surgeon. I sit here watching the Giants and Dodgers game writing this blog, realizing that this time next week I will be short one breast....Not so sure how I feel about that. Sure I realize how very lucky I am to have my life, but losing this part of me is something I haven't really had time to think about. I worry about the 2 weeks of down time when there is nothing to do but lay at home thinking....that is gonna be the hard part.....
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