Cankles!

What a week this has been. First, I thought I would be through with side effects by now, but strangely enough my legs, ankles, and feet have become really swollen. It’s terrible - I have cankles! After putting up with it for several days I called the doctor to see if it was normal and how much longer I could expect it to last. They had me come in for a blood test and an x-ray to make sure my heart was not enlarged and it appears everything was okay. I’ve been propping my feet up every night and I think it has helped. The swelling has improved, but it is still present. My legs look and feel really funny – cankles are sooo attractive. Oh well - just call me the side effect queen! Ugh -I think I’ve had every side effect possible.

In addition to seeing the doctor for the swelling, I have had four other doctor appointments this week. I saw the eye doctor Monday, a breast surgeon on Tuesday, a pain specialist on Wednesday and the plastic reconstruction surgeon on Thursday. Good grief. I will also see a gynecologist next Monday.

The bulk of my doctor visits relate to the bilateral mastectomy. If you’ll remember, I have been diagnosed with the BRCA2 breast cancer gene mutation. That means I have a 64% chance of developing breast cancer AGAIN by age 70. Furthermore, the gene leaves me with a 44% chance of developing ovarian cancer by age 70. I have decided that these risks are too great and the removal of my ovaries and breast tissue is the best defense. The question now is – how?

There are about a dozen different ways to remove your breasts and rebuild them. So I have a lot of decisions to make. There are different techniques for removing the tissue and different options of rebuilding. You can have a skin sparing mastectomy, a nipple sparing mastectomy, a subcutaneous mastectomy. You can rebuild using implants or you can rebuild using tissue from your stomach, your butt, or your back! You can choose to create a new nipple and tattoo the areola, you can try to save your own nipple, or you can decide not to have nipples at all! There are soooo many options. And of course each option comes with its own set of pros and cons.

I was hoping to have my ovaries removed at the same time as the mastectomy and reconstruction, but the first surgeon has said no to this idea. That means I am facing three separate surgeries – one to remove the breasts and put in tissue expanders, one to remove the expanders and put in the permanent implants, and one more to remove my ovaries. That’s a lot of surgery.

I am only in the information gathering stage so I have no idea what or when this will all occur. I certainly have a lot of decisions to make… and a lot more appointments to attend. I’m thinking of getting a cot and moving into the Cancer Research Center!

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